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25 Reasons Norway Is The Greatest Place On Earth

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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,023 ✭✭✭Satriale


    Oh my goodness!! Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
    Norway is beautiful, but I don't think you're being fair to Ireland :mad: There are plenty of scenery! There are beautiful cities, nature and historical/cultural sights. ... and people are far from ugly! I don't think it's fair to bulk them all up as a race and say they're ugly. I love their precious pale skin, their gorgeous eyes and all the freckles :) (generalising now, of course, but you get the gist)

    3081179_4120e6f2.jpg

    The last time i tried to look at that view someone was trying to charge me for the pleasure.
    Ireland, you cant beat it...


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,399 ✭✭✭ush


    Then why is 25 % smuggled or home made?

    Because access is restricted and taxation makes is somewhat prohibitive. But total consumption is reduced, which is the point of the policy.

    The total amount of alcohol consumed would increase if the Swe & Nor liberalised their policies.

    Unrecorded alcohol would still exist, even if they reduced excise on alcohol and got rid of the monopolies. It may be reduced somewhat but it wouldn't disappear.

    So I'm still trying to figure out how you came to the conclusion "Regulation doesn't have much effect in Norway believe it or not".


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,493 ✭✭✭long range shooter


    ush wrote: »
    Because access is restricted and taxation makes is somewhat prohibitive. But total consumption is reduced, which is the point of the policy.

    The total amount of alcohol consumed would increase if the Swe & Nor liberalised their policies.

    Unrecorded alcohol would still exist, even if they reduced excise on alcohol and got rid of the monopolies. It may be reduced somewhat but it wouldn't disappear.

    So I'm still trying to figure out how you came to the conclusion "Regulation doesn't have much effect in Norway believe it or not".

    Ok then,I am obviously taking to an expert on the subject.
    So you are saying the smuggling and moonshine is not because of the restrictions and taxation,I rest my case.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,399 ✭✭✭ush


    Ok then,I am obviously taking to an expert on the subject.
    So you are saying the smuggling and moonshine is not because of the restrictions and taxation,I rest my case.

    Before you can judge something a failure, you need to understand the point of the exercise and the effect it has had. Levels of smuggling and moonshine aren't the criteria by which Scandinavian alcohol policies should be judged. Reducing the total amount of alcohol consumed, and thereby improving the health of the general population, is the goal.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,493 ✭✭✭long range shooter


    ush wrote: »
    Before you can judge something a failure, you need to understand the point of the exercise and the effect it has had. Levels of smuggling and moonshine aren't the criteria by which Scandinavian alcohol policies should be judged. Reducing the total amount of alcohol consumed, and thereby improving the health of the general population, is the goal.

    Well the Scandinavian countries have the lowest consumption already,but that doesn't leave the fact that the restrictions have led to more smuggling and moonshine.Hereby the restrictions is a failure.

    http://www.norwaypost.no/index.php/news/62/9643

    http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/unsafe-alcohol-kills-4-in-abstemious-norway/243379.html?ask_mobile=Y

    http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1991-12-22/news/1991356016_1_vinmonopolet-alcohol-christian-democrats


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  • Registered Users Posts: 2,399 ✭✭✭ush


    Well the Scandinavian countries have the lowest consumption already,but that doesn't leave the fact that the restrictions have led to more smuggling and moonshine.Hereby the restrictions is a failure.

    They don't have the lowest consumption already but thanks to taxation and access policies.

    Smuggling and moonshine are going to happen regardless. Unrecorded alcohol is going to exist in any kind of regulated market.

    There you have to examine the agendas of those critisicing. Free market liberals with ideological concerns or maybe even companies, who stand to make fortunes if the markets are changed.


  • Registered Users Posts: 9,279 ✭✭✭Lady Chuckles


    There are of course beautiful looking people in Ireland, but in general if you were to stand in any city or town centre for 1 hour and take the average, the Irish are absolutely rotten looking in comparison to your average Norwegian. I remember I was over in Estonia for a while and I met a girl there who had lived in Ireland for about 5 years, when I asked her what she thought of Ireland, her lasting memory was that she couldnt believe how ugly a race it was! I thought this was ridiculous, however I was in McDonalds asking someone for directions and even in there, the people were slim and generally stunning. Of course thats Estonia, but you get the jest. Also they dont tend to stagger about the streets in a state at night, fighting and being sick everywhere.

    Also you have posted 1 picture of a little rocky bit of Ireland, but its really just nothing at all in comparison to Norway. In fact even Scotland has vastly more stunning and more rugged natural scenery than ireland.

    If I had to sum up what amazed me about life in Norway, I would say that the biggest difference was how conscientious people are of others and their feelings.

    Do you want me to post more stunning Irish sights? Wicklow mountains, Clon mac noise, Heuston station, boora parklands, skellig Michael, croagh Patrick, deer watching in Phoenix park, giant's causeway....
    Like I said, beauty is in the eye of the beholder ... You don't strike me as a fan of Ireland in general - and that whole thing about ugly race is outrageous, so I'm not going to encourage further debate. It's absurd.
    Satriale wrote: »
    The last time i tried to look at that view someone was trying to charge me for the pleasure.
    Ireland, you cant beat it...

    It's still there though.




    Am I the only one thinking this thread is totally gone off topic? :confused::p


  • Registered Users Posts: 92 ✭✭cwynnes


    There are of course beautiful looking people in Ireland, but in general if you were to stand in any city or town centre for 1 hour and take the average, the Irish are absolutely rotten looking in comparison to your average Norwegian. I remember I was over in Estonia for a while and I met a girl there who had lived in Ireland for about 5 years, when I asked her what she thought of Ireland, her lasting memory was that she couldnt believe how ugly a race it was! I thought this was ridiculous, however I was in McDonalds asking someone for directions and even in there, the people were slim and generally stunning. Of course thats Estonia, but you get the jest. Also they dont tend to stagger about the streets in a state at night, fighting and being sick everywhere.

    Also you have posted 1 picture of a little rocky bit of Ireland, but its really just nothing at all in comparison to Norway. In fact even Scotland has vastly more stunning and more rugged natural scenery than ireland.

    If I had to sum up what amazed me about life in Norway, I would say that the biggest difference was how conscientious people are of others and their feelings.

    I have to say, speaking as an Irish person I must to disagree with you, specifically on the ugly irish people lark, not minding the rest because you are full of crap, but that's ok...

    Take me for example, I am EXTREMELY good looking, I mean seriously seriously good looking, sometimes I look in the mirror and go... WOW, you are soooo good looking it crazy.

    You know, once I was in Estonia in Burger King as it happens and looking around me I couldn't help but think the same as you, they were quite good looking but the only issue is they just didn't have a patch on me... Not a thing... I was definitely the best looking person in the room... And the country may I add.

    Just like the Norwegians I am also conscientious and care about other peoples feelings, I am also DEFINITELY not self centred... Not even in the slightest and the reason I know that is because I've consulted me on this and I'm never wrong...

    Norway is great, just like me.


  • Registered Users Posts: 9,279 ✭✭✭Lady Chuckles


    lol
    :)


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,271 ✭✭✭TireeTerror


    cwynnes wrote: »
    I have to say, speaking as an Irish person I must to disagree with you, specifically on the ugly irish people lark, not minding the rest because you are full of crap, but that's ok...

    Take me for example, I am EXTREMELY good looking, I mean seriously seriously good looking, sometimes I look in the mirror and go... WOW, you are soooo good looking it crazy.

    You know, once I was in Estonia in Burger King as it happens and looking around me I couldn't help but think the same as you, they were quite good looking but the only issue is they just didn't have a patch on me... Not a thing... I was definitely the best looking person in the room... And the country may I add.

    Just like the Norwegians I am also conscientious and care about other peoples feelings, I am also DEFINITELY not self centred... Not even in the slightest and the reason I know that is because I've consulted me on this and I'm never wrong...

    Norway is great, just like me.

    There are hospitals for psychosis!


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  • Registered Users Posts: 92 ✭✭cwynnes


    There are hospitals for psychosis!

    There are indeed yes, so at least you have a place to go!!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,493 ✭✭✭long range shooter


    ush wrote: »
    They don't have the lowest consumption already but thanks to taxation and access policies.

    Smuggling and moonshine are going to happen regardless. Unrecorded alcohol is going to exist in any kind of regulated market.

    There you have to examine the agendas of those critisicing. Free market liberals with ideological concerns or maybe even companies, who stand to make fortunes if the markets are changed.

    No,no and no,you obviusly need to be spoonfed the facts.
    If you raise the tax on alcohol,people will find other cheaper sources of alcohol,its that simple.This is moonshine,smuggling etc.
    So the taxation is a failure.The only thing that might have an impact,is the vinemonopoly,that limits the access to alcohol.
    But if you make moonshine you wouldnt have that worry either.
    And white spirit and red spirit filtered trough a bread is still popular amongst alcoholics.;)Its cheaper.

    http://alcoholism.about.com/od/issues/a/blacer060107.htm

    http://www.thelocal.se/20050628/1674


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,493 ✭✭✭long range shooter


    ush wrote: »
    Both Oslo and Dublin are awash with heroin. Central Oslo is like a zombie film.

    yes thats true,and the goverments turns the blind eye to it every time.


  • Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 15,676 Mod ✭✭✭✭Tabnabs


    [mod] folks, if you can't take part in healthy debate and instead resort to attacking the poster and personalising it, your time here will be cut short [/mod]


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,271 ✭✭✭TireeTerror


    cwynnes wrote: »
    I have to say, speaking as an Irish person I must to disagree with you, specifically on the ugly irish people lark, not minding the rest because you are full of crap, but that's ok...

    Take me for example, I am EXTREMELY good looking, I mean seriously seriously good looking, sometimes I look in the mirror and go... WOW, you are soooo good looking it crazy.

    You know, once I was in Estonia in Burger King as it happens and looking around me I couldn't help but think the same as you, they were quite good looking but the only issue is they just didn't have a patch on me... Not a thing... I was definitely the best looking person in the room... And the country may I add.

    Just like the Norwegians I am also conscientious and care about other peoples feelings, I am also DEFINITELY not self centred... Not even in the slightest and the reason I know that is because I've consulted me on this and I'm never wrong...

    Norway is great, just like me.

    Maybe you are beautiful, maybe you are not, but seeing as you made up at least part of this story, I guess we can figure out the rest.

    What has been your downfall I hear you ask....Burger King and the fact there are no Burger King's there. You will find Hes Burger, but that is from Finland across the water!


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,399 ✭✭✭ush


    No,no and no,you obviusly need to be spoonfed the facts.
    If you raise the tax on alcohol,people will find other cheaper sources of alcohol,its that simple.

    There's a difference between fact and opinion. Swedes and Norwegians drink less than comparable nations. Which is the point of the policy.
    This is moonshine,smuggling etc.
    So the taxation is a failure.The only thing that might have an impact,is the vinemonopoly,that limits the access to alcohol.
    But if you make moonshine you wouldnt have that worry either.
    And white spirit and red spirit filtered trough a bread is still popular amongst alcoholics.;)Its cheaper.

    http://alcoholism.about.com/od/issues/a/blacer060107.htm

    http://www.thelocal.se/20050628/1674

    Just because there are chronic alcoholics, smugglers and bootleggers doesn't make the policy a failure. That'll always be there to some extent. And do you honestly think chronic alcohol consumption would decrease with a more liberal approach? Consumption would increase as would the damage caused.

    Figures will show other other countries have illegal markets for alcohol too. Alcohol can always be imported cheaper from somewhere else. It can be produced and sold illegally too. But the damage it causes remains. But that damage is reduced due to less drinking overall.

    Swedes and Norwegians drink less than say Brits or Danes. The policies work.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,493 ✭✭✭long range shooter


    ush wrote: »
    There's a difference between fact and opinion. Swedes and Norwegians drink less than comparable nations. Which is the point of the policy.



    Just because there are chronic alcoholics, smugglers and bootleggers doesn't make the policy a failure. That'll always be there to some extent. And do you honestly think chronic alcohol consumption would decrease with a more liberal approach? Consumption would increase as would the damage caused.

    Figures will show other other countries have illegal markets for alcohol too. Alcohol can always be imported cheaper from somewhere else. It can be produced and sold illegally too. But the damage it causes remains. But that damage is reduced due to less drinking overall.

    Swedes and Norwegians drink less than say Brits or Danes. The policies work.
    It's a failure in Norway,because the prices are higher in the neighboring countries Sweden and Denmark.Because of this you will have more smuggling across the borders,and more illegal homemade moonshine.

    According to this from SIRIUS ,scientific research of alcohol consumption shows that the figures are actually only 46 % of what it actually is.
    And that the unregistered sale of alcohol,moonshine and smuggled spirits
    Is much higher than than the registered sale,that's only 31% of the total.

    http://www.fmr.no/hvordan-er-alkoholmarkedet-sammensatt.4461001-99550.html
    http://news.cision.com/no/hansa-borg-bryggerier-as/r/ny-undersokelse--hoye-alkoholavgifter-gir-okt-olsmugling,c200338
    http://touch.f-b.no/nyheter/alkoholrekord-pa-svenskegrensa-1.7580657


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,399 ✭✭✭ush


    It's a failure in Norway,because the prices are higher in the neighboring countries Sweden and Denmark.Because of this you will have more smuggling across the borders,and more illegal homemade moonshine.

    According to this from SIRIUS ,scientific research of alcohol consumption shows that the figures are actually only 46 % of what it actually is.
    And that the unregistered sale of alcohol,moonshine and smuggled spirits
    Is much higher than than the registered sale,that's only 31% of the total.

    But we've been through this. All countries have a unregistered alcohol market. Even when taken into account black market alcohol, Swedes and Norwegians drink less than comparable European nations.

    Smuggled alcohol will always exist even without a state monopoly or high taxes. Alcoholics will always buy illegally distilled alcohol. Underage drinkers will buy from illegal sellers. Those problems will exist regardless and exist in countries with more liberal approaches. That doesn't make the policy a failure, especially when it goal of reducing overall alcohol consumption is achieved.

    Norway will always be more expensive because of exchange rates. So smuggling will always exist.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,493 ✭✭✭long range shooter


    ush wrote: »
    But we've been through this. All countries have a unregistered alcohol market. Even when taken into account black market alcohol, Swedes and Norwegians drink less than comparable European nations.

    Smuggled alcohol will always exist even without a state monopoly or high taxes. Alcoholics will always buy illegally distilled alcohol. Underage drinkers will buy from illegal sellers. Those problems will exist regardless and exist in countries with more liberal approaches. That doesn't make the policy a failure, especially when it goal of reducing overall alcohol consumption is achieved.

    Norway will always be more expensive because of exchange rates. So smuggling will always exist.

    Whats the point of having a tax on alkohol When it leads to more crossover border shopping,smugling and production of moonshine??
    The point of the tax is to keep the consumption of alcohol to a reasonable level,but when people makes ilegal alcohol smuggle and goes to Sweden and Denamark to get cheaper alcohol,the hole point is gone.
    That's why it's a failure.
    If they had dropped the tax,the consumers would have bought the alcohol in Norway instead,and I don't think the consumption would have skyrocketed,cause you still have to buy it in the vine monopoly .


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,399 ✭✭✭ush


    Whats the point of having a tax on alkohol When it leads to more crossover border shopping,smugling and production of moonshine??
    The point of the tax is to keep the consumption of alcohol to a reasonable level,but when people makes ilegal alcohol smuggle and goes to Sweden and Denamark to get cheaper alcohol,the hole point is gone.
    That's why it's a failure.
    If they had dropped the tax,the consumers would have bought the alcohol in Norway instead,and I don't think the consumption would have skyrocketed,cause you still have to buy it in the vine monopoly .

    Consumption would increase. It would be cheaper to buy. People would buy more. People would drink more. You only have to compare to other European countries. The bill for policing and health services increases. Which is the point of having high taxes and controls on access.

    All comparable countries have cross border smuggling of alcohol. Norway is expensive to begin with. So smuggling would exist anyway. I think you're overstating the case of moonshine though. Smuggling has taken its place.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 12,128 ✭✭✭✭MadYaker


    It's on my bucket list for the whitewater kayaking alone. Id put up with the price of a pint for a few weeks!


    14_kayak_bomb_flow.jpg


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,448 ✭✭✭crockholm


    Sorry about switching the conversation to their sexy next door neighbours the Swedes,but I do remember going to a wedding outside Sundsvall in 2012 and pretty much all of the booze they had was either home brewed or imported from Germany/Poland.Seems to be more of a cultural thing-in the North it is more common to brew and distill your own and in the South they go to pubs more.
    I know a few lads that have lived in both North and South and they say that the pub Life in the North is drab and nearly non-existant compared to the South,all eagerly await to be called back to work in sthlm.

    Systembolaget can be a bit of a pain in the ass,but it seems it allows them to massage the figures and make up some spiel about saving people from the evils of alcohol in a more unregulated market,it ignores the amount(in hectolitres and lost Revenue) that goes under the radar.

    Back to Norway, there is the possibility of working there this year and I am more than a little curious,se what the Queen bee says.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,493 ✭✭✭long range shooter


    ush wrote: »
    Consumption would increase. It would be cheaper to buy. People would buy more. People would drink more. You only have to compare to other European countries. The bill for policing and health services increases. Which is the point of having high taxes and controls on access.

    All comparable countries have cross border smuggling of alcohol. Norway is expensive to begin with. So smuggling would exist anyway. I think you're overstating the case of moonshine though. Smuggling has taken its place.

    Norway have the highest tax in the world on alcohol but not the lowest consumption,get the picture.


  • Registered Users Posts: 81,223 ✭✭✭✭biko


    They do things differently in Norway :D

    1526693_10152175067978856_376134956_n.jpg


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,304 ✭✭✭Lucena


    Is that just a typo, or does 'ass' mean something in Norwegian?

    Can you imagine looking in the mirror while putting this type of gel on? Get a good mental image of it!


  • Registered Users Posts: 826 ✭✭✭hognef


    Lucena wrote: »
    Is that just a typo, or does 'ass' mean something in Norwegian?

    Can you imagine looking in the mirror while putting this type of gel on? Get a good mental image of it!

    'Ass.' is an abbreviation of 'Assortert(e)', which would probably translate to 'miscellaneous' in English.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,448 ✭✭✭crockholm


    ^^^^^^^^

    That's not entirely true,Lucena, the "Ass-Mullet" is one of the hottest Scandinavian fashion trends at the moment.It looks really cool in hotpants.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,493 ✭✭✭long range shooter


    crockholm wrote: »
    ^^^^^^^^

    ThaIt looks really cool in hotpants.

    Ok,so now i have to buy hotpants too,lol:D:D


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