Re: Norway is number 1

[Trond Andresen <trond.andresen@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

The following from the Norwegian moderate-conservative daily AFTENPOSTEN is
a fairly accurate response to the LA Times article.

Trond Andresen
Trondheim
Norway

>AMUSEMENT AND PRIDE OVER "PARADISE" NORWAY
>
>A glowing article in the Los Angeles Times entitled - So This Is Heaven:
>Norway - renewed national pride and satisfaction, while some quirky factual
>errors brought a collective smile to Norwegian lips.
>___
>
>While the feature story builds on the recent United Nations ranking of
>Norway as the best place to live in the world, the picture of Norway as
>paradise was not always familiar to local readers.
>
>Norway's papers and people burn over issues like hospital queues, rising
>drug abuse, deteriorating schools and widespread bankruptcies, but would
>probably still largely agree with author Carol Williams that life here is so
>good that they do feel obliged to spread the wealth at home and abroad.
>
>Norwegians would be more confused about finding out that maternity leave
>lasts three years, annual holidays last eight weeks, the sun sets at 3 pm
>for six months a year and that no one locks their doors, whether at home or
>away for the day. An absence of hunger and homeless people, as well as total
>equality between the sexes are also aspects of life in Norway that might
>have escaped everyone's attention.
>
>Williams does mention problems related to immigration, and the friction
>between growing oil wealth and the problem of using this money now or saving
>it for future generations. She also muses over the apparent contradictions
>in Norwegian life as the populace make the transition from one of Europe's
>poorest to richest nations.
>
>But such enthusiastic attention can't help but please Norway's proud and
>independent people. As Aftenposten's culture editor Jan Erik Hansen
>observed: "Norway is a tiny country. Norwegians don't like or need to think
>about this, since plenty of their men and women are in influential
>international positions."