Monday, Jul 12 2004, 09:43:09 AM
Since I left Norway, I have had an increasing impression that Norway has gone so far on the road to serfdom that they are left with only two choices. Either they become a totalitarian socialist state, or they must abolish the welfare state completely. It sounds like a nutty theory, especially when I put it down in writing. But once in a while there are new little pieces to the puzzle that just enforces the perception. Last week I got another one.

My bank, one of the biggest privately owned banks in Norway can not update my address to my new one because the address in the Norwegian social security registry has not been updated yet. I gave the Norwegian authorities my new address almost two months ago, and they have not yet updated it. The result is that my bank can not send my mail to the correct address. When did they start running a private customer registry up against the social security registry? Only a few years ago this sort of commercialization of the government owned information that one is mandated to give up by law would not have been possible politically. There is a watchdog ombudsman that has the sole responsibility of making sure that information tied to you social security number can not be registered or shared without due registration and your permission. Somebody must have fallen asleep on their watch.

I have gotten other little clues as well. When I did my tax returns this year, my Norwegian ones that is, it was information on how I could do my tax returns via SMS. You know, the SMS text messaging on your cell phone. Sounds like a great thing hu? You would not have to worry about those ornery forms, your W-2′s, HR Bloch; just send a text message with your social security number from your cell phone. Not only that, but if you chose to do this, they would enter you into a lottery for gift cards. 217 000 Norwegians chose to do their tax returns via SMS. This is made possible because everyone that sends you W-2′s or other statements that goes on your tax return must send a copy to the Norwegian IRS. They will fill it out and you just have to sign it, unless you have corrections, that is.

A few weeks after this year’s deadline was passed, the Norwegian media reported that the Finance department had started discussions on so called silent acceptance. If you did not deliver, they would assume you accepted what they had sent you. Do you see any problem with the government telling you what you made or not the previous year, how much of it you owe in taxes, and just assuming they where right unless you tell them otherwise? And even if you did accept, and they later discovered that there where errors in the statement they sent you; you would be liable for the errors. Last time I checked it was only spy accusations that shifted the burden of proof from the prosecutor to the accused in Norway.

The idea of the benevolent welfare state is compelling to our emotions, but as Hayek pointed out, it is a slippery slope. The more power gathered at the hands of a state, however benevolent in the outset can, and according to experience will, be turned against individuals. It is hard for Americans to comprehend a life where choices are limited because of government regulation. Everything from what kind of juices you can get in the store, medications you can get in the pharmacy to major choices like what career paths are open to you. It is hard for Norwegians to comprehend that they do have limited choices. I can see it because I have been lucky enough to live in three different countries during my short lifetime. I can compare, and I do not like what I am seeing.