Norwegian Tax Returns made public today

[Interista]

I suppose that would explain the high suicide rates in Norway and Denmark

ARe they all that high? According to wikipedia

List of countries by suicide rate - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

the Scandinavian country with the highest suicide rate is Finland, and suicide rates have always been high in north east Europe (Lithuania is no 1). Denmark, Norway and Sweden are well behind. Also, you have to take into account cultural attitudes towards admitting that someone killed themselves - I'd imagine that there would be less of a taboo about this in traditionally Protestant, though in practice largely atheist, Scandinavia.

Anyway, as I've said, Scandinavia is far from perfect. But it's still far closer to perfect than any other society I can think of, now or in the past.

Whether we could recreate their success is another thing as the culture is so different over there. There is real social solidarity whereas here its all "im alright jack".

Yeah, sadly you can't just create such a society, nor impose it from the top down. the legacy of colonialism, and the suspicion towards government which this has created, works against it in Ireland.

[Gadfly]

If such a perfect country one wonders why suicide rate is 20% higher than in Ireland.

Can you provide evidence to back this up?

Incidentally, have we gotten over the practice of not recording suicide as suicide for religious reasons - specifically the possibility that burial on consecrated ground would be refused?

[Thac0man]

So in Norway a handy "to-do" list is now available to criminals. Interesting.

[toughbutfair]

I can't recall the exact figures, but I read recently that the difference between the poorest and richest people in Denmark (I'm sure the situation is similar in Norway) is amazingly small - a fraction of what it is in 'selfish capitalist' countries like the US, UK - or Ireland.

Some might say this hampers ambition and enterprise, but given that the Scandinavians punch above their weight in business terms (think of the number of well-known Scandinavian firms), this does not appear to be the case at all. Also, it's been shown many times that the more equal societies are, the happier they are. Scandinavia, though certainly not perfect, does seem to be as close to a social paradise as any society that has ever existed.

Isn't there a high suicide rate up there?

[toughbutfair]

Shouldn't your finances be private?

No way Irish people would tolerate this intrusion.

[Interista]

Isn't there a high suicide rate up there?

See my post above. yes, suicide rates in Scandinavia (esp Finland) are fairly high, though not as high as the stereotypes suggest.

[Digout]

So how much money was given by Irish taxpayer direct to Shell.

Come on out with it.

A few billion with of Gas and Oil. FF = criminals.

[odie1kanobe]

A few billion with of Gas and Oil. FF = criminals.

So again can I have details of what was given to Shell.

So far they have acquired the right to spend millions on a plant to take Gas out but have as of yet received not 1 cent and its probably another 2-3 years before anything is flowing so thats 7 years of capital investment getting zilch in return.

[Lloyd-Apjohn]

There's a high suicide rate in Ireland too except we prefer to remain in denial about it. The Scandanavians seem to understand being honest about something and discussing it works better.

We will never have the sort fo country they have - we are gentically incapable of such hard work or honesty or trust or of producing the quality of establishment types they have - can you imagine what they make of the cronies we produce and who they must meet a various events.

[Morte]

Norway is easily one of if not the most successful countries in the world and all without EU membership. The reason is their social model and Norwegian euroscepticism is based around protecting that social model.

The reason is their oil and Norwegian euroscepticism is based around protecting that oil money from having to be paid into the central fund.

Listing the tax returns is certainly interesting and it wouldn't bother me too much myself. I wonder how it would suit companies though? In lots of industries the staff are what make you successful and this would make it very easy to poach I imagine.