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I'm so fucking pissed off!
My partner just sent me an article from the bloody NEW YORK TIMES - supposedly a knowledgeable and "neutral" news paper. A little article from a New Yorker who's living in Oslo for a time. And they are painting Norway as a "hidden" poverty country with low standard and DRUG KINGS and CRIMINALS running down town Oslo.
Now..I haven't been to Oslo recently, but I'm willing to bet my right arm that I'd rather stroll in down town fucking OSLO than LA, New York or even DENVER at night.
And teachers in Norway have to BRING SANDWICHES to work!!! what a disgrace!! And a poor norwegian kid visiting the States had his eyes boggled over by all the fancy CAR BRANDS at the New York AIRPORT, because the cars are a lot less fancy in Norway.
Ok, this is a message to the fucking New York Times and all those that believe in this fucking propaganda article in disguise (and I'm copying the fucking article behind the cut, for those interested):
1)The Scandinavian countries HAVE MORE EXPENSIVE restaurant and fast food prices. This is largely because of the taxes. Yes. Many people have lunch-boxes, and many or most eat out sometimes, but not every day. Boo fucking hoo. Poor us. After seeing the fast food in the states, and what it does to people, I can't say I cry all that much.
And for all you New Yorkers that the article is referring to, that obviously "pop by" a restaurant every day and sip a glass of wine. Yah..you go on thinking you are representatives of the United States, especially when you sip that wine with just a thin glass wall between you and the homeless dude.
The Scandinavians sip their wine during our 4-8 weeks VACATION A YEAR!!! so FUCK YOU!
2)The Gas prices in Scandinavia are high and there are a lot less fancy cars around. Yeah, so what? A lot of people drive bikes half the year, in Scandinavia I have NEVER seen a person so clinically obese that he/she has to sit in a wheelchair. Our cars are not that fancy, often they are the standard middle class 8-10 year old little Japanese mass produced vehicle, plenty are semi-newish, but not extravagant, and most are not used daily. People have car pools, one person in the family commutes and the other uses the one car, or they share. Cars are mostly used on longer trips and big grocery shopping tours, etc. BUT I HAVE NEVER SEEN PEOPLE IN SWEDEN DRIVING AROUND IN THE KIND OF WRETCHED WRECKS that I have seen here in the states. And also, we hardly have any SUV:s over there. Therefore we have less pollution.
Dear New Yorkers, not even in the largest cities of Scandinavia will your snot turn black in the evenings, as mine did when I spent a couple of weeks in your glorious city.
And gas will be more pricey in the States as well. It's just a matter of time. Because gas, as we know it WILL END. PERIOD. It may take a few decades, but when it happens I think the Scandinavian Countries will be more prepared than a nation that takes the CAR TO THE BLOODY TOILET.
What is most amusing with this article is that an aspect of it is true. We are taking our welfare for granted in Scandinavia, and sometimes we are blind to the flaws we have in our own system. There is much to strive for in health care and Social security still, and our systems become closer to the American "open market" system for each decade...so we grow weaker. Because...few things are more weak and clouded than a people that used to belong to a prominent welfare system, that used to have a solid ideology, and that live under the illusion that even though things degenerate around them, they will still be saved by said system.
Just look at the Americans.
That's what the article is about. A known trick by media in all countries and times. LOOK AT THE GRAIL THAT YOU LIBERALS IN AMERICA LIKE SO MUCH. LOOK AT SCANDINAVIA AND ALL IT'S FLAWS...(and be comfortable in the States, where you can buy your own lunch and take your fancy car wherever you like to a low gas price).
...and don't even get me started on a rant about the medical system in the USA. I made a "normal" medical checkup a month ago, here in Colorado, without an insurance. Yeah. No comments...but in Sweden IT COSTS 30 bucks for EVERYTHING, BLOODWORK, PRESCRIPTION, THE WORKS, and that's WITHOUT A BLOODY INSURANCE!
The article or the study does not delve into the simple fact of why people's income is on average lower. Simple:We pay high taxes, most aspects of our society is taxed. The article writer says that Scandinavia is poorer in living standard than Spain and Ireland. Well...anyone having been any lengths of time in those countries (and not just on vacation like the reporter), and who have seen the slums of Madrid... will marvel at this thought. But no...this journalist bases his impressions on: tu-du-du-duuum: BAR PRICES!!!
Yes friends. Nowadays living standard is measured by the price and standard of a gin and tonic. Fucking brilliant.
Gah gah gah. I'm officially having a rage-related break down here. I'm uncool and if you poor Americans reading this want to unfriend me or put me on ice or something...I fully understand.
But hopefully I'M GOING TO A FULLY NATIONWIDE LEGAL and VALID GAY MARRIAGE this summer, so there!
AND WE SOLVED THE BRAIN DEAD ISSUE DECADES AGO!!!
And our woods are really PRETTY AND OPEN FOR EVERYONE TO ROAM IN WITHOUT GETTING SHOT. And our salmon kicks yankee-ass.
(so..are you defriending me yet?
ehrm..if not. Read the rather harmless article that put me on this rampage path. Just don't buy everything without a whole salt-mine attached to it, because what the New York times article does not tell the American people is that Swedish "economist" Johan Norberg is in fact only a Economy-historian (which is something entirely different from a person capable of measuring economic tendencies in modern politics), and in Sweden he is also known as a somewhat dubious source of opinion on Liberalism. One of his publicly and often expressed theories is that Globalization is making the world richer this very minute! we are in fact not exploiting the poor in any undeveloped country, they are in fact to be grateful for the wealthy countries "interest" in their "manpower". Google the bastard people, that's all you gotta do. Don't buy what the fucking New York times is telling you.
Finnish economist researcher Olli Tammilehto, who is very critical to globalization and who has had many polemic battles with Norberg, states the simple fact that I personally believe in: "Poverty has not become lesser at all, but the economists methods of measuring it, makes it look like certain parts of the world have become richer, while those that are more constant and stable seem "poorer".
oh, and the "Swedish research organization" called TIMBRO that is quoted heavily in the article. For all you swedes on my list who don't recognize them, don't worry, you are not uneducated. They are not a recognized independent research organization, they are in fact a small group of propaganda ideologists proposing a "free market" and much much more to make us in Scandinavia closer to our big brother in the WEST. That's why NO SWEDISH NEWSPAPERS use their "RESEARCH DATA".
Quote from their webpage: Founded in 1978, Timbro is the think tank of Swedish enterprise. Our mission is to advance an agenda of reform based on our core values – individual liberty, economic freedom, and an open society.
We want a society where individuals are important, where creativity, enterprise and progress are valued, and belief in the possibilities of the future is strong.
Timbro offers an optimistic alternative to the tired old left-right debate on culture, politics, and economics. Freedom and liberty are at the core of our work, but we also want to build coalitions with anyone who, like ourselves, is looking for new approaches and fresh ideas.
: ( smug fucking article )
My partner just sent me an article from the bloody NEW YORK TIMES - supposedly a knowledgeable and "neutral" news paper. A little article from a New Yorker who's living in Oslo for a time. And they are painting Norway as a "hidden" poverty country with low standard and DRUG KINGS and CRIMINALS running down town Oslo.
Now..I haven't been to Oslo recently, but I'm willing to bet my right arm that I'd rather stroll in down town fucking OSLO than LA, New York or even DENVER at night.
And teachers in Norway have to BRING SANDWICHES to work!!! what a disgrace!! And a poor norwegian kid visiting the States had his eyes boggled over by all the fancy CAR BRANDS at the New York AIRPORT, because the cars are a lot less fancy in Norway.
Ok, this is a message to the fucking New York Times and all those that believe in this fucking propaganda article in disguise (and I'm copying the fucking article behind the cut, for those interested):
1)The Scandinavian countries HAVE MORE EXPENSIVE restaurant and fast food prices. This is largely because of the taxes. Yes. Many people have lunch-boxes, and many or most eat out sometimes, but not every day. Boo fucking hoo. Poor us. After seeing the fast food in the states, and what it does to people, I can't say I cry all that much.
And for all you New Yorkers that the article is referring to, that obviously "pop by" a restaurant every day and sip a glass of wine. Yah..you go on thinking you are representatives of the United States, especially when you sip that wine with just a thin glass wall between you and the homeless dude.
The Scandinavians sip their wine during our 4-8 weeks VACATION A YEAR!!! so FUCK YOU!
2)The Gas prices in Scandinavia are high and there are a lot less fancy cars around. Yeah, so what? A lot of people drive bikes half the year, in Scandinavia I have NEVER seen a person so clinically obese that he/she has to sit in a wheelchair. Our cars are not that fancy, often they are the standard middle class 8-10 year old little Japanese mass produced vehicle, plenty are semi-newish, but not extravagant, and most are not used daily. People have car pools, one person in the family commutes and the other uses the one car, or they share. Cars are mostly used on longer trips and big grocery shopping tours, etc. BUT I HAVE NEVER SEEN PEOPLE IN SWEDEN DRIVING AROUND IN THE KIND OF WRETCHED WRECKS that I have seen here in the states. And also, we hardly have any SUV:s over there. Therefore we have less pollution.
Dear New Yorkers, not even in the largest cities of Scandinavia will your snot turn black in the evenings, as mine did when I spent a couple of weeks in your glorious city.
And gas will be more pricey in the States as well. It's just a matter of time. Because gas, as we know it WILL END. PERIOD. It may take a few decades, but when it happens I think the Scandinavian Countries will be more prepared than a nation that takes the CAR TO THE BLOODY TOILET.
What is most amusing with this article is that an aspect of it is true. We are taking our welfare for granted in Scandinavia, and sometimes we are blind to the flaws we have in our own system. There is much to strive for in health care and Social security still, and our systems become closer to the American "open market" system for each decade...so we grow weaker. Because...few things are more weak and clouded than a people that used to belong to a prominent welfare system, that used to have a solid ideology, and that live under the illusion that even though things degenerate around them, they will still be saved by said system.
Just look at the Americans.
That's what the article is about. A known trick by media in all countries and times. LOOK AT THE GRAIL THAT YOU LIBERALS IN AMERICA LIKE SO MUCH. LOOK AT SCANDINAVIA AND ALL IT'S FLAWS...(and be comfortable in the States, where you can buy your own lunch and take your fancy car wherever you like to a low gas price).
...and don't even get me started on a rant about the medical system in the USA. I made a "normal" medical checkup a month ago, here in Colorado, without an insurance. Yeah. No comments...but in Sweden IT COSTS 30 bucks for EVERYTHING, BLOODWORK, PRESCRIPTION, THE WORKS, and that's WITHOUT A BLOODY INSURANCE!
The article or the study does not delve into the simple fact of why people's income is on average lower. Simple:We pay high taxes, most aspects of our society is taxed. The article writer says that Scandinavia is poorer in living standard than Spain and Ireland. Well...anyone having been any lengths of time in those countries (and not just on vacation like the reporter), and who have seen the slums of Madrid... will marvel at this thought. But no...this journalist bases his impressions on: tu-du-du-duuum: BAR PRICES!!!
Yes friends. Nowadays living standard is measured by the price and standard of a gin and tonic. Fucking brilliant.
Gah gah gah. I'm officially having a rage-related break down here. I'm uncool and if you poor Americans reading this want to unfriend me or put me on ice or something...I fully understand.
But hopefully I'M GOING TO A FULLY NATIONWIDE LEGAL and VALID GAY MARRIAGE this summer, so there!
AND WE SOLVED THE BRAIN DEAD ISSUE DECADES AGO!!!
And our woods are really PRETTY AND OPEN FOR EVERYONE TO ROAM IN WITHOUT GETTING SHOT. And our salmon kicks yankee-ass.
(so..are you defriending me yet?
ehrm..if not. Read the rather harmless article that put me on this rampage path. Just don't buy everything without a whole salt-mine attached to it, because what the New York times article does not tell the American people is that Swedish "economist" Johan Norberg is in fact only a Economy-historian (which is something entirely different from a person capable of measuring economic tendencies in modern politics), and in Sweden he is also known as a somewhat dubious source of opinion on Liberalism. One of his publicly and often expressed theories is that Globalization is making the world richer this very minute! we are in fact not exploiting the poor in any undeveloped country, they are in fact to be grateful for the wealthy countries "interest" in their "manpower". Google the bastard people, that's all you gotta do. Don't buy what the fucking New York times is telling you.
Finnish economist researcher Olli Tammilehto, who is very critical to globalization and who has had many polemic battles with Norberg, states the simple fact that I personally believe in: "Poverty has not become lesser at all, but the economists methods of measuring it, makes it look like certain parts of the world have become richer, while those that are more constant and stable seem "poorer".
oh, and the "Swedish research organization" called TIMBRO that is quoted heavily in the article. For all you swedes on my list who don't recognize them, don't worry, you are not uneducated. They are not a recognized independent research organization, they are in fact a small group of propaganda ideologists proposing a "free market" and much much more to make us in Scandinavia closer to our big brother in the WEST. That's why NO SWEDISH NEWSPAPERS use their "RESEARCH DATA".
Quote from their webpage: Founded in 1978, Timbro is the think tank of Swedish enterprise. Our mission is to advance an agenda of reform based on our core values – individual liberty, economic freedom, and an open society.
We want a society where individuals are important, where creativity, enterprise and progress are valued, and belief in the possibilities of the future is strong.
Timbro offers an optimistic alternative to the tired old left-right debate on culture, politics, and economics. Freedom and liberty are at the core of our work, but we also want to build coalitions with anyone who, like ourselves, is looking for new approaches and fresh ideas.
: ( smug fucking article )
