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Typical American mentality sizing people up and their lifestyle based on how much money they make...
Yep, it is typical and it stems from the fact that for two hundred years+, the reason people immigrated to the USA were economic opportunity and this mentality continues. It's why with 60% of the population of the EU, the USA has a GDP $2 Trillion higher per year.
I lived most of the last 15 years abroad working for an engineering consulting company so I have experienced a huge portion of the globe and owned a condo (apartment) in Marbella, Spain for a few years. I voted USA because for me, it's a higher quality of life in the right location and situation. I do agree with one of the posters that many if not most USA cities suck....I would never live in them.
other factors: Norway is a society where there is perceived to be a preferred way of doing things. Some people who aren't kosher with that might find it constricting. The freedom we have in Norway feels different than the freedom in the US.
sorry for the long-winded response but I hope someone finds it enlightening
Norway has a sovereign wealth fund from oil money of $1 trillion. With a population of 5 million, that's about $200,000 per person. That funds an awful lot of social services. The oil won't last forever.
Norway has a sovereign wealth fund from oil money of $1 trillion. With a population of 5 million, that's about $200,000 per person. That funds an awful lot of social services. The oil won't last forever.
1. The Norwegian people had the foresight to tax oil companies heavily to create this sovereign wealth fund. Contrast that to oil rich states in the US like Texas, Louisiana, California, Alaska, etc who don't save anything of consequence. Then you have oil rich countries like Venezuela, Angola, Mexico, etc who are also poor. It is not just luck, it is good planning and intelligence. The US has had enviable strategic natural and human resources and squandered them away. Despite being one of the few countries in the world that for all intents and purposes can't be invaded and occupied, spends more on it's military than the rest of the world combined. The US chooses how it taxes its economy and how that money is spent. Don't blame Norway for the mismanagement of the US.
2. The whole point of the sovereign wealth fund is that it will indeed last until well past the time you and I are long gone. It is being managed very carefully and concerted efforts are being made to ensure that most of it doesn't disrupt or overheat the local economy. It will undoubtedly run dry some day but I have full confidence in Norwegians ability to make good decisions and find other means to live off of. After all we are already one of the most technologically advanced societies and are strong in fish and shipping.
As an American/Norwegian who currently lives in Oslo and also has a home in Portland and has lived in Seattle and DC I can give you my perspective. Note that we are recent empty nesters with two high incomes:
Some differences or similarities might be regional, local or national. Generalization is not easy and can be misleading.
Primary education: very good schools in suburban Oslo, comparable to good surban/uburban public schools in the three places with which I am familiar. The schools in the Oslo area do a fantastic job of integration but problems remain with bullying and static social situations due to not changing class composition each year.
Secondary education: Norwegian public schools are in general quite good. They are especially good at teaching independent thinking.
higher education: Our oldest decided to stay in Norway and is getting a free, yes completely free, education. It's a five year Masters of Engineering in Technology Management (basically a fast track to management consultancy and that kind of job). If he had done the same in the US (he turned down CS at UCSD and UWash among others) it would have cost at least a hundred grand. Our youngest is a Freshman studying CS in the US. The Norwegian government (which means us the taxpayers) is giving him a stipend of $20k per year and loans for the remainder.
health insurance: the normal government health care is quite good. In addition I have a job that gives my supplementary health insurance. Just last week I had a knee surgery through my private insurance less than 2 weeks after diagnosis. zero deductible
dental insurance: this is one area where Norway falls behind. If we had similar high paying jobs in the US we would probably have dental insurance. There is no such thing in Norway. It is free for seniors and until you're 18. Otherwise it's out of pocket
housing: really expensive in Norway but no more so than Seattle.
take home pay: we get really good private pensions through our jobs in addition to the public one. We don't pay anything for health, education or a lot of other things we would have to probably be able to save for in the US. We save about 25% of our gross income. Costs are high here but so are incomes.
vacation: we have 6 weeks paid vacation (5 weeks mandated for anyone and 1 week in lieu of overtime pay). In 2018 we went to Spain, Portugal, Vietnam, Singapore and 2x USA. Carpe diem.
crime and policing: The police here are very professional as is the whole justice system. The whole society is based on the idea that "an once of prevention is worth a pound of cure". Keeping people out of poverty and in work is viewed as highly important. Cops are respectful, educated (3 year minimum training) and unarmed. If people get on the wrong track a lot of resources are used to get people back into society as productive members. There is certainly crime, a bit less than Seattle or Portland areas or suburban DC.
welfare, rights and charity: Norwegian society feel that everyone has the right to a home, work, food, security, education and social mobility no matter race, gender, location, parents or other factors. The whole concept of charity of foreign, If something is a right than if private individuals need to do more for their countrymen than the system is failing.
access to nature: this is certainly a strength of Oslo, Portland and Seattle.
transportation: private cars are really expensive to use and own in Norway. If you're into cars Norway is not the place to live unless you like Tesla's which are relatively cheap here due to punative tarrifs on ICE vehicles making electrics relatively inexpensive. Public transportation in Oslo is excellent. The metro is similar to DC's despite being a much smaller metro. It puts Seattle or Portland to shame
democracy and civic involvement: Norway has a parliamentarian representative democracy so we choose parties to represent us rather than people. It has some advantages: everyone can find a party that most closely represents their views, coalition governments necessitating exchange of ideas, careful deliberation and compromise. Disadvantages are that it's hard to get rid of politicians you don't like and lack of involvement of the electorate outside of election years.
I miss the direct democracy in Oregon and Washington. It allows very direct involvement and initiative of the people. Death with dignity and legalization of marijuana are examples of initiatives that would never happen in Norway. US national politics with its two corrupt and extreme parties, inefficient and ineffective government, lack of oversight, inability to cooperate and abrogation of legislation to the Supreme Court are things I abhor with US politics. 80% of Americans are dissatisfied with US politics. The opposite percentage is true for Norway
Urban amenities
25 years ago Seattle, Portland, DC or any other big blue state metro would have a lot more in the way of restaurants, bars, etc than Oslo. That is no longer the case
other factors: Norway is a society where there is perceived to be a preferred way of doing things. Some people who aren't kosher with that might find it constricting. The freedom we have in Norway feels different than the freedom in the US.
sorry for the long-winded response but I hope someone finds it enlightening
Man one of my goals in life is to be able to move to Norway and raise my family there.
Right now I live in South Texas and I don't really feel like my quality of life is as high as it could be in a place like Norway.
My father is actually a Norwegian citizen but it seems like he either doesn't have the resources or doesn't care to help me achieve that goal.
Do mind if I ask you, what're the best career fields I should get into in order to make this dream of mine a reality?
This isn't true as a generalization, though. There are rural areas near big cities that offer charm, nature and "space", and the advantage over similar places in the US, is that many of these areas are connected to the nearest city by transit. It's a very civilized way to live; the best of both worlds, you might say. Because Europe is more well-developed regarding transit, than the US, one can rent a little farm house in the countryside, and take a bus or train to the city for work, on weekend evenings for entertainment, and so forth.
In the US, like it or not, if you're a rural resident, chances are that the auto and oil industries have you in their grip, like it or not.
That's the point.
Many of these areas are connected to big cities precisely because the distances are short, since there is not too much space left available in Europe. Everything is pretty much in relatively close proximity to everything else. People/structures are everywhere. And that's why European "rural" feels very urban I suppose. ( It might be different in Southern Europe - Spain or what's not, but Italy, Germany, Austria ( and I am pretty sure other Northern/Central European countries - that's what it feels like. Very urban, comparably to the US ( not to mention Russia.)
Norway has a sovereign wealth fund from oil money of $1 trillion. With a population of 5 million, that's about $200,000 per person. That funds an awful lot of social services. The oil won't last forever.
The Canadian province of Alberta had a similar opportunity and once had a fund but they blew it all on nice pickup trucks and tax breaks for consumers.
They will hate me for saying that and will claim that it was all siphoned off to help other parts of Canada but I know the truth.
1. The Norwegian people had the foresight to tax oil companies heavily to create this sovereign wealth fund. Contrast that to oil rich states in the US like Texas, Louisiana, California, Alaska, etc who don't save anything of consequence. Then you have oil rich countries like Venezuela, Angola, Mexico, etc who are also poor. It is not just luck, it is good planning and intelligence. The US has had enviable strategic natural and human resources and squandered them away. Despite being one of the few countries in the world that for all intents and purposes can't be invaded and occupied, spends more on it's military than the rest of the world combined. The US chooses how it taxes its economy and how that money is spent. Don't blame Norway for the mismanagement of the US.
2. The whole point of the sovereign wealth fund is that it will indeed last until well past the time you and I are long gone. It is being managed very carefully and concerted efforts are being made to ensure that most of it doesn't disrupt or overheat the local economy. It will undoubtedly run dry some day but I have full confidence in Norwegians ability to make good decisions and find other means to live off of. After all we are already one of the most technologically advanced societies and are strong in fish and shipping.
Man one of my goals in life is to be able to move to Norway and raise my family there.
Right now I live in South Texas and I don't really feel like my quality of life is as high as it could be in a place like Norway.
My father is actually a Norwegian citizen but it seems like he either doesn't have the resources or doesn't care to help me achieve that goal.
Do mind if I ask you, what're the best career fields I should get into in order to make this dream of mine a reality?
Unemployment is low in Norway and it is, in general terms, easy to get work. Everybody speaks English and most paperwork is available in English. Many people in lesser skilled jobs in construction, painting, car repair, cleaning, truck driving, elder care, restaurants and so on are immigrants from Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Somalia, Pakistan, India, Germany, Sweden etc so being a foreigner is perfectly normal. As in life in general, do what you're best at enjoy doing and do that well. Work with efficiency, purpose and passion and you can do well in any industry in Norway. Social mobility is very common. The American dream is still very much alive, in Norway.
Since your father is a Norwegian citizen you might also be eligible to live in Norway or even get citizenship. Call the embassy in Washington or consulate in Houston and book a meeting. I imagine your case would be viewed positively by whomever helps you.
The US is great, or at least a challenge, if your definition of quality of life is solo flying on limited experience a single-engine airplane low over rough terrain with relatively little air traffic control and little ground signaling.
If you manage to stay airborne, enjoy the great freedom; if you don't, cringe on crash landing.
Good Luck!
Last edited by bale002; 02-10-2019 at 05:01 AM..
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