The View From Norway

Isla Mujeres, not Norway

While down there on the sunny Isla, we met two couples from Norway.  Actually, I missed the introductions because it was one of those evenings where I had a cerveza-induced early bedtime.  But the lovely Mrs. Gammons and our traveling companions did indeed meet them, and I gave them friendly waves and head-nods thereafter.  They seemed to be really nice folks.

Eventually the American-Scandinavian nightcap summit dwindled to just the Norwegians and the lovely Mrs. Gammons, and they had just a few nagging questions for her about the good ol' USA, such as . . .

In America, why don't you have health care for everyone?
Why do you have so many guns and allow so many people to be needlessly slaughtered?
Since Barack Obama is so respected world-wide, why doesn't he run for president again?
Why does college cost so much in America?
Who is that obnoxious braggart with the hideous hair and the spray tan?

It can be educational to get a different perspective, a little contrast.  Those are all good questions, and the best answers aren't very good:  Tradition!  Capitalism!  That's America!  etc.

In Norway, they have high taxes and high incomes, lots of paid vacation time, a wide spectrum of government benefits at little to no cost, including health care and college, few guns, little gun violence, and no Trump-ish buffoons.

In America, we have low taxes, but also low income, expensive higher education, super-expensive health care, fewer government benefits, precious little time off, guns everywhere, and egregious assholes like Donald Trump and Ted Cruz who believe they should be in charge.

America is a great country, but it's not the only one.

To paraphrase W.C. Fields, maybe I'd rather be in Norway.