why do the scandinavian countries work?

its sad to think what this country could be, given the resources
and ingenuity we possess.

racism, fear and predatory capitalism are the misery of the planet.... it really makes one sad

What industries do people work in to allow them to have such a high standard of living?

But don't let that get in your way. :eyes:

This is the kind of question best answered by doing some research on ones own, and not asking others on a message board to explain it all to them. Sorry, OP!

If history books are too boring, try starting with "The Local Sweden", Sweden's news online written in English.

i guess the idea is to "discuss"
a given topic. why post in here if thats all you have to offer?

come to a discussion where the OP has at least some idea about the subject. It just seems like a really, really, vague question. No offense intended.

i was reflecting on this topic from another post.

<http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8261930>

everything ive read or watched concerning Scandinavian countries
has been relatively positive. undoubtedly there are problems in every nation, no one is arguing that.
and yes id like to learn more, which is why i posted. your right, the OP was vague and reactionary on my part. and thanks for the web page suggestion.

btw im a B.S. in history :)

see, if youd have left it at that, a conversation
could have developed, but then you add


"But don't let that get in your way." :eyes:

why add that, why post your fly by snide comment?

Just another "America sucks" bitch-fest.

reread the OP.

Oversimplification and uninformed still stands.

it wasnt meant to be an "america sucks bitch-fest"
then we've reached common ground. night

Especially when the rich and powerful make war on the poor?

of course its bad for society. i feel its what hold this
nation back.

This nation was so rich for a long time that we got away with our disfunctional politics, so to speak. But those days are gone for good.

the people would riot, and drag their legislators into the street by the hair, that's why. I think we could use a strong dose of that here.

To begin with there is quite a bit of difference betweent the countries.

Some of them do have social problems like alcoholism.

A more narrow question on why Norway's approach to offshore drilling has been so successful and that the revenues from the North Sea are going to produce dividends in perpetuity is an interesting one.

The answer to that question is that when they lookd for the person to head the Norwegian Petroleum industry they didn't look for an oil man or a businessman.

Instead they looked for a PHD in philosophy. They worked on the premise that he would help ask all of the right questions.

He did and Norwegians will benefit for generations because of it.

thanks for the information. is there something, you feel, that is inherent in Norwegian culture
for them to seek a scholar instead of a capitalist to oversee their oil industry?

people more effectively if they are in homogenic small groups that share a well organized and humane belief system.

While Norway has grown increasingly secular there is a broad appreciation for the Lutheran tradition that all Norwegians come from.

In general I think that World War II made all educated Europeans more circumspect about their place in the world and in a word, humbler and more willing to cooperate for social cohesion. In a similar way Singapore and Japan have avoided the wide disparity of living conditions that we have and are adverse to highly confrontational decision making.

we haven't reached that homogenic point in our evolution.
one wonders if this country ever will, or can. i think racism
is the undoing of this nation.

pillaging is not the best long-term plan. War is only profitable for those who control wartime production. If your plan for the future is to steal what other people own, there will come a time when there will be nothing left to sustain your own society.

times move faster now - it took the Vikings 400 years of being feared and hated before they tore themselves apart. We're doing it with barely 150 years.

The last major war that Sweden fought was the Great Northern War. Its army was destroyed by the Russians at Poltava and the Swedish King Charles XII fled to Turkey. After returning from Turkey, Charles XII was killed in Norway during the seige at Fredriksten in 1718.

Note that a previous King, Gustavus Adolphus, had been killed in the Thirty Years War at the Battle of Lützen in 1632.

Sweden managed to stay fairly uninvolved in the Napoleonic Wars and maintained neutrality during World Wars I and II.

I've often thought that the US would be less belligerent if our Commander in Chief were required to take the field at the head of his forces.

In my youth, this was always a savored topic...

Back in them olden days... all the violence, bloodthirstiness,
hatred, bigotry, fear... was played out in the looting, pillaging,
etc. The many slaves that were brought back to the Old Country
diluted the original DNA...making for diversity; that's why one
occasionally runs across a Swede or Nowegian with dark hair,eyes
and skin- My grandma was one who was termed a 'black norwegian' for those reasons.

Whenever new genes are introduced into a dense genetic code,
the better qualities of all usually rise to the surface.
It does make one think: look at the inbred genetics in the
mountainous regions in some cultures... and often in isolate villages.

Altho there are some that say when Bridget brought peaceful
christianity to the norse pagans, they calmed down.
Whatever floats your boat.. but things sure are different
across the pond..

"Through neutrality, Sweden was not forced through two post-World War rebuilding phases which the rest of Europe underwent. Sweden has achieved a high standard of living under a mixed system of high-tech markets and welfare benefits. Sweden has the second highest total tax revenue behind Denmark, as a share of the country's income. As of 2007, total tax revenue was 47.8% of GDP, down from 49.1% 2006."

Sweden's GINI is 23 it represents one of the most equitable distributions of income anywhere in the world. Their taxes are very high which is tied to their great social safety net.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Sweden
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"Sweden's trade policy is based on free trade. The Government's Statement on Trade Policy that was presented in the Riksdag on 4 March 2008 begins with phrase, "The world needs more, not less, free trade"."

"Three quarters of Sweden's trade is conducted in the EU internal market. The Government's ultimate aim is for Sweden to belong to the core of the EU and to be an active and constructive force in EU cooperation. Sweden is also the strongest voice for free trade in the EU. By strengthening cooperation with other countries that favour free trade, we can do even more for free trade than we can accomplish on our own."

"The best way of opening up trade globally is via multilateral agreements. This is also the only way of ensuring a fair, stable and predictable international trade system. (That would make FDR proud of his accomplishments in establishing a multilateral framework for promoting international trade after WWII.) Completing the current trade round - the Doha Round - in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) is therefore one of the most important priorities of the Government's trade policy."

"The Government welcomes globalisation and the fact that an increasing number of countries are part of the trade policy agenda. This means that completely new markets and opportunities are opening up for Swedish companies, and that an increasing number of people around the world can benefit from the wealth-creating forces that international trade entails."

http://www.sweden.gov.se/sb/d/3086/a/118563
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In Sweden, they trade with everyone and provide progressive support for their citizens. 3/4's of their trade is with free trade partners. That is true throughout Scandinavia and Europe in general.

I think the secret of their success lies mainly in the willingness of their people to tax themselves to ensure that everyone is taken care of. Americans aren't willing to do this - frontier, pull yourself up by your own bootstraps mentality here.