# I Pit the new Norwegian government. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 4, 2013, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-new-norwegian-government/670342 "2013-10-04T12:52:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Septima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@Septima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Septima)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2013, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-new-norwegian-government/670342/21 "2013-10-04T19:26:54Z")
[QUOTE=Mogle] Keep in mind this is Norway, so the doctor will either be a government employee or have a government contract. If you want to get paid with taxpayer money you have to accept that the government get to tell you which services you have to offer. [/QUOTE] Yes, I should have clarified. There are some few private doctors (mostly in the cities, though). They can do whatever they want. The new law applies to public doctors. ---
**Author:** ![Septima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@Septima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Septima)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2013, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-new-norwegian-government/670342/22 "2013-10-04T19:36:00Z")
[QUOTE=nttj] And, hang on, are you now telling us that you are saying your country is fucked because your new “right wing” ruling coalition is not quite as far to the left of Obama as the former government was? And you think you have problems! What I was complaining about, though was that, if I understood your OP correctly, your Right Party is to the left of your Progress Party which is (by Norwegian Standards) right wing. [/QUOTE] Sorry for assuming you were american. “Fucked” might have been a bit strong (I was ranting) but I liked our social democratic/hippie country. For instance, we currently have the longest paternal as well as maternal leave of…well, anywhere. The blues plan to completely slash the paternal quota. I don’t like that. I will take a lot of work to get it back, if ever. They also plan to privatize and sell a lot of our natural recourses. We will never get those back. The Progress party has never been in government before, though they have existed since the seventies. Their policies are all over the place. A lot of it is quite right wing, some of it is just weird. They don’t like immigrants, libraries and subsidized student loans. They do like building lots of roads. So, yeah. I don’t know. ---
**Author:** ![Debaser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3da27b/32.png) [@Debaser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Debaser)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2013, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-new-norwegian-government/670342/23 "2013-10-04T19:37:38Z")
Last time I was in Norway the streets were filled with packs of criminals riding illegal Segways and terrorizing everyone in sight. They sounded like soccer hooligans, drank like Irishmen and looked like Mad Max. They also had lots of guns and drugs of all kinds. Legalizing Segways was probably the only solution, as that will take the mystique out of them and they’ll probably move on to something else. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2013, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-new-norwegian-government/670342/24 "2013-10-04T19:41:31Z")
> [@Septima](#): > > There are places in Norway where getting another doctor involves taking a plane, and those places are more likely to have a conservative doctor. Seriously, look at a map: Norway is a looooooong motherfucker, and most of it is quite rural and sparsely populated. If you flip Norway around by the tip, the other end touches Rome. It is that long. Ah, I thought it was only polar bears and trolls and walruses up there. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2013, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-new-norwegian-government/670342/25 "2013-10-04T21:37:39Z")
> [@Septima](#): > > If you flip Norway around by the tip, the other end touches Rome. It is that long. Didn’t realize that. Interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2013, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-new-norwegian-government/670342/26 "2013-10-04T21:40:41Z")
> [@Septima](#): > > Sorry for assuming you were american. > > “Fucked” might have been a bit strong (I was ranting) but I liked our social democratic/hippie country. For instance, we currently have the longest paternal as well as maternal leave of…well, anywhere. The blues plan to completely slash the paternal quota. I don’t like that. I will take a lot of work to get it back, if ever. > > They also plan to privatize and sell a lot of our natural recourses. We will never get those back. > > The Progress party has never been in government before, though they have existed since the seventies. Their policies are all over the place. A lot of it is quite right wing, some of it is just weird. They don’t like immigrants, libraries and subsidized student loans. They do like building lots of roads. So, yeah. I don’t know. Oh, you’ve got conservatives in charge. They sound a lot like American conservatives in terms of the policies they advocate. Prepare to see your country thoroughly fucked up. Sorry about that, I admired Norway. ---
**Author:** ![Septima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@Septima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Septima)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2013, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-new-norwegian-government/670342/27 "2013-10-04T22:17:24Z")
[QUOTE=Evil Captor] Oh, you’ve got conservatives in charge. They sound a lot like American conservatives in terms of the policies they advocate. Prepare to see your country thoroughly fucked up. Sorry about that, I admired Norway. [/QUOTE] Yeah, I was afraid so. Fortunately they are a bit gimped by being a minority coalition, and so have to get at least one more party on board to do anything. The Christian Nutter Party are actually surprisingly sensible about both libraries and student loans, and the other potential partner (the Left Party - ironically, they are moderates, although they are to the left of the Right Party) are good when it comes the environment and culture/school funding. So here is to four years of hoping for political deadlock. And enjoying the hell out of our Segways. By the way: [QUOTE=Debaser] Last time I was in Norway the streets were filled with packs of criminals riding illegal Segways and terrorizing everyone in sight. They sounded like soccer hooligans, drank like Irishmen and looked like Mad Max. They also had lots of guns and drugs of all kinds. Legalizing Segways was probably the only solution, as that will take the mystique out of them and they’ll probably move on to something else. [/QUOTE] …have I mentioned I love this board? ---
**Author:** ![Rune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e68b1a/32.png) [@Rune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rune)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2013, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-new-norwegian-government/670342/28 "2013-10-04T22:43:00Z")
Boxing and Segways were illegal? uh. Btw. doctors in Denmark (and half the Norwegian doctors and nurses seems to be Danish, or educated in Denmark) have always had the option not to perform abortions if it went against their conscience. The sky didn’t fall on that account. It surprises me that you didn’t have a similar arrangement in Norway. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2013, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-new-norwegian-government/670342/29 "2013-10-04T23:05:08Z")
> [@Rune](#): > > Boxing and Segways were illegal? uh. Btw. doctors in Denmark (and half the Norwegian doctors and nurses seems to be Danish, or educated in Denmark) have always had the option not to perform abortions if it went against their conscience. The sky didn’t fall on that account. It surprises me that you didn’t have a similar arrangement in Norway. To be fair, Denmark is a LEETLE bit smaller than Norway. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2013, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-new-norwegian-government/670342/30 "2013-10-04T23:07:44Z")
I keep trying to tell Americans that we don’t want “proportional representation.” This is what allows tiny minority parties to gain vastly disproportionate power. I’m damned sorry to hear your country has been highjacked by theocratic ratbags. I hope you throw them out again at the next elections. ---
**Author:** ![Rune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e68b1a/32.png) [@Rune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rune)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2013, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-new-norwegian-government/670342/31 "2013-10-04T23:14:43Z")
> [@Evil\_Captor](#): > > To be fair, Denmark is a LEETLE bit smaller than Norway. So they probably made the Segway illegal because it isn’t equipped with suitable snow tires. And they talk funny too. Anyway abortions are performed in hospitals, not your local country doctor. ---
**Author:** ![Septima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@Septima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Septima)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2013, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-new-norwegian-government/670342/32 "2013-10-04T23:23:40Z")
To clarify: no doctor needs to perform actual surgical abortions if he or she does not want to. Actually, you need to train for that, so you actually have to seek it out. What is debated here is that in order to get specialist care in Norway covered by the state, you need a piece of paper signed by your doctor saying you need it. A “referral” if you will. The doctors now have the right to refuse to refer you to appropriate care, refuse to prescribe medicinal abortions, refuse to refer you to a clinic etc. There are no walk-in abortion clinics. You need that piece of paper. It’s not just abortion either, he can in principle refuse to refer for anything. To be sure, there are, as I said, private options that do anything for money. But we kind of pride ourselves on being as egalitarian as possible, and care should not depend on means. ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2013, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-new-norwegian-government/670342/33 "2013-10-04T23:24:54Z")
> [@Septima](#): > > Us Norwegians apparently had a collective attack of the stupids last election, and voted out our darling prime minister for a new, blue, coalition. I know JUST how you feel ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2013, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-new-norwegian-government/670342/34 "2013-10-05T01:02:36Z")
Meh. I feel your pain,and agree whoeheartedly with your preferences. But seriously, call me when your Christian Nutter Party control the Congress and $3billion per election. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2013, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-new-norwegian-government/670342/35 "2013-10-05T01:28:32Z")
> [@Septima](#): > > care should not depend on means. I wish I lived in a country where that wasn’t the rankest heresy. And didn’t have to move to the back 40 of Godforsakia to achieve that. ---
**Author:** ![Sandwich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/22d042/32.png) [@Sandwich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sandwich)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2013, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-new-norwegian-government/670342/36 "2013-10-05T06:32:03Z")
> [@Debaser](#): > > Legalizing Segways was probably the only solution, as that will take the mystique out of them and they’ll probably move on to something else. When Segways are illegal, only criminals will have Segways. [ominous music growing louder] ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2013, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-new-norwegian-government/670342/37 "2013-10-05T06:46:38Z")
You have my condolences, and for the record, your former prime minister is a total doll. His posing as a taxi driver was pretty funny. I don’t know diddly about most heads of state, but I was familiar with him, and saddened when I heard he lost. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2013, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-new-norwegian-government/670342/38 "2013-10-05T06:53:51Z")
Here’s a link. [Norwegian prime minister Jens Stoltenberg moonlights as a taxi driver - video | World news | The Guardian](http://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2013/aug/12/norway-pm-jens-stoltenberg-taxi-video) ---
**Author:** ![Bouncer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9d8465/32.png) [@Bouncer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bouncer)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2013, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-new-norwegian-government/670342/39 "2013-10-06T05:39:34Z")
I will support ANY gov’t in Norway that requires the Aftenposten to restart their English language e-newspaper. It’s got the funniest goddamn stories on the planet. Drunk moose falling onto cars, chases involving drunk old ladies in motorized wheelchairs (and she crashed through a glass door and got away!), men complaining about being sexually assaulted by drunk, attractive females… It’s like a Benny Hill segment over there! Also, I am scheduling my vacation ASAP. I plan on hanging out and waiting to be sexually assaulted by a drunk, attractive female. I think this is an unexplored market segment of the tourism industry, and I encourage Norway to pursue this avenue aggressively. Regards, -Bouncer- ---
**Author:** ![Norse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a9adbd/32.png) [@Norse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Norse)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2013, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-new-norwegian-government/670342/40 "2013-10-06T18:03:13Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > your former prime minister is a total doll. His posing as a taxi driver was pretty funny. Yeah, that was a pretty cool stunt. OTOH, with one notable exception (the aftermath of July 22, 2011) he’s never, ever been anything resembling a leader. Decently half-competent administrator, sure. Leader, not so much. And I’m still in the blue as of how he’s managed to procreate. Because he’s never shown any indication that he’s got even half a ball. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-new-norwegian-government/670342.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-new-norwegian-government/670342.md?page=3)