Norwegian Election

[HVC]

Sheilbh is under my protection.

I'll go full Norgy on anyone attacking him, and it involves a stare.

Like the carebear kind?

[Norgy]

Ask Gups.

[mongers]

I'll vote for Jesper Berg.

[saskganesh]

Glasses girl. She's also likely smarter than me and that's ok. I'll cook.

Edit: found out she's a commie. Things about communists: a lot of what they say is quite reasonable, but why on earth would anyone want identify as a communist? There's just too much extra baggage for the flight.

[Neil]

There are two reasons to identify as a communist.  The first is that you're naive, the sort of person who tells people 'it's never been properly implemented'.  The second is that the vicious baggage is the point.  Either way, not a serious person.  There are ways to say that you stand up for social solidarity and rolling back the last hundred years of privatization without clothing yourself in a moniker that has tainted itself by failure and massacre.  It's like being part of the Ku Klux Klan. 

[Norgy]

Latest polls show a lead for the red-green-green impossible coalition. 28 percent Labour.

The conservatives have collapsed. Utterly.

I have no factual explanation, so I can only speculate. They seem to have no policies.
And in times of crisis, voters do tend to turn to Labour, as it is secure, middle-of-the-road policies.

[Valmy]

The first is that you're naive, the sort of person who tells people 'it's never been properly implemented'.

Well they are correct. At no point did the state fade away and an anarchist collectivist utopia ever happen.

But the idea that would ever happen is so ridiculous I don't think Communism ever had a chance. Sort of like Libertarianism or other streams of Anarchism. Just Communism had this totalitarian "temporary" stage that is actually sort of workable if you like living in a totalitarian hellhole.

[Norgy]

Having visited much of Eastern Europe after the fall of communism, I'd say this: The love of concrete was great.

"Want us to cut some marble?"
"We will go for more concrete, thanks"

[Jacob]

The first is that you're naive, the sort of person who tells people 'it's never been properly implemented'.

Well they are correct. At no point did the state fade away and an anarchist collectivist utopia ever happen.

But the idea that would ever happen is so ridiculous I don't think Communism ever had a chance. Sort of like Libertarianism or other streams of Anarchism. Just Communism had this totalitarian "temporary" stage that is actually sort of workable if you like living in a totalitarian hellhole.

Libertarianism also has a totalitarian stage. It's the one where the Thiels and Musks of the worlds are feudal overlords because they have all the money, which they're free to deploy as they will. And everyone else will have the freedom to eke out an existence by being subservient to them. Functionally it's totalitarianism, but in the name of "feedom".

[Norgy]

We have a very small libertarian party. Their policies would be so un-workable in Norway that most reporters treat them as a joke.

These are basement-dwellers.

Saw some dude wearing a MAGA hat today in my little hometown. That's weird, I thought, so I talked to him.
He is a Baptist and hates the Labour party.

"Shouldn't we rather make Norway great again?"
"Trump is making the world great again"

At that point, I really needed a cigarette and a sugary drink.

[crazy canuck]

There are two reasons to identify as a communist.  The first is that you're naive, the sort of person who tells people 'it's never been properly implemented'.  The second is that the vicious baggage is the point.  Either way, not a serious person.  There are ways to say that you stand up for social solidarity and rolling back the last hundred years of privatization without clothing yourself in a moniker that has tainted itself by failure and massacre.  It's like being part of the Ku Klux Klan. 

More like it has never been implemented at all, never mind weaselly words like "properly".  The world might have seen what a communist state might achieve, but the Bolsheviks took control.  There is a good argument to make that something like the Bolsheviks will always take control, but that is a different argument.

[Norgy]

Election day. No polls.

Quick prediction:
Labour is the biggest party.
The Progress Party becomes historically big.
The centrist parties are almost annihilated.
Conservatives having their worst election since the 90s.
The left flank gathering 10-15 percent together.
The Greens will do a good election in the cities, and will be ignored on the countryside.

Parliament will be split almost 50/50 and there will be a coalition. Which type, I have no idea, but it will have so many conflicting ideas and policies that interesting times are ahead. When you are a journalist.

[Josquius]

Isn't Labour the centrist party?

[The Minsky Moment]

The Progress Party becomes historically big.

Haven't you guys been watching what is happening in the US? Are Norwegians really pining for economic chaos, revolting corruption and the contempt of the world?  It's a high price for being able to wear an I'm With Stupid t-shirt when visiting Inkognitogata 18.

[Norgy]

The Progress Party becomes historically big.

Haven't you guys been watching what is happening in the US? Are Norwegians really pining for economic chaos, revolting corruption and the contempt of the world?  It's a high price for being able to wear an I'm With Stupid t-shirt when visiting Inkognitogata 18.

Impressive knowledge of Oslo's streets. 

The Progress Party, if I am trying to be objective for once, isn't the GOP. While it was started by a pro-apartheid, anti-tax former nationalist, it has evolved. But their policies don't sit well or make much sense when seen as a whole.

Cut taxes, spend more.
In one sense they are a bit like the GOP, as they've had the most sex offenders of all Norwegian parties.
But the fascist tendencies are a thing of the past. Now they just want to privatise everything.