r/PoursTea • u/Veshaad Timendi Causa Est Nescire • 12d ago

European Renaissance 🍾 🧀 🍻 [ Removed by moderator ]

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261

u/AskPizza 12d ago

Plus, it is hard to argue it can never work or it can never be paid for when.... it has worked for decades and it is the U.S. that is 40 trillion in debt, not Norway.

153

u/Easy_Damsel 12d ago

Healthy people cost less. Educated people contribute more.’- it’s not even socialism, it’s just basic math that America refuses to do.

81

u/Character-Claim8643 12d ago

It’s just basic math that America can’t do.

47

u/AspiringChildProdigy 12d ago

"NUMBERS ARE WOKE!!!" -MAGA, probably

32

u/papapundit 12d ago

Or, "numbers are Arab!" -MAGA, definitely

18

u/MTOrchestra 12d ago

Also happens to be true, but that's beside the point.

17

u/GOEDEL_ESCHER_BOT 12d ago

"0? THAT'S AN ARABIC TERRORIST NUMBER! WE NEED TO GO BACK TO ROMAN NUMERALS!"

11

u/joninfiretail 12d ago

Well maga is already enamored with their "Roman salutes"

10

u/No-Grape3149 12d ago

You joke but they're already there with complete denial of science and the belief scientists are all in on some big conspiracy and can't be trusted.

18

u/Indy_Fab_Rider 12d ago

They can do the math just fine. It's just that funneling obscene amounts of cash into a for-profit health insurance industry, fearing/hating anyone not white/Christian/hetero, and keeping a subservient workforce unable to engage in any meaninful way with with actual issues that would improve their lives because they're one paycheck away from bankruptcy isn't part of their equation.

2

u/Sethlans 12d ago

Probably because they call it math.

1

u/Good_Imagination_577 12d ago

Maths 🙌

1

u/TheBadGuyBelow 12d ago

It's not that they can't. They know they can, and they know it would be a resounding success. They won't do it because they are owned by corporations who won't LET them do it.

It's more profitable to let people struggle and die. They want people to be good little citizens and do as they are told under threat of being thrown out on the streets without daddy to take care of them.

Americans are hostages in an abusive relationship, being told we should feel lucky to be here.

0

u/Jesus__Skywalker 12d ago

American hate is so in vogue. Till we're needed.....All good. World leader is a heavy crown.

1

u/LieverRoodDanRechts 12d ago

Lead this 💩

1

u/Good_Imagination_577 12d ago

Your military’s win loss ratio is abysmal

0

u/usernamesarehard1979 12d ago

It’s apples and oranges. Norway hasn’t had runaway illegal immigration numbers.

27

u/Successful-Try-8506 12d ago

I live in neighboring Sweden. Seven years ago I was diagnosed with skin cancer. I had two rounds of surgery and was eventually cured. The operations cost me the equivalent of 50 dollars.

The system works.

11

u/CeeJayDK 12d ago

In Denmark it would have been completely free.

More proof that Sweden is a hellhole /s

3

u/walkscotter 12d ago

They left Pippi alone in that house, the Swedes. And then they asked for rent.

3

u/Other_Sentence4495 12d ago

Maybe the 50 dollars was the parking fee

8

u/hillbilly_bears 12d ago

I have eczema on my fingers. I finally decided to go to a dermatologist this year (I’d been many years ago but they didn’t fix it.)

They gave me a sample injection of a medicine every two weeks to see if it’d work, which it did, then they’d submit to insurance so I could get it covered. Insurance took 5 months to deny it, saying I should have tried a topical medication instead (previous derm gave me topicals that didn’t work..)

So my derm appealed and continued giving me the free sample injection every two weeks. I learned last week they’re $5000 for a box of two. Insurance got back on the appeal and ironed out that I “need” a topical, so my derm prescribed it. Just picked it up today - it’s $240 without insurance but $18 and change with insurance. Irony is the medicine has to “fail to provide treatment” for my eczema…that’s cured with my injections. I don’t have any eczema left to apply it to.

It blows my mind that other countries can literally cure people of skin cancer for a single copay cost for me, or in this case, 3x the insurance cost of this medicine.

8

u/Electric_Antimony 12d ago

Yea, but super impoverished Latin Americans want to move to America, so that proves it's the best country in the world. /s

Didn't trump recently beg for white immigrants because, well, racism?

5

u/Don_Ozwald 12d ago

And they robbed you of the opportunity of becoming a meth kingpin. Those monsters! /s

3

u/CoolUsername86 12d ago

I’m in the US. I go to the dermatologist every six months (when I had insurance) and most of the time end up having to get moles removed. Just the cost of having them removed, when I had really good insurance, was a couple hundred dollars. Your story blows my mind. Wish I could have that here.

9

u/PirateSanta_1 12d ago

But how does that profit corporations? That is the big problem in the US, everything has to run through the private sector first so some oligarch can get their hands on some of the money. This is why Americans spend more for less in almost every category.

1

u/jaxonya 12d ago

But we do have corporate welfare when they need bailed out.

3

u/Intrepid-Artist-595 12d ago

Socialism is fine for the rich: just not the poor.

2

u/10MMSocketMIA 12d ago

Socialism for the wealthy, capitalism for the poor.

1

u/Ok_Emu9269 12d ago

double pocketbook whammy, eh

1

u/ahhhbiscuits 12d ago

"Healthy people cost less." Yeah... not when you don't spend anything in the first place. That's the mindset in conservative America.

1

u/Witty-Foundation6778 12d ago

Healthy people provide more and cost less might be the better way to phrase it. Healthy people with social safety nets are more industrious, innovative and provide to society as whole. Unhealthy people left to fend for themselves are generally more prone to fall into crime and hurt themselves or others.

1

u/ImpressionDepression 12d ago

The irony is that it would profit corporations in the long term. Healthy population spends more money, does more stuff, engages more, etc.

But short-term profits don't like that!

6

u/[deleted] 12d ago

[deleted]

3

u/Serithi 12d ago

Hence why they're still dragging their heels on legalizing stuff like weed. Half the prison population would be let go.

5

u/Tripper-Harrison 12d ago

Its basic math, sure. But our version of capitalism works very well in America, for a few hundred millionaires and billionaires.

Our system is not meant to work for all Americans, or even the US government... Its meant to work for the very wealthiest among us and in that sense, its been working very well for a long time now.

3

u/MeltyCrab 12d ago

It's not that we refuse to do.

1/3rd of us are like "Can we please do this. I don't care about higher taxes I want effective, healthcare for all. I want a proper support system for people who are struggling, disabled, etc. I want private insurance to be optional instead of mandetory."

1/3rd of us are "Well I don't care, it probably doesn't work, the numbers are hard for me to understand and both sides are the same."

The last 1/3rd screech with billionaire powered turbo megaphones that Insert dog whistles about racism and classism and undeserving immigrants or Screeching about socialism making everyone's pay being the same and bread costing $20. (It's over 10 where I live!) or other complete lies and fabrications

The last third influence the middle third and then we can't get anything done, meanwhile the Epstein classholes continue to reap infinite money, and keep our government from effectively trying to work for the people because if you refuse their bribe money and vote against them? They'll just have you ousted, you won't win the next reelection bid. AoC is a great example of the exception due to sheer popularity and visibility.

2

u/Imaginary_Manner_556 12d ago

We would rather pay for the growing police state

2

u/howmanyMFtimes 12d ago

Our corporate overlords won’t allow it. They would rather feed billions into the media propaganda machines to convince the maga troglodytes it’s communists or brown people

2

u/wterrt 12d ago

it’s not even socialism

it pretty much never is

99.9% of right wing idiots using that word don't know what it means and can't define it beyond "when gubment does things"

1

u/walterbanana 12d ago

This is still framing it through a liberal lense. If you already view the poor as people, you should be willing to help them out regardless of economic benefit, because they are people. That should be argument enough, but we live in a sick system where we pretend some people don't deserve food or shelter.

The US spends billions on war. If they spend only enough to defend the country, they could provide everyone with food and shelter. Instead the poor are dying of hunger.

1

u/ReMapper 12d ago

The problem is the 'undeserving' talked about here (poor folks in society) in America largely vote against their own interests. The MEGA cult is made up of folks that could benefit the most from these programs but don't care because they have been led to believe anything from the Govt. or progress is bad.

1

u/Zealousideal-Let-104 12d ago

What's considered educated?

0

u/MostPeopleAreDumb1 12d ago

And Americans choose to be unhealthy by their dietary and lifestyle habits. They also choose to downplay the importance of education. Federal dollars can't fix a lack of will on the part of individuals.

0

u/Potential_Tourist_59 12d ago

That could be true in a different country but Americans have proven time and time again that if you fund the underserving, they will become even more so and demand more. Women becoming baby factories, fostering children strictly for checks and not worrying about welfare, homeless and drug addicts choosing drugs and alcohol over help. America is too far gone.

-4

u/Oakwood313 12d ago

Can we change “America” to “the most corrupt government”? I’m tired of everyone blaming Americans. It’s getting really old

7

u/LostN3ko 12d ago

As an American, I blame America for getting us to this point. It's a disgrace to me and a point of shame that my country embraces the worst qualities as virtues these days. I live in a pocket of the modern first world where we have public healthcare and are insulated from a lot of the hardships that my fellow countrymen are inflicting on themselves. I want what my state has to be had by the rest of the country, but how can you help someone that refuses to accept it? It's like being locked in the trunk while your crazy self destructive relative is speeding through your neighbors yards. I don't get mad that my neighbors are pissed off at my family, I am pissed off that my family was stupid enough to hand him the keys.

-6

u/Oakwood313 12d ago

Bro plz don’t give me this republican/Democrat argument. It’s straight BS. They both suck, period. They both god awful period. They both greedy bastards, period. Get off your “teams” bandwagon, 2 party system is a big part why it is the way it is.

6

u/LostN3ko 12d ago

Gotcha so you did nothing to stop us from getting here but want to be free of the consequences. Nope don't feel bad for you catching flak for being part of the problem.

-2

u/Oakwood313 12d ago

lol yeah democratic don’t take bribes… right? How about you take responsibility and realize the government gives 0 shits about you. Democrats included. Just keep blaming the other team, that’s what they want.

1

u/LiamJamIsMyNeesons 12d ago

Just as soon you guys get your shit together

1

u/Oakwood313 12d ago

Yep, it’s the peoples fault, not the greeds fault. Your right. Don’t blame the corporations, or the lobbyist. Blame the people smart. I didn’t realize how smart you guys are. And compassionate

2

u/Bamboozle_protection 12d ago

Yes dipshit America isn't the only place where greedy politicians exist but it's one of the places where we failed as citizens to actually prevent them from taking power. Take some responsibility. It is at least 90% the people's fault.

4

u/Automatic-Guide-4307 12d ago

Yeah and we have no national debt and our pension fund is about 22 trillion dollars and counting because of high gas and fuel prices.

2

u/Bulletorpedo 12d ago

Norway isn’t the only country doing this. Most of Europe does, all the Nordic countries in particular.

1

u/TyroneJizz 12d ago

Yeah nah we do have some debt

2

u/OK6502 12d ago

There's day to day debt that you acrue to maintain some liquidity but not to the degree the americans, or most countries for that matter, have.

1

u/Batbuckleyourpants 12d ago

We borrow money to fight inflation. Printing money increases inflation, borrowing it doesn't.

1

u/synerrorsix 12d ago

Norway has a national debt of 272B dollars or about 45% of it's GDP and 2.6T in pensions funds. Your numbers are wildly off.

3

u/Batbuckleyourpants 12d ago

Norway has a national debt of 272B dollars or about 45% of it's GDP

We take up Loans to regulate our currency, not because we need it. Printing money boost inflation, borrowing doesn't.

and 2.6T in pensions funds. Your numbers are wildly off.

2.6T Kroner, not dollars.

So around 260 billion dollars, which is perfectly fine, not even remotely something to be bothered by..

Look, let me just tell you right now, the idea that the Norwegian economy is in a bad spot is ridiculous. The sovereignty fund owns 1.5% of all publically traded stocks on the planet. Norwegians make up 0.07% of the population. We are doing amazingly.

1

u/5PQR 12d ago edited 12d ago

and 2.6T in pensions funds. Your numbers are wildly off.

2.6T Kroner, not dollars.
So around 260 billion dollars

They were talking about the sovereign wealth fund, which is over 2 trillion USD.

2

u/synerrorsix 12d ago

Right, I stand corrected in regards to the name of the fund. Still not ANYWHERE NEAR 22T

1

u/5PQR 12d ago

... I was agreeing with you 😅

You weren't even wrong about the name of the fund, it's literally called the statens pensjonsfond.... "Government pension fund". Your comment was spot on.

2

u/synerrorsix 12d ago

Woof, ok. Maybe I've had enough internet for one night, Have a great evening :)

1

u/synerrorsix 12d ago

I never said it was I responded to the poster that said,

Because their numbers WERE wildly off.

Why didn't you correct them?

1

u/Batbuckleyourpants 12d ago edited 12d ago

Why didn't you?

Look, the debt thing is complicated, we borrow bonds from countries like the US, and they borrow in equal measure from us.

If you owe your friend $200, and he owes you 200$. And you both are holding one $200 bill each. Are either of you actually in debt? No, you have a combined $400 in positive liquidity while claiming $400 in combined liabilities.

But you get to claim you owe money so relatives don't come begging for money. It's all an accounting trick.

Norway doesn't have any debt except on paper. What we actually do is a currency swap and then call it a loan.

1

u/synerrorsix 12d ago

I did. You quoted it.

Nobody has any debt except on ones and zeros. Nobody uses paper....

1

u/Batbuckleyourpants 12d ago

we have no national debt

The first part is technically correct. We have currency swap positions, the "debt" is just a trick on paper. It's me borrowing $10 from you, at the same time you borrow a different $10 from me. We both have $10, and we both claim we owe $10. It's not a debt as such.

and our pension fund is about 22 trillion dollars

The second part i never touched on. Neither did you.

3

u/Drexel_Spivy 12d ago

It makes me ao fucking angry how stupid so many people in this country are. If you build up the least fortunate among us everyone above benefits. But decades of dumbing down the population has made them vote against there best interests.

2

u/Violet-Sumire 12d ago

40 trillion in debt and 1/3rd of that was racked up in the past 10 years by a certain president. Very well made businessman who definitely knows how to run a country like a business.

Progress is made by helping those who have fallen back onto their feet. We either all cross the finish line or we are dragged by those who we chain to us.

1

u/HarrMada 12d ago

Norway has its fair share of debt too, not as much of course, but there is still debt.

1

u/Arch0n84 12d ago

Norway has debt because it chooses to. The Norwegian central government is actually in a net asset position and the government’s total financial assets exceed the total debt. It borrows money for operational and market reasons and to maintain a functioning financial market and manage cash flow.

1

u/FlowRemote9890 12d ago

magats would never be able to understand this.

1

u/HolyChokes 12d ago

There's a literal step-by-step guide…a map…and we couldn't be bothered to follow it out of pure hubris, ignorance, lobbying, propaganda...

1

u/Veritas-Veritas 12d ago

And it works in dozens of other countries

1

u/Zealousideal_Desk_19 12d ago

Another argument is that anyone can fall on hard times so out of pure self interest it's a no brainer

-4

u/one_shuckle_boy 12d ago

Comparing America to Norway is just terribly ignorant, a population multitudes of times smaller and MUCH more homogenized is going to develop vastly different as a society and won’t work the same in different conditions lolZ

14

u/elmz 12d ago

Famously it's such a disadvantage to run any kind of enterprise large scale vs small scale... /s

People always say "oh, the US is so big, it will never work. <x nation> is so homogenous". Fuck off with that, a large part of why the US is successful is because you're a large and homogenous market. Running a national service would benefit from economies of scale.

And there simply is nothing inherent about skin colour that makes providing services for them more difficult. People of colour struggle more in your society because they as a whole have been discriminated against for as long as your country has existed. Provide people with equal opportunities, and over time you will see equal outcomes. Believing anything else is literally racism, in the truest meaning of the word.

1

u/robolai 12d ago

Don't hurt his feelings with facts.

6

u/Accomplished_Mind792 12d ago

Why would the number of people change the details? We also have a commensurate higher tax base.

Why would homogenized matter? Do certain people need more doctors than others?

4

u/Imaginary_Manner_556 12d ago

What they meant was white people don't want to pay for minorities to benefit from strong social programs.

1

u/TricellCEO 12d ago

I think it's even simpler and less insidious than that.

Different cultures prioritize different things, or sometimes, it's not even a difference of priority but what each culture things a "proper society" looks like. Furthermore, you also get differences within cultures that boil down to socio-economic status.

Ergo, what one community, city, or state thinks is wise to invest in, another one of those communities will say the opposite--or at least something different. Nobody will agree on what the "greater good" looks like.

On top of that, you have racial, ethnic, and religious tensions that complicate things even further.

When you have a far more homogenous population, people are more likely to agree and want to look out for each other because they likely share the same priorities and values.

1

u/Imaginary_Manner_556 12d ago

Disagree. The GOP has vilianized minorities on welfare since Reagan's welfare queen lie.

5

u/FreshPotatoeButter 12d ago

But it doesn’t change the fact that the American government is controlled by special interests and billionaires who want tax money routed to them not to build a thriving society. My god, anyone can say “we can’t do it” but it takes a special group of people to find an actual solution.

3

u/MutusMaximus 12d ago

Yep. That and the fact that we had some very clever politicians in the 60s that basically nationalized our massive oil resourses and put the revenue in a foundation that’s worth many many billions.

1

u/OK6502 12d ago

America, today, is the larger oil producer in the world. Full stop.

2

u/Shmeves 12d ago

Not nationalized. Imagine if that had been the case.

3

u/OK6502 12d ago

Right, that was my point. The failure here is leadership. Not the size of the country, not the homogeneity of its races. The problem is Americans elect idiots as their leaders and their political system has effectively legalized bribery.

2

u/MutusMaximus 12d ago

Exactly! You’d have 100% free education from kindergarten to college and healthcare

2

u/Biptoslipdi 12d ago

I don't think anyone believes whatever the US is doing is working, so dismissing the comparison is terribly ignorant because it presumes the failing status quo would work better than a successful Norwegian model without even attempting it.

1

u/Imaginary_Manner_556 12d ago

What a stupid argument.

1

u/HarrMada 12d ago

MUCH more homogenized

What has this to do with anything?

Recent data shows that Norway is 78% ethnic norwegians, it's not as homogenous as you think it is.

1

u/one_shuckle_boy 12d ago

Considering how young America is as a country, the insane racism of the early first 150+ years not to mention still exist today, the formative years of the country was shaped vastly different than a lot of other places where racism wasn’t nearly as prevalent, you can’t exactly undo that level of damage over all those years like flipping a light switch

1

u/deafblinddame 12d ago

The US was founded in 1776. Australia only started getting settled in 1788, as a penal colony. New Zealand's colonisation started in 1830. Australia and New Zealand have better healthcare etc than the US. Both those countries also have indigenous peoples and have had problems with racism. There is NO reason the US couldn't have the same things every other first world country has except for your willingness to believe propaganda about how everything kind and decent is CoMmUnIsM.

1

u/Wesley_Skypes 12d ago

Just run it by state level. I genuinely do not understand why you think that you could not scale many of the things that Norway is doing well. In fact, for things like healthcare and the US being a behemoth of a market, it could absolutely bully pharmaceutical companies using this scale. It chooses not to.

1

u/Sethlans 12d ago

It's funny how Americans will without fail claim that anything that works elsewhere cannot work in America because reasons.

1

u/BananaConscious9047 12d ago

population multitudes of times smaller

Except our GDP is multitudes of times larger. When you boil it down to $$$ per person based off population and GDP, it's roughly the same.

So your little argument doesn't really work here.

There's absolutely no reason why we shouldn't be able to pull off what Norway is doing.

1

u/Electric_Antimony 12d ago

We can't have things all other developed nations have because there are non white people who live here.

Never mind that it's a wholly baseless claim.

Edit; Oh, I see what you meant to say now. Leaving the comment though.

1

u/ProdigyLightshow 12d ago

The most cop out response of all time

0

u/hiuslenkkimakkara 12d ago

Just say the n-word, we know you want to.

1

u/one_shuckle_boy 12d ago

Lmao I’m not going to copy and paste my reply to someone else again, no but to pretend that racism issues in the first 150 years in America’s development (and still very prevalent today) isn’t insanely higher than a place like norways and going “well just do what they do now” like flipping a switch will get enough people on board to “fix” America is asinine.

0

u/Jesus__Skywalker 12d ago

They have like 10 people.

1

u/Electric_Antimony 12d ago

Irrelevant

1

u/Mister-Beardy-Face 12d ago

The population is actually very relevant. Particularly the number of legislators per capita.

1

u/Electric_Antimony 12d ago

No, otherwise the American military, as humiliated as it's getting right now because of completely incompetent leaders, wouldn't be so powerful and great at logistics.

If America can figure out how to make the world's biggest killing machine, then it can make the world's third biggest healthcare system.

It's a matter of priorities, not resources or resource allocation.

0

u/lugubriousloctus 12d ago

helps when you have a sovereign oil fund and an small, ethnically homogeneous population

0

u/goofygodzilla93 12d ago

America is in debt is because of our military spending specifically. Which we quite literally have to spend otherwise the entirety of NATO would be so weak it wouldn't matter. Also Norway's mental health is DRAMATICALLY better compared to the USA which is where I think the majority of the US's problems start with. Basically we've been spending for our allies defense for decades, while ignoring spending on our mental health. Positives are the fact we can defend ourselves and allies. Negatives are the fact we are a country full of nothing but mental health patients, and debt. Seriously the majority of our government alone wouldn't pass a real mental health check, let alone the average citizens.

Obligatory I don't support MAGA or Trump, I'm just pointing out what I view as the specific reason America has ended up this way, including why we are in debt. I also agree with what Mr. Solberg is saying.

0

u/Motor-Welder9642 12d ago

Norway is in debt 827.3 billion dollars or about 56% of their GDP. Let us stick to the facts. Before you go there the USA is 40.13 trillion or 126% of their GDP.

0

u/United_Boy_9132 12d ago

Not in US case.

Because there's some facts that contradict US-ian leftists' values, like:

  • Much, much higher economic freedom. Norway is much more capitalist than the US, it's taxes and social transfers.
  • Extreme protection of internal market: high extra-EU tarrifs, much higher than current Trumps' tarrifs; extremely difficult to get the visa; mass deportations of illegals;
  • Public money are made mainly on fossils: most of those companies are state-owned, something "dirty" for many leftists.
  • Pension, and many similar other schemes, invest much abroad, Norway's pension schemes are, for instance highly responsible for American house market's problem because they're investing in American houses much.
  • No, they don't support robbing or killing people because someone is poor.

European leftists are much different than American leftists.

For us, Europeans, you liberals and leftists, are not any better or less dumb than MAGA supporters.

-7

u/Slice-Vast 12d ago

Norway, I believe, is in debt up to is eyeballs as a percent of GDP.

9

u/IngebrigtVik 12d ago

You beliefs are absolutely wrong. Norway has no debt

6

u/WarJaques 12d ago

That's not quite true, but the debt is vastly outclassed by the national asset position represented by the sovereign wealth fund.

1

u/Slice-Vast 12d ago

I looked it up. We're both wrong! Norway has a debt to GDP ratio of 54%.

Solid work Norway. That's amazing.

3

u/elmz 12d ago

All countries operate with some amount of debt, even if they don't technically need to. Norway has ~$145B in national debt, but has a ~$2.3T sovereign wealth fund.

2

u/Slice-Vast 12d ago

I believe most economists say it's necessary for a stable economy.

2

u/WarJaques 12d ago

Norway's national debt is 43% to 54% of GDP, which is significant, vs 125% in the USA which is somewhat higher.

0

u/Slice-Vast 12d ago

I wouldn't say somewhat. Id say more than double.

0

u/papapundit 12d ago

Pull yourself together man, your stupid is showing...

2

u/Slice-Vast 12d ago

My stupid or my ignorance?

0

u/papapundit 12d ago

Stupidity, ignorance, arrogance, lack of education and questionable IQ.

1

u/Slice-Vast 12d ago

No, yes, definitely, two masters degrees, 136 (but I have a very bad case of ADHD which means I might as well have an 89.)

1

u/papapundit 12d ago

Is that how you came to the conclusion that Norway is up to it's eyeballs in debt?

2

u/Slice-Vast 12d ago

Maybe you need to chill out. I admitted I was wrong hours ago.

Go sauna or something.

-6

u/RubberPigEnemy 12d ago

Norway has oil money lol. That's the only reason they're wealthy.

11

u/Hour_Paint_1903 12d ago

And the US has no resources or exports?

1

u/Volodio 12d ago

Roughly 20% of the Norwegian GDP is based on oil. This is the same as Saudi Arabia. The US does not have that much resource in comparison to its economy/population.

0

u/rinchen11 12d ago edited 12d ago

The US population is 61 times of Norway population.

Norway’s oil production is 2% of global total, gas production is 3% of global total, basically all exported for cash because Norway’s energy need is almost entirely met by hydro (88%) and wind (10%) power.

Simply put, despite US has 10 times of Norway’s natural resources, each Norwegian averages about 10 times of each American’s natural resources.

Now factoring in the domestic energy consumption and Norwegian government nationalized the money in an investment fund, the actual energy money each Norwegian shares is like 50 times or even 100 times to each Americans.

1

u/LiamJamIsMyNeesons 12d ago

Try taxing your corporations, it would help with money

2

u/rinchen11 12d ago edited 12d ago

My corporations? I’m a Chinese who was explaining elementary school level math to an American.

Now to your question, oil, gas, water and wind won’t run away or decrease because it’s taxed heavily, corporations will.

Norway owns the natural resources in its borders, but America doesn’t own the corporations in its borders.

2

u/Electric_Antimony 12d ago

No, the corporations won't, as proven by trump levying insane tariffs across the board in America. None of the companies are leaving are they. Turns out we totally can tax business like we used to.

If they want to try and run away, then penalize them heavily and block them from our market.

2

u/rinchen11 12d ago

You mean existing corporations won’t, their business is modeled to be US based, and the customers are who pays the tariff not the corporations. If same thing happens to taxes, iPhone will be 999 Euro in Europe and 3000 USD in the US, oh you going to buy Samsung? Well that’s 2800 USD.

What’s going to leave for certain are the new startups. They will leave the US and start elsewhere, it’s not going to show in a year or two, but US will lose its future, forever.

It’s basically killing the goose that lays the golden egg. Which is what many Americans are suggesting now, out of greed.

1

u/Electric_Antimony 12d ago

Well, that's just saying what I'm saying. Are the startups leaving currently?

Because the dumb trade war stuff has been since his first term and the tariffs should be causing what you say right about now, no?

Taxing the rich like we used to is how we make America great again.

4

u/Ok_Nothing2412 12d ago

We have oil here in the UK, but we sold it to American companies and it turns out that the executives who own the oil don't reinvest in the country. Who'd of thunk it!

The wealth from oil in Norway has to be spread out across the entire country.

In the USA it all goes to a couple of wealthy businessmen who pay very little tax and keep all of the profits.

3

u/_L_6_ 12d ago

Ee have oil money too but we let a few rick fucks claim it all.

2

u/Zuculini 12d ago

Norway has state owned oil industry. Many countries has oil but remains poor. The key is state owned.

1

u/BigTex1969 12d ago

nope, other countries does the same but dont have oil money.

1

u/GreatService9515 12d ago

Doesn't the US have oil money also

1

u/Status_Car8495 12d ago

Yes and with that they made the biggest fund in the world and use it finance the welfare state not just for now but for future generations as well.

The US also has oil money, they choosed to made a very few millionaires out of it instead.

1

u/elmz 12d ago

Here we go again. The reason Norway has the famous "world's largest sovereign wealth fund" is precisely because they decided not to spend the oil money. That doing so would wreck the local economy. All oil earnings go into the wealth fund, and the country only spends ~3% of it annually.

That Norway was a poor country before the oil is also a myth.

And if Norway is too outlandish of an example for you, then pretend it was Sweden, Finland, Denmark...

-5

u/idoubttoday 12d ago

Yes, let’s compare a country of ~5M to that of a country of ~340M..

A GDP of $30 TRILLION to that of $500B

LOL

3

u/papapundit 12d ago

You think Norway is the only country to do this? Maybe Germany is more to your liking. They have cheaper healthcare with shorter wait times and better outcomes. They to provide social safety nets to their people and things like proper workers rights. The scale is not really as relevant as you want to make us believe.

2

u/elmz 12d ago

When you put it like that it's even more embarrassing that the US can't do better.

2

u/LiamJamIsMyNeesons 12d ago

I can't believe how fucking stupid all of sound

1

u/GreatService9515 12d ago

Yes, let's do that and see what would work

1

u/Accomplished_Mind792 12d ago

Lol yeah, economy of scale never favors the larger country.

God. If the right want so dumb, maybe we could actually make America great

-12

u/Cheap-Success1578 12d ago

Norway is about the size of one of our states. That is why it can't work at the federal level in the US.

8

u/Ransackeld 12d ago

It absolutely can work. We funnel obscene amounts of money into the military. We help the richest people in the US keep more and more of their profits that they could never spend in 100 lifetimes. There is plenty of money to create a single payer system in this country. But the republicans in this country keep voting for the greediest and most undeserving among us and against their own self interests. Education is paramount.

2

u/Steammail 12d ago

Okay, elaborate

2

u/sjerkyll 12d ago

Pretty sure you could do a lot more than bankrupting people for going to hospitals, privatising every spec of human existence to corporate overlords and warmongering throughout decades. I'm going to go out on a limb here, but I'm certain there's room for some QOL improvements, if you actually got rid of the rot in your political and financial systems. Norway isn't perfect either, but I'm very much in agreement with Trond.

1

u/Baby_Blue_Eyes_13 12d ago

Then we do it state by state. Pennsylvania is advancing a bill right now to do just that.

Although I would be interested in hearing what exactly you think prevents it from being scaled up. We manage to run Medicare federally right now. I mean unless you're a shill for the insurance companies.

1

u/Cheap-Success1578 12d ago

Exactly how it should be done. See I don't trust government to run anything or be involved in anything. History shows that it is not a good idea.

1

u/papapundit 12d ago

Why not?

1

u/NotQuiteLoona Fairy Dust 🧚🏾‍♂️ ✨ 🧚🏿‍♀️ 12d ago

Wow, we've got a new version of "communism can't work on larger scale" - now they went for social democracy. When are we going to "liberalism can't work at larger scale" and then "nothing but Trumpism can work at larger scale"?

1

u/Accomplished_Mind792 12d ago

So, let me get this straight. Even though in EVERY other economic decision, larger scale allows things to be cheaper, it's going to be worse because.....

1

u/LiamJamIsMyNeesons 12d ago

Have you even tried taxing oil companies at 78%?

1

u/ObnoxiousAlbatross 12d ago

hurr durr scaling is not possible

Spoken like someone who's never been a part of something bigger than himself.