BoatBanter.com - Norway wants US Marines

John H. wrote:
On Thu, 14 Jun 2018 19:25:50 -0400, wrote:

On Thu, 14 Jun 2018 13:05:55 -0400, John H.
wrote:

On Thu, 14 Jun 2018 12:18:15 -0400, "Mr. Luddite" wrote:

On 6/14/2018 12:11 PM, True North wrote:
On Thursday, 14 June 2018 12:13:42 UTC-3, wrote:
On Thu, 14 Jun 2018 07:59:51 -0400, Keyser Soze
wrote:

On 6/13/18 10:37 PM, wrote:
On Wed, 13 Jun 2018 16:29:04 -0400, Keyser Soze
wrote:

Norway is smart about money and resources...from Wiki:

In March 2017, the Government Pension Fund controlled assets were valued
at approximately US$913 billion (equal to US$182,000 per capita), which
is about 178% of Norway's current GDP. It is the largest sovereign
wealth fund in the world. The fund controls about 1.3% of all listed
shares in Europe, and more than 1% of all the publicly traded shares in
the world. The Norwegian Central Bank operates investment offices in
London, New York, and Shanghai. Guidelines implemented in 2007 allow the
fund to invest up to 60% of the capital in shares (maximum of 40%
prior), while the rest may be placed in bonds and real-estate. As the
stock markets tumbled in September 2008, the fund was able to buy more
shares at low prices. In this way, the losses incurred by the market
turmoil was recuperated by November 2009.

Other nations with economies based on natural resources, such as Russia,
are trying to learn from Norway by establishing similar funds. The
investment choices of the Norwegian fund are directed by ethical
guidelines; for example, the fund is not allowed to invest in companies
that produce parts for nuclear weapons. Norway's highly transparent
investment scheme is lauded by the international community. The future
size of the fund is closely linked to the price of oil and to
developments in international financial markets.

In 2000, the government sold one-third of the state-owned oil company
Statoil in an IPO. The next year, the main telecom supplier, Telenor,
was listed on Oslo Stock Exchange. The state also owns significant
shares of Norway's largest bank, DnB NOR and the airline SAS. Since
2000, economic growth has been rapid, pushing unemployment down to
levels not seen since the early 1980s (unemployment in 2007: 1.3%). The
international financial crisis has primarily affected the industrial
sector, but unemployment has remained low, and was at 3.3% (86,000
people) in August 2011.

Norway contains significant mineral resources, and in 2013, its mineral
production was valued at US$1.5 billion (Norwegian Geological Survey
data). The most valuable minerals are calcium carbonate (limestone),
building stone, nepheline syenite, olivine, iron, titanium, and nickel.

Norway is also the world's second-largest exporter of fish (in value,
after China). Hydroelectric plants generate roughly 98â€“99% of Norway's
electric power, more than any other country in the world.

Somehow, I think the Norwegians will figure out how to secure their future.
I am sure they will because they "privatized" their old age pension
fund and invested it in real things instead of just spending the money
and putting IOUs in the box. They are not dipping into the general
fund or borrowing money to pay their pensioners.
Their "future" is secure as long as we keep them safe and they should
doing that themselves, not sponging off of us.

And, once again, without our international commitments, there would be
more justification for shrinking our outrageous military budgets.
So why don't we? I would start with Europe.
A lot of your military costs are by your own doing...that is sticking your beak into any and every trouble spot. Viet Nam was a good example. You like to project your power whether it's requested or not.

It would be interesting for historians to speculate on what the
planet would be like today if the USA (and Canada) had completely
followed a "we'll mind are own business" policy since the end of WWII.

How about since prior to WWI?
You mean like the turn of the century when we engineered the taking of
Panama? (no canal) or all of the stuff we got from the Spanish
American war?. You could even go back to the Mexican war.
I think they like to point out the end of WWII because that was when
the world pretty much stopped using wars as an excuse for Europeans
and Americans to take other people's land ... well maybe with one
exception.
No, what would the world be like if we had just stayed home, as donnee suggested, from about 1913
on?

That wasn't Dumb Don. He just can't quote a thread properly.