The 5th Empire - Understanding the Enemy

The election results are in, and we can once again establish that everything is as it always has been. There are some superficial changes. However, the political landscape in Norway is unchanged. There is a large progressive block commanding a little over one third of all votes, there is a conservative block commanding almost exactly one third of the votes, and then there is a reactionary block commanding a little under one third. The progressive and conservative voters are located in and around the cities, while the reactionary ones are situated out in the provinces.

This division has been present from the very start of modern Norwegian democracy. It reflects the heart and sole of Norwegian culture, with its eternal conflicts between cities and provinces, and between conservative and progressive values. Nowhere in all of this is there much room for liberty. To expect liberty to come to us through the ballot box is simply delusional. Those seeking liberty will have to go out and get it for themselves, and to do this successfully, we need to understand the culture of the land.

Norwegians are in general very conform and loyal to whatever system is in place. People do what they are told, and very little actual coercion is employed to achieve this. This in turn has resulted in a culture in which everyone can afford to be nice to everybody else. Norwegian bureaucrats are polite and helpful, and very reluctant to engage in any real conflict. They rely heavily on the conformist mindset of their subjects, which explains why I keep getting letters from the taxman, but no real threat to me as a person.

Even if they do apprehend me one day, they will continue to be polite. There is a pretty cushy jail cell waiting for me, and the jail term will be relatively short. The Norwegian culture is all about being nice and reasonable, and I am very happy that this is the nature of the Norwegian beast. Bureaucrats in other countries are not nearly as easy to deal with.

The US has a violent and abrasive culture, with terrible prisons and a truly nasty bureaucracy. Germany has a strict rule based culture, with very little flexibility. Portugal has a somewhat chaotic and petty minded culture in which small fry get the heavy end of the stick while the big fishes swim free.

With each culture having its own characteristics, everyone has to find out for themselves what their best strategy might be. Mindlessly copying someone else's strategy is unlikely to work. The liberty minded among us must all do our own research, weigh up the pros and cons, and embark on our own unique journey into the 5th empire.

Liberty half dollar

By Brandon Grossardt for the image; Adolph A. Weinman for the coin design. - Actual coin, Public Domain, Link