Scandinavian Nations Excel!!
Cubans unhappy with their government and Americans unhappy with their government should read and study the front page of Monday's USA Today. Yet another major article in America's largest newspaper -- on March 20th, 2017 -- revealed why five Scandinavian nations have the best governments in the world, the five that repeatedly finish in the Top Five when it comes to having the best educated, healthiest, most equal, best represented, and happiest people in the entire world. If Cubans and Americans think any or all of those categories are important, they should stop complaining about their own governments and take time to study what those five Scandinavian nations do right. AND THEN Cubans and Americans, instead of just envying those five splendid nations, should actually complain about their governments, prodding them to replicate The Big 5. The March 20-2017 Front Page article in USA Today was/is entitled "THE NORSE, OF COURSE, ARE THE HAPPIEST PEOPLE ON EARTH." Of course! The article starts off with the reminder that the U. S. Declaration of Independence "inscribed as a fundamental right 'the pursuit of happiness' but Norway has taken that most to heart." Yes, indeed!! Norway #1, Denmark #2, Iceland #3, Switzerland #4, and Finland #5.
You don't have to leave the Front Page of Monday's USA Today to understand why the United States, the richest nation in the history of the world, doesn't remotely compete with the Scandinavian nations when it comes to having the "happiest people in the world." America's "gap between the richest and poor" is grossly astronomical because of a largely corrupt, bought-and-paid-for government easily controlled by its wealthiest citizens dictating its democracy. Such a "gap" is not allowed in the Scandinavian nations. Norwegian citizens, for example, have a GNP of $100,000, more than double that of Americans. But more significantly, that $100,000 is evenly distributed and not mostly relegated to the wealthiest one or two percent. And, as USA Today, the World Health Organizations and others have pointed out, the Scandinavian nations don't take a chance on their elected officials being bought off; major decisions are made via referendums in which the citizens themselves vote directly on issues concerning them. While the U. S. is awash with billionaires and a $20 trillion debt owed mostly to World War II foe Japan and Communist China, oil-rich Norway, for example, could cut off its oil spigots today and still have enough reserve money to take care of its citizens for the next 500 years just as well as they are taken care of now.
On March 20-2017 the BBC used the above Getty Images photo of happy Norwegians to explain why the 5-million citizens of Norway are the "happiest people in the world," followed by the citizens of four other Scandinavian nations. Such surveys point out that nations that best distribute their natural and human resources are far better than nations that allow a few greedy miscreants to horde extreme wealth.
The four Norwegian children above have ample reasons to be happy and to be proud of their national flags. Norway's government and culture abides by a system known as Janteloven. That means these four Norwegian children have the same advantages all other children in Norway have -- no more and no less.
Not enough Americans worry about the above poster.
And North Carolina has a lot of billionaires.
Meanwhile, these Cuban children are healthy and happy. They also have totally free health care and free educations through college. There is also very little crime on their Caribbean island and there is basically no gap in Cuba related to wealth disparity. In fact, there is not much wealth at all, thanks to the combination of an harassed government's inefficiencies and, in particular, a cruel and historically long economic embargo imposed on the island by revengeful exiles in the nearby superpower United States.
And so, people the world over -- including Cubans and Americans -- should congratulate Norway for having "the happiest people in the world." All nations should aspire to be what mighty little Norway is.
This is Norway.
Norway welcomes tourists.
But don't overstay your visit.
Norway has 5 million of its own citizens to take care of.
And by the way........
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Norway has 5 million of its own citizens to take care of.
And by the way........
...................did I mention that the average Norwegian speaks five or more languages? Heidi Hauge is an example. She also happens to be my favorite singer. I don't understand a word of Norwegian but even when she sings in her native language -- such as "Siste Dans" {"Last Dance"} -- I am enthralled with her voice and styling. I love watching and listening to her unique talent in any of her languages on YouTube. She's that good. But mostly I watch and listen to her sing great American songs in her perfect English. If you check her English versions on YouTube of songs like "I'm So Afraid of Losing You," "Seven Spanish Angels," "Save the Last Dance for Me," "I'm Gonna Be A Country Girl Again," etc., I think you'll agree.
She rarely leaves her beloved Norway, but when Heidi Hauge takes her unique musical talent to other countries, her performances are memorable. The photo above shows her in Berlin, Germany, where she received standing ovations after every song and then was besieged with repeated requests for encores. She is, many believe, the best singer -- in English -- of American country songs but sternly resists requests to visit the United States, UK, Canada, Australia, etc...because she hates leaving lovely Norway.
A Norwegian named Heidi Hauge.
She loves singing, but loves Norway even more.
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