Fraize Dotcom

It’s September 12th, and all sorts of Americans have converged on our nation’s capital to protest. Looking at their signs and shirt slogans, you’d believe they question the legitimacy of Barack Obama’s citizenship, their disagreement with the direction the health-care debate is going and the country’s perceived inexorable march towards socialism.

So, I became curious – it’s what intelligent people do when presented with information that they don’t understand. I started to research other countries. See what they do with their governments, their taxes, see what health-care systems they model, and what sort of consequences those choices have on their overall prosperity.

I chose Norway to compare against the United States, and what I discovered was very interesting.

First, let’s compare the political systems of Norway to the USA. We here in the US enjoy a representative democracy, currently run by the Democratic party. Norway is a constitutional monarchy with a parliament mostly run by the Socialist Left party. Gasp! Socialists! No doubt they’ve got a universal health-care system!

In fact, they do! Their health care system is 100% covered and paid for from tax revenue. There are waiting lists for some services – a hip-replacement, for example, can take 3 months before surgery. Certainly, they must have people dying left and right in Norway, right?

Wrong! Despite our short lines for health coverage, the quality is lower. Norway enjoys the 24th highest life expectancy in the world. USA rests comfortably at 50th place – just above Albania, though not as good as Bosnia.

To pay for universal health care, Norway’s highest individual income tax rate is upwards of 48%. Well, one might argue, because of all of this socialism and these expensive entitlement programs, Norway must have no incentive to work. They must have the laziest populace out there, right?

Wrong again. Norway’s GDP per capita is third highest in the world. USA with its highest rate at 38% sites sadly at sixth place.

Okay, so Norway beats us in productivity, health coverage and life expectancy, so surely their quality of life must be lower – bland and flattened due to this redistribution of wealth, right? Where’s the drive to achieve if there’s no chance to be rich?

To be a millionaire is surely every American’s dream! Unfortunately, you’d be better off in Norway. They have more millionaires per capita than the USA. Norway beats us with 1 millionaire per every 86 people while the US has 1 per 125.

Let’s sum up – Norway’s a Socialist country with universal health care, but they live longer, are more productive and have greater opportunities to be rich than here. So I’m left puzzled exactly why the right is so up in arms?