“I’m confused. Is the article actually saying that Norway is not a socialist country?”
That is exactly correct. It is a very capitalist country with a lot of welfare. The fact that they have high taxes a lots of welfare does not make the socialist.
Better to pay the tax upfront, than simply run up massive debt.
There is going to be increasing social dissatisfaction in these countries about the individual tax burden. It’s one thing for people to fund a generous welfare state when it is clear that everyone is contributing equally. That’s how it’s always been in Scandinavia but that is no longer the case. They have now imported a huge group of people who are receiving monthly benefits without contributing anything in exchange. The tax payers aren’t going to tolerate that indefinitely.
True, but the fact that their government nationalized their primary industry kinda does.
I've read several articles now (thanks to this one) that try to make the case that Norway, and some other Scandinavian countries aren't Socialist.
That's not to say I'm a fan of Socialism; I'm not. I just prefer not to hide behind that idea that just because it appears to be working means it can't be Socialism.
All I know is: Norway checks off just about every textbook indicator of Socialism... other than the one where Socialism doesn't work. If it walks like a duck, and talks like a duck, it's generally a duck.