That «shining city on the hill» is starting to stink
What makes a country a shithole? Not caring about its citizens, for starters.
In 2016 only 502 Norwegians moved to the US.
It’s no secret Norwegians are obsessed with American culture of all kinds: whether popular or political, they want to be in touch with it, dialed in.
Despite the enthusiasm they express for every little detail though, I know deep down they would never want to live there. Maybe for six months or a year on exchange, sure, or a few years assignment from their government job. But the US is a place Norwegians would rather savor in small doses. Few of them would actually consider moving there.
Consider the maternal mortality rate. This is defined as the number of women who die while pregnant, or within 42 days after giving birth or terminating a pregnancy, due to pregnancy-related causes (not in a car accident, for example). According to the World Bank, in Norway the rate is 5 maternal deaths per 100,000 births.
In the US, it’s 14 deaths per 100,000 births.
Naturally these statistics need to be adjusted for various factors. Different states have varying rates, and of course these numbers could be broken down by ethnicity and economic class. As a white woman who has had health insurance my whole life, I would have much less to fear than many others living in the US.
However, the numbers still indicate a disturbing disregard. As National Public Radio in the US reported, maternal mortality increased between the years 2000 to 2014, whereas in other developed countries it has consistently fallen.
Two weeks ago, reports came out that during an immigration briefing, President Donald Trump said, «Why do we want all these people from Africa here? They’re shithole countries ... We should have more people from Norway.»
It’s quite clear which two factors Trump was influenced by when calling out Norway as a non-shithole: first, Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg had met with him just days before. More importantly, in Trump’s imagination, Norway is white. Never mind that Norway has a sizable immigrant population, many of whom are not white – from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Somalia, Vietnam, Syria, Iraq, and Iran to name a few of the top countries.
Almost all the Norwegian population however, regardless of race, knows the US is no place to live. They might have different reasons – racial discrimination, economic inequality, barriers to education access, and the rampant number of shootings and gun accidents; these are all concerns I’ve heard, both for my safety and as justification for why they themselves could never move to the US.
For Norwegians the United States no longer a country like France, England, or Germany – suitable for both vacation and expatriation, a place they admire for the scenery and society alike. It has slowly sunk to the level of cultural exporter, occasional vacation destination, and global curiosity shop.
When I think about where I want to live, my former home no longer springs to mind. I’ve spent four years trying to build a life in Norway because I see it as a safe and supportive society. Newsflash, the welfare state works. And apparently Norwegians think so too: though they once flooded into the US due to food shortages at home and economic opportunities abroad, the opposite is now true. The Washington Post pointed out that Norwegian-born immigrants currently living in the US are the third smallest migrant group. And according to SSB, in 2016 only 502 Norwegians moved there (59 fewer than in 2015).
Trump thinks that the US is still alive in the imaginary of those seeking to emigrate, all around the world. For some, perhaps. But for so many others, it’s clear: as exemplified in the US president, his administration’s policies, and the unfortunate number of people who support him, the United States of America is the real shithole.
