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Is Norway a Communist Country?
This is an assumption many non-Norwegians make, especially from North America. Here is a list of points that might make people believe Norway is a communist country:
- Norway has free education including higher education. University students even get a scholarship and a loan (from Lånekassen) on top of university being free.
- Norway can be seen as a “nanny state”, where many policies might seem to be interfering with personal choices, such as a restrictive alcohol policy (restrictions on where to buy alcohol and at what time, monopoly of the state on sale of alcohol), restrictive tobacco policy, etc. Also Norway uses taxes to influence the use of certain goods (for ex. no tax on electric cars, or high taxes on alcohol to decrease consumption).
- Norway is a welfare state, and imposes taxes on the revenue of those living there (including foreigners), and the richer you are the more you pay. The average is around 35%. This is not something you can opt out of if you live in Norway. Even if you never get sick or don’t have kids you still have to pay taxes decided by the state, to pay for the welfare state. Note that even those who are not working and getting social benefits usually pay taxes on that too.
- Norway has a common border with Russia, and wasn’t it the Soviet armies who freed Norway from the Nazis at the end of World War II?
- The state has a high amount of shares in many large companies such as Equinor (ex-Statoil), Vy (ex-NSB) etc.
- The protectionist approach to many industries in Norway, such as agriculture and the food industry – where two companies have a duopoly on what is sold in supermarkets.
In fact none of these elements are a proof that Norway is a communist country, and many other aspects of the Norwegian economy show it is actually very much a capitalist system rather than a communist one.
First of all, many countries have policies to ensure equal access to education, this is not enough to make them communist. In fact “the right to free education at primary education and progressive introduction of it at secondary and higher education” is a human right stipulated in Article 13 of the International Covenant of Economic, Social and Cultural rights and is not linked to any form of government or economic model.
Secondly, what defines a communist system is not a common border with the former USSR, protectionist laws on food, high taxes on the revenue or a welfare state based on solidarity. I believe that during the Cold War, “communism” became such a dirty word in many Western societies that myths were built on what communism is. Suddenly anything which is not the American way of life can be taxed as communist, and anything falling short of neoliberalism became communism.
Let’s get back to the definition and not our assumptions as to what communism is: “A communist society’s aim (under the marxist definition) is to ensure that workers or the proletariat control the means of production (mills, factories etc.). After a period of transition, the government would fade away, as well as money, the state and social classes. This revolution would lead to the workers building a classless society and an economy based on common ownership of the means of production. Religion and the family, institutions of social control that were used to subjugate the working class, would go the way of the government and private ownership”. (Sources: Principles of Communism, Frederick Engels, 1847, Section 18. and The ABC of Communism, Nikoli Bukharin, 1920, Section 20 & 21), Wikipedia, Investopedia).
The Norwegian society’s aim is not for workers to take control of the means of production. Those are controlled by private companies mostly. Also, there is no aim neither by the Norwegian government nor by the people of Norway to make money disappear. Norwegians are extremely consumerists (just count how many people have IPhones and how often they change them), and love owning private property. More than anywhere I have lived before. There is no plan either that the state or even religion fade away. The Church and the state have separated surprisingly recently (2016), and as we speak the Christian Democrats are in the ruling government, alongside three political parties which want an even more liberal economy: the Conservatives, the Far right and the Liberal party. So the opium of the people is pretty much ruling the country. Not sure how far from communism that makes Norway, but very far could be a good assumption.
Now you could say that Marxism never made it in practice, and that instead dictatorships where the government was extremely present were formed using communism as a defined system, such as for example the Soviet Union, North Korea or Mao’s China. True, and then those countries never turned out to be democracies. Yet Norway is a democracy, with almost 80% political participation in elections. It was even ranked “world’s best democracy” by The Economist Intelligence Unit’s Democracy Index 6 years in a row.
Norway is also very much embracing a free market capitalism, including the adoption of a universalist welfare state, collective bargaining of unions with the state and the private sector, and a commitment to private ownership. This is called the Nordic model. Such countries are highly democratic and usually aim to high social mobility. In 2019, all five of the Nordic countries ranked in the top 10 on the World Happiness Report.
So, are you now convinced that Norway is not a communist country? If not, leave a comment!
Comments
20 responses to “Is Norway a Communist Country?”
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Well written as usual. Probably a figure like this may supplement your post:
https://benjaminstudebaker.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/socialism-and-liberalism.jpg?w=768&h=661
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State and church is NOT separated, although many mistakenly think so: https://human.no/politikk-og-debatt/stat-og-kirke/
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That is what is stated on the Norwegian government’s website. Do you have other sources for what you are saying? see here : https://www.regjeringen.no/no/tema/tro-og-livssyn/den-norske-kirke/innsiktsartikler/fra-statskirke-til-stat-og-kirke/fra-tidslinjen-historikk-om-forholdet-stat-og-kirke/id2426318/
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Did Norway allow Germany to use their ports in WW2 for the purpose of Logistics Operations If so this would mean that Norway aided and abetted Hitler and His butchers in the murder of millions of innocent Men, women and children. Are you proud of this horrible event?? Also I would like to hear opposing views of your dissertation.
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William G. Helveston. Just an short answer to your comment about Norway allowing nazi-Germany using Norwegian ports: Norway was attacked and occupied by Germany April 9, 1940, as the first western European country together with Denmark. Germany occupied all the ports in the major cities in the country that day. Germany had 500 000 troops in Norway, and the governnent had to flee to UK. The German use of Norwegian ports was really out Norwegian control. The Germans had full control over all major ports in the country.
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Well, I am from Romania, and I can say I’ve experienced the communism in practice, not in theory as many around here… and I am sorry to have to say that Norway is in many regards much more communist than Romania ever was…
And BTW there is no real practical difference between what some people call socialism, communism, marxism, social democracy, etc. as long as they are seeking equality of outcome and not equality of chances.-
Dead wrong on that i should think , Toma , how is this even possible ? There is a huge difference in the policies of the two countries obviously , so if Norway is more communistic than Romania should not Romania try be even more communistic to have the same success …or any other of the socalled communistic unsuccessfull communistic societies …Norway is a ‘social democracy ‘….an obvious practical difference from the other mentioned here .
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Nobody has seen communism so far. I have read Marx and I have experienced what “communism” in Eastern Europe felt like in reality, because I’m from Eastern Germany. What we had was state capitalism. That was something completely different from what Marx suggested. That’s the same case in Russia or China or wherever.
There is definitely a lot of thing to criticize at the world of today, but if you are looking for the best place on earth: Norway is definitely worth to take a look at. And don’t be afraid, you will find no communism here.-
The application of Communism is far different than the intended definition of Communism. The “application” of communism has been a disaster, however the intend use was “honorable”. The desire of Karl Marx et. al. of Germany was for a competent society of equal labor and equal benefits can be compared with the faux-Capitalism of England and the USA today. Germany, originally an agricultural society (people of the earth) intended to keep homeland citizens employed and self-sufficient for all Germans while In England, the “Industrial Revolution” essentially enslaved the middle class in near-poverty as the rulers/royals sought to eliminate their middle class outsourcing middle class employment. A poor, weak populous is easy to control with “tippens” tossed to the poor like seeds to pigeons. Neither Communism nor Capitalism have not succeeded in keeping their promises to their constituents. Capitalism is quick to “outsource” the jobs of a middle class, while Communism, thus far, has failed provide equal compensation for equal labor. Both are, thus far, a failure in their promises. In the USA, we provide welfare in lieu of employment and “competence education”. In Communist nations, they are attempting to become more Capitalistic. The middle ground is a well managed Christian Socialist World (as Jesus taught) in which government is exceedingly small and work and rewards are spread equally among the workers and the retired elderly workers. Nothing is free. We earn health care/dental care/a quality of life standard. Our retired workers who did their part/labor to “banked” and passed on to future generations. Having been to Germany and studied a little of Karl Marx, he was not an evil man. Marx simply wanted his working people to not fall into the trap believing they would all become wealthy from a Capitalist Society that out-sourced their labor and manufacturing to poorer nations where labor was cheap.
Did the many Billionaires of America and the world perform equal sweat-equity labor as the Common Man/Woman? I suspect those who read this far, have worked hard for their livelihood and are not Billionaires. My point indeed! “The Jury is still out” on the benefits of so-called Democracy and so-called Capitalism. Remember Hitler was raised a Christian Capitalist and Stalin was a Communist.
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Very well observed and a very good description of our society!
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[…] Is Norway a Communist Country? […]
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I think we should update those references of 1847 and 1920…
Even China is not a Communist country by those references, because evolution changed the definition. If you follow and trade the markets where capitalism is the rule and I hope you do, I would enjoy to compare your results to give some monetary meaning to the words we say. I can assure you that even USA, the country where capitalism is born, is not anymore a true capitalism by definition (the FED has control of the means of production, through the supply of money).
About data of private property: “the average Norwegian household now has debt of some 225 percent of disposable income”, it’s not owning. Oil revenues (reference: “scandinavia leads the world in public sector employment”) own the income that pays the household debt, so in few words, it’s the government that pays the people and this is a modern communism.
I hope so much for Norway to be able to mantain the value of the oil fund.
However, do you have an idea of what it means to have a debt of 225 percent of disposable income with such low rates?? Why do you think Norges Bank is running to hike rates?? Norges Bank knows a lot, I know more.. -
I live in Norway. I do think that Norway is a state that treats
everyone equally. Nobody is exceptional. Classes in school are held up
for the slowest learner. The large taxes keep people from getting ahead or retiring
early. There is a MOMS tax on most things usually at 25 percent or 12 percent so the 35 percent tax rate is even higher. There are toll roads everywhere. There are still traffic jams in the morning with only one person in the car just like in the USA. Some people are immune to the high gas prices and tolls or they have an electric car. -
“Communist”, like “feminist” and “socialist”, seems to be one of those words that latelly has come to mean “anyone who disagrees with me” to certain Internet trolls.
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For better or worse Norway seems like communist country. As others have said and from my 2 years in Norway parallels are uncanny. Both good ones and bad ones. For me it seemed that big difference between Norway and Soviet Union is that first one can sustain itself with oil money where second slowly drained out life from occupied states. I just hope Norway will secure its welfare with monetary fund. Generally they are really good and nice people. Something you can’t say about Soviet Union.
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I think this is an erroneous opinion, look at the post-Soviet space, where there was a communist regime or its echoes, for example Cuba, Bulgaria and other countries where they are and where Norway? Norway is a chic, developed country with a high standard of living.
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Hi , Tori no disrespect ! But , but you missing veeeryy little detail when giving this example ,about these countries like Cuba, Bulgaria etc.. they don’t and didn’t sell any oil. And Norway can be thankfull that has alot of oil and basically Norway cannot be this much rich without it .. it wouldnt come only with fishing or potet .. as an immigrant in Norway i can say that slowly the standart is going down (income) and prices are going up every year !
P.s barnevernet(child stealing) and pedophilia is not that much spread in the ex communist countries which is + +++++++++ +++ ++ ++ + ++ + and racism-
You are right about barnevernet. They still kidnap kids from immigrants. A lot of Asian parents are scared to migrate to Norway as they had kidnapped a lot of Asian kids too. Not just Asian, but also they kidnapped Children from Arabs, Africans too. Do you know A Norwegian woman fled to Poland and took asylum because barnevernet was after her kid? Norway might be good in all the aspects, but it’s not a good place to raise kids if you are an immigrant. unfortunately many Norwegians don’t want to discuss this. They simply brush it under the carpet despite the growing hatred on barnevernet.
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I think that you are a communist
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Thank you for writing this I am Norwegian and now I wont have to explain all of this when people ask how it is living in a communist state
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