Norway, top score in 2013 on The Economist's Democracy Index

[steve2470]

http://www.eiu.com/Handlers/WhitepaperHandler.ashx?fi=Democracy_Index_2013_WEB-2.pdf&mode=wp&campaignid=Democracy0814

(you have to register to see that link)

here is a png of it:



Our much vaunted democracy ranks 19th, below Mauritius.

Any comments on this ?

Steve

[davidpdx]

1. A lot of those are European countries (or former colonies of European countries)

It is hard to top those who have smaller more stable democracies older than ours.

[tomm2thumbs]

2. I know, right?

http://www.ssb.no/en/

statistics website on Norway (official)

[Diclotican]

3. steve2470

steve2470

I think Norway, and scandinavia do something right - when we are on the top of the list - and US who clam to be one of the best countries to live in - is on a 19th place.... Below even Mauritius - who is a rather poor country....

Diclotican

[steve2470]

4. thanks for responding....

Do you feel that survey is accurate ? In regard to other countries ?

[Diclotican]

5. steve2470

steve2470

Fairly accurate from my own experiences I think... And I guess the ones behind this are more in the know than I am...

Diclotican

[steve2470]

6. Our right wing is always boasting about how FREE the US is....

This survey, to put it politely, casts doubt upon that, in relation to other democracies. I have to say, I was very impressed how Norway handled that mass murderer Breivik.

[Diclotican]

7. steve2470

steve2470

This survey put it -politely some doubt about the rhetoric from the far Right in the US, about how great the country really are...

I guess - Norway as a nation still morn what happened 3 years ago - but as people I think we had trust in the authorities - The fact we was given mostly acces to his trial gave most some answers - to most of us - and it was seen as a fair trial - where he was able to speak his mind - and where the system "worked" as it should

On the other hand - you should do some really nasty thing to make most Norwegians jump on their feet's - we are known around the world as rather level-handed in most affairs of the world - and I suspect we also have some trust in the authorities as a whole... A stark difference from US, where more and more people - have no trust in the officially US at all - and where militias groups are doing its best to make sure it will never be any better for a long time.... The idea of armed Resistance against lawfully government I think is unheard about in most of scandinavia - even as we have some on the far right fringe who believe in arming them self against the in pending chaos when society break down.... But they are small and far between - as most people is seen to repute their ideals..

Diclotican

[Odin2005]

18. When the Right says "freedom" they mean the "freedom" for the strong to oppress the weak.

They are Social Darwinists.

[Diclotican]

21. Odin2005

Odin2005

I know - and it scare the jebus out of me when they state things like that... Social-Darwinism is a very bad ideology and it never end well - for the ones who is stepped upon

Diclotican

[Rosa Luxemburg]

15. The USA has a lot of poverty

I didn't see that as much in Norway and Sweden

[Diclotican]

22. Rosa Luxemburg

Rosa Luxemburg

We have our share of poverty here to - but we do have a social safety net you lack in the US - and who might take some sting out of it all - but we do have our share of poverty - sadly enough - it is not a paradise yet...

Diclotican

[Kip Humphrey]

8. Imagine that! Socialist countries win yet again.

...and willfully ignorant Americans haven't a clue.

[hack89]

10. It is more accurate to talk about Nordic capitalism or Nordic social democracy

because while they have robust welfare state, they depend on a free market economy to generate the necessary wealth.

Norway, Sweden and the other Nordic counties do not have socialist economies in the true sense - they are the home of many large multinational corporations and enthusiastically embrace free market economics. They have been very success in taming the worst aspects of capitalism through true government, business and worker partnerships.

I would love a similar system in America.

[lancer78]

13. Norway

also has a ton of oil money. I remember reading once that Norway has so much cash reserves that it could pay all the government expenses for 2 years with no income. Simply amazing.

[Diclotican]

24. lancer78

lancer78


I know - and today we have even more money in the bank - to pay all government expenses - than we had back then ! - Norway is a rather healthy nation - have some cash reserves and so one...

I just hope the conservatives who are in charge now - are not blowing it all up - because of ideology - it looks like they would love to do it - but I just hope they either crash and burn - and some other have to step up and be in government - or the conservatives is not as nuts as in many other nations....

Diclotican

[War Horse]

14. Very true

And I say this a Norwegian. That's a pretty apt description. Of course, our model is far from perfect. None is. But we seem to have this "mixed economy" thing working fairly well, in the grand scheme of things.

[Odin2005]

17. They are welfarist capitalist states, not socialist.

Socialism is worker control over the means of production

[Diclotican]

23. Kip Humphrey

Kip Humphrey

Neither of the countries in scandinavia are soscialist countries - but they have a strong type of government - a stable public service system - and a welfare system most others would envy if they was able to know what it was about...

Diclotican

[malthaussen]

9. Want to bet most people couldn't find Mauritius without Google?

Note how low the US ranks in categories such as government function and civil liberties.

Although the folks on that island rank pretty low on participation.

-- Mal

[steve2470]

11. I had to look it up lol nt

[Diclotican]

25. malthaussen

malthaussen

I know where it is..... Without google - I just need a world map to find it...

Diclotican

[brooklynite]

12. with public tax support of churches...

Nobody's perfect.

[Odin2005]

16. When even a bourgeois capitalist rag says we suck, then we REALLY we suck.

[quadrature]

19. Norway...multiyear winner of Canada's Slacker Award...

for International Nothingness

[steve2470]

20. ? nt

[Diclotican]

26. quadrature

quadrature

At least we spend our money of things that works - rather than things that can just be used to wage wars all over the place...

If the US had spend 1/3 of what they use of military hardware every year - and spend it on public founding - the US would be a whole different nation all togheter....

Diclotican