Ping to the Swedish Ping List.Neighboring Norway indeed has oil, but this is by no means the only source to Norwegian prosperity.
Today, the Nordic countries are unique among Western countries in the sense that they for decades have displayed solid economic growth, have no problems with national debt (Iceland is an exception but is, without doubt, on the right track - is Greece, Portugal, Spain, Italy, the UK, France and the US?) and have managed to avoid strikes and unstable governments for a long stretch of years.
But what is the real secret behind this Nordic success? What could other governments learn from that of a country like Sweden?
Perhaps it's as simple as this:
- Avoid any measure that will increase national debt - Do whatever you can to downsize government influence over the economy - Stimulate education, research and entrepreneurship without employing hordes of bureaucrats (contrary to what most European nations have been doing for decades) - Let the organizations of employers and the worker unions settle their own disagreements without government intervention (this is not the case in America; Sweden has no government regulated minimum wages, America does)
The intelligence and character of a country’s people is also a major factor, which seems to be ignored in this otherwise interesting article. Exporting this model to a low average IQ country would be predictably unworkable.
Sure you would. You’d be born into a land that has the second highest reported rape rate in the world, after South Africa. It’s not Vikings that are doing the raping.
You’d be born into a land where 16% of the babies are born to “non-Western” parents.
You’d be born into a land so flourishing that there’s a welcome mat out for immigrants who have over 50% unemployment and welfare dependency.
You’d be born into a land where there are no-go areas for blue-eyed people like you, unless perhaps you really were a-Viking, sword and battle-ax in hand.
Ping to the Swedish Ping List.Tack!