fredag, oktober 10, 2003
Hello!
On a Friday such as this, apart from enjoying that weekend feeling, I thought I'd give you foreigners some info on the current state of affairs in this country, and the consequences of the proposed National budget for 2004. We are in the beginning of a social quagmire over here caused by a government whose primary (indeed only) important target has been to reduce the base interest rates, thus causing people to consume and spend loads of money. They have achieved this. However, the backside is that all the while they have concentrated all their efforts on privatisation of all public entities. We are facing, in the coming years, a politically forced development toward complete deregularisation of vital parts of our community such as the health, school and transport sector. Lest we forget, the environment. Did I mention Oslo now has the relative smog levels of Tokyo?
At the same time, unemployment rates have soared. Since 1997, we've had successive conservative/christian democratic governments apart from the year leading up to the elections in 2001, when the Labour party had to take control over the country after the irresponsibilities of the Christian Democrats had led to lots of people losing their jobs. As the first government of our current Prime Minister, Kjell-Magne Bondevik, left office there were 90,000 unemploymed in this country. By the time he took over the reins after the Labour Party had to go in to clean up their mess, there were less than 40,000. Now, we have 110,000 unemployed in this country. That doesn't sound like a lot, but it is. Consider the fact that there are only 4,5 million people in Norway. Consider also the fact that we are one of the richest countries in the world. 110,000 people constitute 4,7 per cent of the work force.
Then, two days ago, the government's proposal for the 2004 National budget went public. The Minister for Finance actually admitted, yesterday, that he expected unemployment to continue rising throughout next year. But, he said, the budget will keep the interest rates low and entice people to go out getting themselves more shit they don't need. That's the scope of this government. The fact that unemployment rates among young, newly educated people are sky high does not seem to bother them whatsoever. Because of this government, we're in danger of losing the entirety of the industry in the north of the country, and they have created an impossible situation for young, qualified people trying to get into the labour market. One of my friends is a newly educated lawyer with six years of studies behind him. He finished in March with top grades, but he still works at a newsagent's. And what was the Government's reponse to this enormous problem, you ask?
Nothing, absolutely nothing. In fact, the only point in the budget that touched upon young people's problems at all was one that will make work conditions even worse for those on the inside: They've proposed, now, to make it much easier to hire and fire people, and to hire temporary help. Which, effectively, means that your level of job security depends on the situation in the market from day to day. Is that progress? The unions don't seem to think so; a general strike is in the making here. I seriously hope for one. We can't go on like this, creating a society where everyone fends for himself and solidarity is lost. That is the target of the Norwegian right.
Such is the reality of Norway today. Let's not forget the fact, either, that all the while, those left with the blame are our immigrants. Between the lines they give you the impression that unemployment is generated by illegal immigrants, and that the only remedy is to do what they did last year: Change the immigration laws and tighten the screw even more on our new countrymen trying to get a foothold in the Norwegian society.
And they tell me that the dramatic increase in crime that we've seen over the last six-seven years has not come as a result of entire groups of people becoming alienated from society and publicly disenfranchised. The government will have you believe that the problem again is caused by unruly immigrants.
On a Friday such as this, apart from enjoying that weekend feeling, I thought I'd give you foreigners some info on the current state of affairs in this country, and the consequences of the proposed National budget for 2004. We are in the beginning of a social quagmire over here caused by a government whose primary (indeed only) important target has been to reduce the base interest rates, thus causing people to consume and spend loads of money. They have achieved this. However, the backside is that all the while they have concentrated all their efforts on privatisation of all public entities. We are facing, in the coming years, a politically forced development toward complete deregularisation of vital parts of our community such as the health, school and transport sector. Lest we forget, the environment. Did I mention Oslo now has the relative smog levels of Tokyo?
At the same time, unemployment rates have soared. Since 1997, we've had successive conservative/christian democratic governments apart from the year leading up to the elections in 2001, when the Labour party had to take control over the country after the irresponsibilities of the Christian Democrats had led to lots of people losing their jobs. As the first government of our current Prime Minister, Kjell-Magne Bondevik, left office there were 90,000 unemploymed in this country. By the time he took over the reins after the Labour Party had to go in to clean up their mess, there were less than 40,000. Now, we have 110,000 unemployed in this country. That doesn't sound like a lot, but it is. Consider the fact that there are only 4,5 million people in Norway. Consider also the fact that we are one of the richest countries in the world. 110,000 people constitute 4,7 per cent of the work force.
Then, two days ago, the government's proposal for the 2004 National budget went public. The Minister for Finance actually admitted, yesterday, that he expected unemployment to continue rising throughout next year. But, he said, the budget will keep the interest rates low and entice people to go out getting themselves more shit they don't need. That's the scope of this government. The fact that unemployment rates among young, newly educated people are sky high does not seem to bother them whatsoever. Because of this government, we're in danger of losing the entirety of the industry in the north of the country, and they have created an impossible situation for young, qualified people trying to get into the labour market. One of my friends is a newly educated lawyer with six years of studies behind him. He finished in March with top grades, but he still works at a newsagent's. And what was the Government's reponse to this enormous problem, you ask?
Nothing, absolutely nothing. In fact, the only point in the budget that touched upon young people's problems at all was one that will make work conditions even worse for those on the inside: They've proposed, now, to make it much easier to hire and fire people, and to hire temporary help. Which, effectively, means that your level of job security depends on the situation in the market from day to day. Is that progress? The unions don't seem to think so; a general strike is in the making here. I seriously hope for one. We can't go on like this, creating a society where everyone fends for himself and solidarity is lost. That is the target of the Norwegian right.
Such is the reality of Norway today. Let's not forget the fact, either, that all the while, those left with the blame are our immigrants. Between the lines they give you the impression that unemployment is generated by illegal immigrants, and that the only remedy is to do what they did last year: Change the immigration laws and tighten the screw even more on our new countrymen trying to get a foothold in the Norwegian society.
And they tell me that the dramatic increase in crime that we've seen over the last six-seven years has not come as a result of entire groups of people becoming alienated from society and publicly disenfranchised. The government will have you believe that the problem again is caused by unruly immigrants.
