Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
Help Keep Boards Alive. Support us by going ad free today. See here: https://subscriptions.boards.ie/

Are the Nordic countries paradise on earth.

  • 06-09-2013 05:42PM
    #1
    Posts: 12,694 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    Are the Nordic countries and Iceland paradise on earth? A paradise of subsidised childcare, wonderful health care, welfare, high education standards, good government where the bankers were held to account and prison that work. A society of complete equality and sexual tolerance.

    I ask as anytime I get in to a discussion on social issue someone will say it works in the Nordic countries as if the social policies of the Nordic countries is the answer to every problem.


«13456710

Comments

  • Closed Accounts Posts: 12,433 ✭✭✭✭Mr Benevolent


    No. I can confirm this by personal experience.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,087 ✭✭✭✭wp_rathead


    ah but the weather can be bit nippy


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,987 ✭✭✭Legs.Eleven


    No. I can confirm this by personal experience.


    I'm interested so could you elaborate?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 9,396 ✭✭✭Frosty McSnowballs


    No,

    Haven't you been to Carlow?!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 25,494 ✭✭✭✭My name is URL


    Depends on your definition of paradise


  • Advertisement
  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,425 ✭✭✭Festy


    mariaalice wrote: »
    Are the Nordic countries and Iceland paradise on earth? A paradise of subsidised childcare, wonderful health care, welfare, high education standards, good government where the bankers were held to account and prison that work. A society of complete equality and sexual tolerance.

    I ask as anytime I get in to a discussion on social issue someone will say it works in the Nordic countries as if the social policies of the Nordic countries is the answer to every problem.

    Good looking too.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 27,944 ✭✭✭✭4zn76tysfajdxp


    €7 for a pint of Guinness doesn't sound like paradise to me.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 20,299 ✭✭✭✭MadsL


    Bah, who wants to live in a world populated by healthy, good looking people, with tolerant attitudes, excellent public transport, superb pension benefits and great cuisine?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 9,396 ✭✭✭Frosty McSnowballs


    MadsL wrote: »
    Bah, who wants to live in a world populated by healthy, good looking people, with tolerant attitudes, excellent public transport, superb pension benefits and great cuisine?

    Yeah! And reindeer that aren't just for Christmas!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,129 ✭✭✭✭Oranage2


    MadsL wrote: »
    Bah, who wants to live in a world populated by healthy, good looking people, with tolerant attitudes, excellent public transport, superb pension benefits and great cuisine?

    Arent they known for their terrible cusine?


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,041 ✭✭✭Seachmall


    Oslo has one of, if not the, highest rates of rape in Europe and Norway in general, according to a few Norwegians I've spoken to, is one of the most racist countries in Europe.

    It also has a particularly high rate of depression (probably due to the extensive period of darkness they suffer through).

    While that's only one of the Nordic countries it's probably not some drastic outlier in terms of those issues.


  • Posts: 12,694 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    MadsL wrote: »
    Bah, who wants to live in a world populated by healthy, good looking people, with tolerant attitudes, excellent public transport, superb pension benefits and great cuisine?

    So if adopt their social policies, and public transport policies will we become a tolerant people more interested in public wealth than personal wealth or could that have some thing to do with culture and history.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,296 ✭✭✭EdenHazard


    Not really tbh, I think these are the type of countries that appeal to the typical depressed Boards user who live their life based on ideals rather than experiences(Overthing issues that have no impact on day to day life, for example 'complete equality and sexual tolerance) I don't know about most people here but have you ever woke up and thought about the (perceived) lack of equality and sexual tolerance in Ireland? . They are countries run well and they are an example to follow but at end of the day most of the positives about the countries don't make them amazing places to live.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,533 ✭✭✭the keen edge


    In a country you can have an environment conducive for prudent fiscal policy and personal finances; or one conducive for having the craic. I don't think you can have both.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 25,494 ✭✭✭✭My name is URL


    Oranage2 wrote: »
    Arent they known for their terrible cusine?

    The world's 'best' restaurant happens to be in Copenhagen, which for some people means that Nordic countries must have the best cuisines.


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


    mariaalice wrote: »
    Are the Nordic countries and Iceland paradise on earth? A paradise of subsidised childcare, wonderful health care, welfare, high education standards, good government where the bankers were held to account and prison that work. A society of complete equality and sexual tolerance.

    I ask as anytime I get in to a discussion on social issue someone will say it works in the Nordic countries as if the social policies of the Nordic countries is the answer to every problem.

    It's alright here,no paradise though.Childcare is cheap-about 150 euro per month per kid,then it works on a sliding scale-the idea of a stay at home mom is an anathema here though.
    Welfare is a seperate thread,it is byzantine in it's intricacies-for a worker,you pay seperately for unemployment insurance (55 e per month for me) otherwise you get squat until you sell anything you have of value.
    Health care is nothing to write home about,nurses unhappy about their wages,so the govt. brings in hundreds from Germany on contract work.

    Uni's remain good,but the standards in the gymnasiet (secondary schools) are declining.
    Politics is politics-there's always something to be ripping out the hairs about.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,435 ✭✭✭HalloweenJack


    You forgot to mention military service for males. I know it exists in Finland and I think Norway. Definitely not a bonus point. You can swap military service for community service (in Finland, at least) but people who do this are seen as a bit odd.


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


    €7 for a pint of Guinness doesn't sound like paradise to me.

    Where can I get one of these cheap pints?;)


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 18,300 ✭✭✭✭Seaneh


    €7 for a pint of Guinness doesn't sound like paradise to me.

    Compared to the average income that's not actually very expensive.


  • Posts: 12,694 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    EdenHazard wrote: »
    Not really tbh, I think these are the type of countries that appeal to the typical depressed Boards user who live their life based on ideals rather than experiences(Overthing issues that have no impact on day to day life, for example 'complete equality and sexual tolerance) I don't know about most people here but have you ever woke up and thought about the (perceived) lack of equality and sexual tolerance in Ireland? . They are countries run well and they are an example to follow but at end of the day most of the positives about the countries don't make them amazing places to live.

    It is just that any discussion on social issues will inevitable have some one saying it so wonderful in the Nordic countries and by implication if only we were like them life would be great, highly rational and intelligent people will not accept that culture is largely the reason they are like they are, you simply cant say do it here and we will get the same result.


  • Advertisement
  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,390 ✭✭✭clairefontaine


    MadsL wrote: »
    Bah, who wants to live in a world populated by healthy, good looking people, with tolerant attitudes, excellent public transport, superb pension benefits and great cuisine?

    I don't. Booorrrring. Come on madsl....embrace diversity....


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,987 ✭✭✭Legs.Eleven


    crockholm wrote: »
    It's alright here,no paradise though.Childcare is cheap-about 150 euro per month per kid,then it works on a sliding scale-the idea of a stay at home mom is an anathema here though.
    Welfare is a seperate thread,it is byzantine in it's intricacies-for a worker,you pay seperately for unemployment insurance (55 e per month for me) otherwise you get squat until you sell anything you have of value.
    Health care is nothing to write home about,nurses unhappy about their wages,so the govt. brings in hundreds from Germany on contract work.

    Uni's remain good,but the standards in the gymnasiet (secondary schools) are declining.
    Politics is politics-there's always something to be ripping out the hairs about.


    Which country is this?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,627 ✭✭✭Lawrence1895


    A few of the best Black Metal and Death Metal bands come from Scandinavia. lovely landscapes, not over populated, and I like the weather :)


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


    MadsL wrote: »
    Bah, who wants to live in a world populated by healthy, good looking people, with tolerant attitudes, excellent public transport, superb pension benefits and great cuisine?

    I'd give you 2.5 out of those 6 points Mad.

    Lot of diversity in the nordic countries-even among the natives themselves.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,565 ✭✭✭losthorizon


    In a country you can have an environment conducive for prudent fiscal policy and personal finances; or one conducive for having the craic. I don't think you can have both.

    You have never been on the Runtur


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 18,300 ✭✭✭✭Seaneh


    Which country is this?

    From his name, I'm guessing Sweden.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 46,938 ✭✭✭✭Nodin


    You have never been on the Runtur


    ...is that like being on the batter?


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


    Which country is this?
    The blue and yellow one.
    The wealthies one at the moment is Norway,and the one with the best education is Finland(even though all the others laugh at them for their accent when speaking english-you would have your work cut out for you there;))


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 25,494 ✭✭✭✭My name is URL


    You forgot to mention military service for males. I know it exists in Finland and I think Norway. Definitely not a bonus point. You can swap military service for community service (in Finland, at least) but people who do this are seen as a bit odd.

    Yeah, that'd be a big put-off for me too. I mean how 'liberal and progressive' can a place be if you're virtually forced into the military, regardless of what you believe in, for 2 years as a young adult?


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,565 ✭✭✭losthorizon


    Nodin wrote: »
    ...is that like being on the batter?

    But madder. Its what they do in Iceland. There is a reason Icelandic people have sex earlier than anyone else in the world and they love foreigners.


Advertisement