ECONOMY 

WORKERS CONNED

From 1996 the Norwegian media and economy elite started propagandizing the thoughts that Norwegian economics was being limited by insufficient amounts of labour . The number of employed Norwegians has been fairly stable around the number 2,275 million for prior period. Both statements seem to lack fundament, but the consequence has been an alienated worker and a transfer of wealth to limited privileged groups.

The extensive lobbying has resulted in a capitulation from the politicians. No renowned economical theories support the existence of insufficient supply of labour, but all state that increased supply leads to harder competition for whatever jobs available, a higher number of unemployed and lower salaries. Increased rationalizing and numbers of lay offs during the last decade indicates that the need for labour will decrease rather than increase in the coming years. In addition a further growth in low producing enterprises will also add to a decline in living standards. The EU report estimating 400.000 poor in Norway supports these theories. This poverty is expected to grow further in the future among employees and the unemployed.    

Norway has, however, experienced economical growth the last decade, but the increased standard of living has reached a small percentage of the population and the bill has been paid by the majority. This small percentage, labelled as “new-rich” points to the probable fact that this apparent economical growth is more a transfer of wealth and likvida than an actual growth. A growing population as a result of immigration, which sums up to around 100.000 over the last five years, has struck the proletarians and those on health and social security hard. Both ethnic Norwegians and immigrants become victims in this race to create increased BNP and a transposition of wealth to the benefit of those already positioned above the middle of the food-chain.

POOR NORWEGIANS

The last time Norwegians were objects to criticism it was the Swedes delivering the punishment. This time it is from the United States the Norwegians are criticized for being full of them selves. The writer Bruce Bawer (New York Times) has lived in Norway for six years and has composed a walk-through of the Norwegians blind belief in themselves and their system.

Attacking the Norwegian lunch

Bawer writes that when he moved here he quickly realized that Norwegians live cheaper than Americans. Norwegians keep their kitchen supplies longer and drive what Bawer describes as wrecks. Not to talk about the Norwegian bring-it-yourself-lunch. He points out that the libraries in Oslo are outdated, the public baths and swimming pools desperately needs maintenance, there is an imminent lack of police, the schools lack teaching material, drug-addicts flood the streets and there are long lines for those in need of methadone treatment

Expensive gin-tonic.

And this is not just public poverty. Bawer points out that the living costs in Norway is so high that the salary doesn’t last long. Especially the prices of alcohol, gas, cars and food are used by Bawer to illustrate his point. But this is not only in comparisons with USA. Bawer says that in his view it is doubtable if Norwegians enjoy high living standard compared to the rest of Europe.  

-“In Norwegian pubs, for example, anyone rich or crazy enough to order a gin and tonic will pay around 15 USD for some spoonfuls of gin on top of a glass of tonic. In Spain the drinks are tremendously cheap and the bartender will continue pouring gin until the glass is full if you don’t stop him.”  

 Bawer also reacts strongly against how Americans and the US are portrayed, as a nation divided between robbers and statutory slaves, between armies of homeless and unemployed. He states that this illusion is created to keep Norwegians more satisfied with the so-called “velferdsmodellen” – a postulated high living standard achieved through government control and the loss of individual responsibility.