In your opinion is Norway a Socialist country?

[Snerk]

Well.... AP is a socialist party,when you start every annual party meeting with everybody singing The Internationale,something tells me that they are socialists.

If you look at their party politics, it will tell you otherwise. I probably sing some christian songs every xmas. It doesn't make me religious.

 

[Ecofarm]

People don't even know what socialism means. It seems that many think it means communism...

"the abolishment of private property"

Give me a freaking break. Do you see that on SI's platform??

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Of corse norway is a socialistic country (at leats last time i looked out the window)
For the love of god,Sosialistisk venstreparti (socialistic left party) are in government.and they have the have the financial minister!

As to school and hospitals(clinics) they are some "private" but they are subsidized by the government so you can not compare it to American private hospitals,and the same goes for the schools.

Maybe this and this would be helpful for some of you

Helpfull indeed.

"The Norwegian economy is a prosperous bastion of welfare capitalism"

The question was not: is Norway more socialist than America. t is not a socialist country, it is a combination of socialism and capitalism as is America. The difference being the ratio.

 

[Ecofarm]

But it's not 100% capitalist. So, if you can't call it socialist because you think it does not meet a definition (when, actually, it meets all of the criteria under SI's platformand is in the top 5 socialist countries in the world) then you cannot call it capitalist either.

So, we are left with a sort of relative scale by which to label countries. Unless, of course, you want to be absolutist about it and say that there are no capitalist or socialist countries.

In general, though, I think it's safe to assume that "is Norway socialist" includes the context of "compared to other countries". Otherwise, we find ourselves in a pit of nihilism... denying the existence of everything.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Well done Eco. You just discovered we don't live in a binary world.

This is important

Is there central planning of the Norway Economy or Market?

edit: Naming it socialist because other countries are a little less socialist is bull of the highest order.

edit 2: Otherwise America would be a theocracy.

 

[Yeekim]

However the means of production are not publicly held.

Why would People's Republic of Norway need to hold means of production? As far as I know, they already claim majority of results of production...

 

[Ecofarm]

Well done Eco. You just discovered we don't live in a binary world.

This is important

I just discovered it? Your post shows an inability to understand comparative analysis. Further, it fails to draw conclusions or be descriptive. Basically, it's a big load of crap that attempts to obfuscate by holding a rigid (though arbitrary) definition.

You're the one with only 2 points here: socialist (according to YOUR PERSONAL definition, because your not using SI) or not socialist.

I, however, see the gray and the comparisons and can come to an enlightened conclusion that yes, compared to other countries and using a standard but not rigid definition one can say Norway is socialist - if one can say any country is. Further, I can (and did) provide evidence to this end.

Really, you attempt to pretend that socialism is some magic thing that does not exist by reducing the question to a binary answer based on a crappy definition.

Now, when you are willing to take in the big picture and look at more than 2 points (don't be binary), then perhaps you can understand where I'm coming from.


/spank

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Only if you admit America is a theocracy.

http://www.socialistinternational.org/about.cfm

The Socialist International is the worldwide organisation of social democratic, socialist and labour parties

Parties, not countries. Try again sport.


Hey look! Europe is socialist!
http://www.socialistinternational.org/viewArticle.cfm?ArticlePageID=928#b

edit edit edit:

Dude, if you're a member of Socialists International... you're a socialist.

Look it up.

http://www.socialistinternational.org/viewArticle.cfm?ArticlePageID=926

And so is America


/spank spank

Last edit: Is there central planning of the Norway Economy or Market?

 

[Grisu]

ohh, clever necro....

oh, and for the record: no, Norway is not a Socialist country

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

I was having fun. Where did Eco go?

 

[Ecofarm]

Too much spanking, you perv.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Well, you could have expected that. I am Dutch after all.

 

[Thorbal]

I don´t know if it is.

But it is full of win and generally awesome!

( if someone from the boards could arrange a norwegian citizenship for me... please do, tusen takk! )

 

[Eukaryote]

Well Norway has the highest human develpoment index in the world, so if they are socialist, it seems to be working for them.

 

[Ecofarm]

Of course it is working for them, and Sweden too. It generally works with a small, rich, low-density homogenous population.

 

[Volum]

Well Norway has the highest human develpoment index in the world, so if they are socialist, it seems to be working for them.

Actually i used to make a thread every year when the UN said the Norway had the highest HDI in the world. However last year Iceland got the top, alltough their score is tied with ours. However due to the financial crisis i'm hoping this year we can reclaim the throne for ourself

Unless the damn Canadians jump by us! Quick, somebody make Canada a crappy country!

1 ▬ (0) Iceland ▬ 0.968
2 ▬ (0) Norway ▬ 0.968
3 ▲ (1) Canada ▲ 0.967

 

[Yeekim]

Well Norway has the highest human develpoment index in the world, so if they are socialist, it seems to be working for them.

The question is, whether they have highest human development index in the world because they are (nearly?) socialist or are they (nearly?) socialist since they can afford it due to being filthy rich from oil.

My money is on the second option.

 

[Lillefix]

It generally works with a small, rich, low-density homogenous population.

What's you're reasoning behind this claim?

 

[Ecofarm]

Reality...

Look where it works best and where it's not so good or disasterous. Plenty of papers have been written on the subject. Finding one should be no problem via google. Look for demographics + socialism, probably.

 

[jessiecat]

Actually i used to make a thread every year when the UN said the Norway had the highest HDI in the world. However last year Iceland got the top, alltough their score is tied with ours. However due to the financial crisis i'm hoping this year we can reclaim the throne for ourself

Unless the damn Canadians jump by us! Quick, somebody make Canada a crappy country!

1 ▬ (0) Iceland ▬ 0.968
2 ▬ (0) Norway ▬ 0.968
3 ▲ (1) Canada ▲ 0.967

Now that Iceland's banking system has utterly collapsed that's one less for you to worry about, eh?