Letters from Norway

Continued from Last Week: Episode 1:

New York (0:00 to 11:33)

* Most of the listeners, especially those in Norway, know all about New York. It’s the city most frequented by Norwegian tourists to the USA. Then it’s Miami, LA, and San Francisco. I don’t need to give much explanation or description on this city.

* Uber works really well. How does something that works so well lose so much money? $700 million in one-quarter, rivaling NASA’s spending.

* Reminiscing my old Wall Street job with a former colleague over lunch.

* On the way back, I stopped by the 9-11 Memorial. Political Correctness is not the solution to the terrorism epidemic.

* Seeing New York from the Jersey City side, across the bay, you can see, from afar, that New York never sleeps, always works. It’s truly a great city.

Realizations (11:34 – 27:47)

* Despite our problems and all the infighting, America still remains the greatest country on earth.

* America is only running on 1/3rd of its’ potential.

* Taking this trip affirmed that President Trump did the right thing. He re-affirmed our position in the world.

* A discussion on the realities of Europe and the European Union.

* Exiting the Paris Agreement was a long overdue decision. It had absolutely nothing to do with saving the planet and all to do with shackling America.

* Trying to make America like Europe will kill the planet.

* A message to scientists considering leaving America.

Closing Thought (27:48 – 28:49)

* Take note that these ideals, America standing above all other nations is not new. In the 1936 Berlin Olympics, with Hitler presiding, only America did not dip their flag to him. Old Glory stood tall:

All the other countries were dipping their flags and waving their arms in the Nazi one arm salute. We are different and always will be.

Thank you for listening. Please like on Social Media and subscribe on iTunes.

 

 

Introduction (0 - :55)

* A brief overview

* Trip dates

* First trip home after two years.

The Trip Home (0:56 – 9:37)

* Gardermoen Airport

* Watching the movie: “The Founder,” telling the story of Ray Kroc and McDonald’s origins.

* Heightened security at EWR (Newark Intl. Airport).

* An overview on Delaware including some obscure Swedish-American history.

In the mid-1600’s Parts of Delaware, New Jersey and New York were Swedish.

* My experience at the Christiana Mall, named after Wilmington’s former Swedish namesake.

* Delaware’s modern-day claim to fame is no sales tax, compared to New York’s almost 9%, making the two-hour trip worth it.

* The change in the shopping experience. America is losing the service culture due to political correctness and body positivity.

Virginia (09:38 – 24:15)

* Crossing the “Mason-Dixon” line

* The Dukes of Hazzard

The gas station and convenient store at the Maryland – Virginia border

* The Virginia Eastern Shore

* The Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel – a wonder of post-war civil engineering.

* Virginia Beach – arriving at my destination

* The Internet in America.

* The Pew Research Center found that 47 million Americans still do not have internet access.

* The Virginia Beach Oceanfront – one of the longest boardwalks in the world

A site for sore eyes – I was just in time for the monster truck show.

* The Moss Norway - Virginia Beach Connection

At 25TH Street & Oceanfront – There is a Norwegian story.

* Democracy is alive and well in America – a discussion on the abortion issue.

* It appears that it is easier to be a liberal in “Bannon Country” than a conservative in Scandinavia.

* The “TRIGGERED” Scandinavian vs. a “combative” Southerner discussion.

* Democracy’s needs.

* Apathy and being oblivious are the greatest threats to American democracy.

Part 2: New York City, New Jersey, and realizations, from the outside looking in.

Please Tune in next week for Part 2 and subscribe to Letters from Norway on iTunes and follow us on Social Media (see the upper right on this page).

Podcast show notes

0:00 to 3:38: Introduction

* The Oslo Freedom Forum was held May 20-24, 2017 in Oslo.

* The theme for this year was “Defending Democracy.”

* 52% of the world’s population lives in oppressive regimes,

* Claim that democratic processes have slowed down.

* An annual conference to “brainstorm ways to expand freedom and unleash human potential across the globe.

* The real question? What does “freedom,” “democracy,” and “forum” really mean when used in the same sentence?

* Discuss the pillars of democracy including the right to bear (unregistered) firearms.

They forgot the right to bear arms

3:39 – 9:20: The Panel Discussion in the Park

* Attended the park event on May 21 at 3-4pm in the park by National Theater in downtown Oslo.

* Nick expresses admiration for bold people, willing to put their lives on the line, even if they don’t agree with his beliefs.

* Reflections from the panel discussion.

* The role of western countries in the Middle East.

* Thoughts on President Trump, BREXIT, and Globalism.

An Illiberal democracy is one that is hollow -just in name, having phony or show elections, like in Iran. 

9:21 – 18:24: Q&A and Debate Session

* Key historical events leading to modern western democracy.

* Citing Ayaan Hirsi Ali, asking about Islamic ideological reform?

* The panelists' response to my question.

* Post-debate and discussion reflections.

18:25 – 24:44: Discussion of Key Questions

* What is freedom?

* Why is it so elusive?

* How do you get it?

* How do we keep it?

* What are the tradeoffs?

* Foundations of Freedom

24:45 – 30:10: Immigration Policy and Closing Thoughts

* The “Equal Protection Under Law” concept (14th Amendment)

* Banning symbols and clothes does not stop intent.

* Applying Smart Conservatism Principals

* Restricting immigration from non-Anglo-Saxon nations and extreme vetting.

* Mandate more rigorous US History & Constitution curriculum and testing in schools, colleges and for those applying for residence (of any kind) and American Citizenship.

* Closing thoughts on our responsibilities.

Notes & References:

Oslo Freedom Forum 2017 Overview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0AV74pLkxQ

Fleeing Tyranny or Bringing it with Them? ( Khadija Khan May 31, 2017 at 5:00 am)

The Magna Carta

https://youtu.be/66ZcXBUx5IA

Ayaan Hirsi Ali

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6Wrhivp7eQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AkAGc5nOXw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJkFQohIKNI

Linda Sarsour

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w41mgPXmZNs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfAqiIZ_aDU

http://www.dailywire.com/news/12852/muslim-womens-march-organizer-attacks-female-hank-berrien#

https://www.youtube.

Introduction:

After a long hiatus, I decided that it was time to resume the podcast. Living in Norway, it has been difficult to find a suitable content and production partner. There are five aspects to a podcast: researching and writing the story, producing the episode, recording, and editing (sound engineering), marketing, and management. Many prospects feared the repercussions of uncensored free speech, voicing the concerns of the silent majority. Therefore, this time, I will be going it alone with my wife offering editorial support and encouragement in the background.

We will aim for at least one 20-25-minute podcast per week, distributed on our iTunes channel. The shows will discuss the following topics: Life in Norway, current events, guest interviews, and my comments on social media posts. Once we get a rhythm and show formula, we hope to release more often. The spoken word will help augment the written message out faster while reaching a wider audience that the written one.

Inspiration:

Democratic and egalitarian societies like America and Norway depend on their citizens for strength. Dictatorships rest on a powerful elite, powered by a propaganda machine and backed by an oppressive military establishment. Born and raised in America, but often visiting India, I realized that America, Anglo-Saxon (UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada) and Northern European democracies are quite fragile, requiring more attention from their participants. Apathy and complacency among my American peers always bothered me. Thomas Jefferson stated that it was our responsibility to uphold the society.

However, in the age of mass media, common core education, and Globalism, the average American seems to have forgotten their sense of identity. Mass Media and new age liberals have contorted Patriots into racists, narcissists, sexists, and misogynists. Lacking proper historical and critical thinking education, Millennials in Western nations appear to lack an understanding of what it means to be a nation. I even met Ivy League graduates that never took a US Constitution test while in high school.

Therefore, I am going to do my part to share my views as an American living in a “socialist paradise” on how important it is for each and every American to take patriotism seriously. You don’t have to agree with who is president but should, at least, understand the founding principles and history of our nation.

Goals:

I would like to accomplish the following:

* Offer my point of view, which is balanced and based on deep investigation and personal life experience.

* Emphasize that being conservative and patriotic is not racist, fascist, or sexist.

* Go there- discuss the controversial “elephant in the living room subjects.”

* Discuss the trade-offs and decisions we must make, living in a democracy.

* Promote “Smart Conservatism,” based on the principles set forth by the Founding Fathers while taking into account reality and the current times. For example:

* The government cannot be eliminated but it can be minimized and should serve the American family.

* People should come to the faith of free-will and not by law.

Coming Episodes:

* My Life in Norway

* My Trip to America

* Reflections from the Oslo Freedom Forum

Wrap Up:

This production is a labor of love, sharing a unique perspective from living in Norway for the past four years. I do not consider myself a Democrat or Republican but rather an American, hoping to find others who think the same. Please take a look at our website with over 100 articles on politics, economics, life and travel. The economy section tabulates statistics from Norway, Sweden, Denmark,

After much consideration, I decided to put podcasting on hold. With our limited resources, I must focus. Letters from Norway, in order to offer a different yet well-informed point of view, requires significant research, thought, and editing. Therefore, I must concentrate on what I am good at - writing

Podcasting requires a lot of work behind the scenes, which diverted my attention from writing. The current partnership did not work out due to the substantial production and marketing requirements, which came at the expense of writing. Parting ways with my partners, who wish to remain unnamed, I agreed to take down the previous podcasts.

However, I will keep the channel open with this single episode and continue to search for a new partner, willing to focus on the production, sound engineering, and marketing aspects of podcasting, allowing me to focus on quality content creation and overall management.

The Letter’s from Norway message is one about common sense rationality in topsy-turvey times. Living in Norway, I see America from the outside, looking in: both good and bad. Combatting Mainstream Media’s one sided narratives, we offer a 360-degree view and taking the view that the American national agenda and people must come before all others. The message builds on the basic definition of economics: managing unlimited wants against scarce resources.

For Norwegians, the message offers insight into the American ideology. There is more to our country than Hollywood movies, guns, and Big Macs. Our identity, based on merit, is a model for the world and one Norway should adapt if they want to turn the corner from resource dependence.

Thank you for visiting Letters from Norway and listening to our show. We will be back on the air! It’s just a matter of time.

Despite living in the most technologically advanced times, able to do many tasks on our phones, and free of disease and war, western society is facing an anxiety and depression epidemic. People, especially affluent ones, are afflicted with chronic depression and other social anxiety disorders, medicating themselves more than ever. Moreover, labor productivity has hardly budged despite all the “disruption” and innovation.

How were people, 60 years before, using pencils and paper, able to achieve so much more than people today with smartphones and Macs. In the late 60’s and early 70’s, they built the original 747 and F-15 fighter which was more robust for their time than the modern variants (The Dreamliner and F-35). In 1931, the US government started the Hoover Dam project before the technology was even available, inventing as they went. Today we see governments struggling move a mouse and type on a keyboard, putting up websites.

Moreover, life appears to have gotten harder rather than easier. The rule of thumb for buying a home, just a generation ago, was to put 20% down (Egenkapital in Norwegian) and never pay more than two times gross annual earnings. Although we have become more efficient, driving down costs, on food production and automating manufacturing, somehow housing prices have taken off. Building and maintaining a house is easier than ever before. Despite hammers, replaced with nail guns, and hand manipulated wood and stone work, substituted with mass produced building materials, new and existing housing prices continue to climb.

Most will argue population growth and location. However, much of the beforementioned is due to artificially low-interest rates distorting the allocation of capital. People, instead of spreading expenses over many areas, are increasingly putting everything into housing: all their eggs in one basket.

Source: The Economist

House Debt & Consumer Debt vs. Retain Sector: Consumer debt and flat prices are rising, but retail sales remained relatively flat during the same period. Recently, they even started to decline. Hence, housing is clearly talking from other parts of the economy. People are spending more to cover rent or the mortgage. Since 2002 people went from spending ca. 4x their income on a flat to 6x, further exacerbating the debt situation.

All the while, real salaries have taken a dive, making it more difficult for Norwegians to afford imports.

Norwegian Salaries Holding Steady in NOK and Falling off in USD

How Debt Affects Psychology: Debt correlates with high anxiety, stress, and physical health issues. Moreover, studies show that debt contributes to rising clinical depression levels and often precludes suicide. Chronic debtors often have short time horizons, making them susceptible to predatory lending (short term loans at a high interest rate). This behavior normally starts at college. Idealistic students, averse to debt and obligation to others, come to realize that the only way to get the keys to the kingdom is by taking a loan. They reason to themselves that, after graduation and landing the first job, they will live modestly, keeping expenses low to pay off the loan right away, before embarking on any new ventures. However, that all goes out the window when the girl of their dreams asks them about their living accommodations and what kind of car they drive. Talking to older colleagues, already buried in debt but appearing to live ok, it starts to become an acceptable option. I experienced that if you do not own an apartment in Oslo, you could become a social outcast.

In the workplace, I witnessed the change in personality with individuals who just bought a place, after making their first payment. Before buying the flat,