by Cean Burgeson

Created on: April 03, 2008

On my recent trip to Norway, I was introduced to what is referred to as "social democracy." From what I can gather, this means paying higher taxes in exchange for a larger range of benefits from the government. Upon hearing this idea, many Americans get scared. No politician in our country attempts to win an election by touting the need for higher taxes.

I admit, I don't like going out of pocket any more than I have to as far as Uncle Sam is concerned either, but I wonder if we might pause for a moment and examine the benefits of a political system designed solely for the welfare of its citizens.

The first thing that people think of when socialism is mentioned is the concept of "socialized medicine." U.S. politicians describe a system like this as one in which access to doctors is strictly controlled and there are long lines to receive treatment or medications. In my queries of several Norwegian citizens, this doesn't seem to be the case.

None of the Norweigan citizens I spoke with voiced these concerns, and one of the people I interviewed was a cancer survivor who says that she received excellent care with no delays and was very happy with the way in which her disease was treated. Persons who fall ill in Norway are guaranteed medical treatment. The health service is a cornerstone of the Norwegian welfare state. Universal access to quality public health care is the Norwegian authorities' goal. As a basic principle, health services are distributed according to need not according to ability to pay.

All of the programs under control of the Norwegian government appear to a tourist such as myself to be well administered and orderly. The public transportation was excellent, the buildings and streets were clean and well maintained, and there were walking/running/biking paths everywhere. Norway's citizens must use these paths too, as we didn't see a single obese person while we were there. The inhabitants I met all seemed to be happy, healthy, and content.

They should be, as they're far less stressed than Americans. They generally end their work day between 3 and 4 o'clock, don't have to pay for a college education, and are guaranteed health and welfare benefits. Residents of Norway have a right to economic assistance and other forms of community support during illness, old age or unemployment. About 35 percent of the state's budget is spent on the Norwegian health and social welfare system.

The retirement age in Norway is 67. For the rest of their lives, retired Norwegians

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