Here are some answer from Quora:
What do you think?
They are both, just like the USA and the rest of the 1st World are.
I am about to go drive on our socialized roads to visit my mother who gets her old age pension from Social Security and the socialized Navy while being defended against bomber attacks on my car by the socialized Air Force. . My kids go to the âfreeâ socialized schools and the socialized mail comes once a day while I drink the socialized water. This would be no different at all from visiting my mother anywhere in Scandinavia.
What I donât do is fill my car up with gas from the state petroleum company nor do I go to a government hospital nor have government supplied health insurance. It is all a matter of degree. Once I get a bit older I will have socialized health insurance, but not quite yet.
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So enjoy your socialist USA while it lasts.
Esso stations in Norway.
Before:
Still called Esso here:
Education (up to University level), health care, sick leave, maternity/paternity leave, disability and unemployment payment etc. are all paid for by taxes in Scandinavia. (and most other developed countries)
Everybody know that tax rate in Scandinavia is very high, right?
Norway:
General income is taxed at a flat rate of 22%.
USA (federal tax):
2024 Federal Tax Brackets and Income Tax Rates - NerdWallet.
In 2023 and 2024, there are seven federal income tax rates and brackets: 10%, 12%, 22%, 24%, 32%, 35%, and 37%. Taxable income and filing status determine which federal tax rates apply to you and how much in taxes youâll owe that year.
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Whether socialized healthcare or a bag full of money, it isnât the cure for everything:
I did not mean the retail gas station, rather the source of the oil. Norwayâs oil wells and such are a state enterprise.
(random fact, my grandfather came from Norway. He was a poor orphan when he arrived in the USA and did quite well for himself here. I probably have distant relatives there somewhere still)
Are you sure the gasolin you filled on your car didnât come from Saudi crude oil?
(Saudi Aramco is state owned)
You have the same misconception as many others; that the Norwegian state own all the oil and gas fields. This is far from the truth.
In fact Equinor ASA (formerly Statoil), although the largest operator of oil and gas fields in Norway is not alone. Many private companies are active in the Norwegian oil & gas industry, both Norwegian and foreign owned. (incl. American):
PS> back in the 1970s and 80s nearly all Oilcos. operating in Norway it were American.
The state oil company (Statoi) was established in 1972 to get more control over the activity and revenue from the offshore oil & gas industry in Norwegian waters:
Today Equinor (formerly Statoil) is active in both the oil & gas and offshore wind industries in many parts of the world, incl. USA:
âWeâve invested more here (USA) than in any other country outside of our Norwegian home baseâ.
You like to torture your American Friends .Do You. ??? I am not that cruel .
Try to open your south border and You will see how quickly your paradiso disappears
The Brits also do not have anything there and yetâŚ
You could try to find your distant relatives in Norway: Find your ancestors
You may find that they have done quite well for themselves too. In fact it is quite likely, since Norway and Norwegians are quite well off, on average.
Norway rank #4 on the list of GDP per capita:
GDP per Capita - Worldometer
Norwegians are among the highest paid on the world:
Source: Average Salary in Norway
Even if you donât find any direct relatives to visit you may be interested in seeing the country your Grandfather came from. Lot of Americans of Norwegian descent does so and get surprised that it has developed into a high tech society, nothing like the seafaring, fishing and agrarian society their Grandparents described:
Another surprise is that it has developed into a high tech country, despite being a Social Democracy with a King as the Head of State, not an elected President.
BTW; the present King, Harald V is now 88 year old:
He enjoy an approval rating of 93% in the latest poll:
PS> He spent part of his childhood (during WWII) in Washington DC with his Mother, Queen Martha, while his Father and Grandfather were in London, together with the Norwegian Government in exile.
Did you know that Norway has the largest Sovereign Wealth Fund in the world?:
That is because the Governmentâs take from the Oil & Gas industry in Norway goes into this fund, (popularly know as the âOil Fundâ)
The fund can only invest in foreign equites and real estate that meet standards set by the Norwegian Storting (Parliament):
Only 4% of the annual profit can be used to support the Norwegian Governmentâs budget, the rest goes into the fund, which per today is worth: NOK 17 583 933 714 293
(US$ 1.626 trillion (March 2024)
This translates to over US$295,000 per every Norwegian citizen.
The Oil Fund hold on average 1.5% of all of the worldâs listed companies,
It also holds portfolios of real estate and fixed-income investments. Many companies are excluded by the fund on ethical grounds
Thanks for that info. I actually do realize 2024 Norway is not what my grandfather remembered from before World War 1.
I really want to sail there sometime and explore, but so far I havenât had the spare time.
Very smart people those Norvegians are . Very smart!!! And I feel soâŚmiserable 
If you feel miserable, the Norwegian border is open to anybody from other Schengen countries:
A bit of fresh Norwegian air and beautiful scenery may make you fell better
Sorry to hear that you are unable to find the time to visit Norway. Maybe making the trip across the Atlantic by air rather than by sea would be more within the possibility of your tight schedule and limited vacation time?
Hurtigruten and Havila Voyages offer 1-, 2-, or 3-week trips along the Norwegian coast, from Bergen to Kirkenes v.v with daily departures in both directions.:
Available at any time of the year, whether you fancy seeing Midnight Sun or Northern Lights, or just relax on the ship and enjoy the sights and sounds on as working ship as you progress between the 34 port-of-call on the north and south bound voyage.
PS> No casino and no cabaret show, just a lot of nature.
Is that so ?? I thought You like the Brits were scared of being swamped by the " Kowalski-the plumber" types.
Besides at my age it would be unfair and immoral to tap into social benefits of the other society without any prior input. Sorry but i have my stadards and dignity left in me .
Although Norway is not a member of EU there is an open labour market through the EEA Agreement.
Lots of Polish workers in Norway. Some living here and some commuting (especially shipyard and construction workers, seafarers and seasonal workers)
PS> Lot of other East Europeans nationals as well living and/or working in Norway (now incl. more than 70000 Ukrainian refugees)
Couldnât find a number for Polish workers in Norway only:
Source:
.
Besides, I did not invite you take advantage of the social benefits of Norway, just to use the open boarder Schengen agreement to visit Norway for some days, weeks, or months to enjoy some peace and quite, away for the hustle and bustle of the big city of Warszawa:
You know. I have looked up some forums of those Poles and they pissed me off beyond reson. The effing notorious complainers. I have read some articles in PL local media written by some woman, who even wrote o book or two about work in Norway.
She was complaining that her âeducationâ was not appreciated in Norway and she got some shit jobs there.
So I asked her in the comments section . " Have You learned Norwegian language and obtained certified fluency???"
And as I expected she answered :" NO but I know english "
and she explained to me how well Norwegians speak english , thinking i was not aware of this obvious fact
Then I exploded giving her a dressing down she did not expect as I suggested where she can stick her english knowledge without knowing Norwegian at a desired and documented level while looking for a serious job , satisfying not only financialy but also prestige wise.
I could not believe she could not figure that out after many years in Norway and pointed out she must be either very dumb or mega-lazy not mastering, what was required and concluded that if I was HR recruiter in Norway i would certainly offer her nothing more the 3 x D jobs- dishwasher , ditch digger or dung collector .
As an example what her attitute should be I mentioned my school friend who defected to Sweden during marshal law having 3rd mate licence and maritime schole diploma and had to do almost everything again while working as an A/B for Thun company.
But once He acomplished all the required tasks He worked for Wallenius as nav off and was long time permanent master and last Swedish master of the M/V Talisman before they transfered management to Spore.
And believe me or not He also had simillar attitude as mine towards always complaining , moaning and whining lazy and naive Poles. Needles to say I left these notorious woman complainer in a state of disbelief and shock.
As to the beauty of the Land .Well on Austrian LLoyd coasters (minibulkers -1988/92 ) i visited Norway many times .Remember my trip to Sognefjorden to load zinc anodes in Hoyanger and Ardal. Magic. It was begining of June and i was sort of starved not seeing spring time in many years.
So I went on shore in Ardal -the place was like from fairy tales : the houses , the little gardens and the flowers on the trees , the smell i missed so much. I found a medow with some unbelievable views and rested on the fresh green grass during early evening and then some magic happened: I was one with the grass, with the sky , the mist all the smells and sounds and most of all with the fjord. This sensation i will always remember.
Well , loading crushed stones in some other places was less attractive but it was my little contribution to built new highways in former East Germany ;- )
Threre is one more thing I may reveal to You Dr.Bugge that I found dear about Norway.
Her name was Mette Marie O. and She was my first true love .We met in Oslo in 1978 during Operation Sail ( Tall Ships) on board "S/V Dar Pomorza/Gift of Pomerania) , where I served as cadet. I still keep a box with her many letters as a painfull reminder of first of my many big time mistakes i made in my life . But it is another story to tell.
Cheers
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Sognefjord, the longest and deepest fjord in Norway:
Bring back memories?
Maybe the best time of the year to visit Norway and especially the fjords, are May/early June, The snow are still low on the mountains, the grass is fresh and green in the fields, the fruit trees are blooming and the water in the fjords are green from melt water, or blue like the sky above:
PS> There are direct flight from Gdynia to Ă lesund every day, if you want to visit before it fades.
Not sure about that, my wife will see the place and want to move there!
Those ships look way more fun than a âcruise shipâ sailing around Florida with fat people in the swimming pool because they canât fit in the shower 
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