Tuesday 19 October 2004

Pic of the day: ...the education level of its women. (Screenshot from Sims2, since, alas, there are no educated women in my household.)

Political commentary

In the news today, there was much talk about the "Finance Credit scandal", where one of the two leaders today was sentenced to nine years in prison. The two guys behind this largely imaginary company had somehow frittered away more than a billion Norwegian crowns (our currency, usually worth less than 1/8 of a Euro). They had gone to the banks and presented some pretty-looking plans and accounts, and borrowed against no real security except their own companies. The court found no reason to blame the banks, evidently. Perhaps it is generally assumed that incompetence is the order of the day there. The creative entrepreneur was sentenced to nine years, approximately the average sentence for murder around here. This makes me wonder what we should do about our politicians, who cheat and lie and fritter away billions as a matter of routine. Then again, they don't spend it on themselves only, so perhaps they are in the same situation as the banks: Incompetence is assumed until the opposite is proven.

Don't get me started on the USA. I don't live there, and over the last few years I have totally ceased to consider that as a possibility, whether for love or money (or cheap and plentiful anime and Pocky). I'll rather risk our healthcare Stalinism, I think. Even if it means having to pay for my own sick leave because there is a month's waiting line even when we educate more medical personnel than we need. Despite this and the occasional wasting of a few billions on megalomaniacal projects, Norway is still considered the best country in the world to live in. Especially if you don't mind being a Norwegian...

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In seemingly unrelated news, the business papers are fretting about one of the world's greater shipping magnates, John Fredriksen, who (being an ethnic Norwegian) seems to have considered moving his business here. He did not, as usual, and the cited reason this time was that the tax code for shipping has changed on average several times a year under the last few governments. This is a pretty good reason. But shipping is already enjoying tax breaks that other honest work could not dream about on a chemically induced high at the end of a long vacation from reality. If there are other countries that want to exempt the entire shipping industry (including the seamen) from tax and then subsidize building the ships, they are welcome to it. You may also greet them from me and say that they can start piling up money on my parking lot if they really have more than they know what to do with.

We have a saying, here in Norway at least, that "even a blind hen can find grain". This means that even a fool can occasionally have a good idea or say something wise. This seems to have happened to the Socialist Left Party. It clings to an ideology that is already on the stinking, rat-infested garbage dump of history. Despite this, their representative Djupedal, basically hit the nail this time: Norway should not get a reputation as a country that attracts people like Fredriksen.

Indeed. People like John Fredriksen have not become billionaires by giving money, but by taking it. And a country does not become rich by changing its laws to attract rich people, but by investing in infrastructure and above all education. There is a direct, close connection between the wealth-production of a country and the education level of its women. I challenge you to find one nation or state that breaks this rule. Happy hunting!