HUMAN VS.

Norway














According to the International Monetary Fund, Norway is the wealthiest country in the world. It paid off all debts and has a pension fund of $200 billion. Needless to say, it's pretty well off. In comparing humans and Norway, it's probably best to make the playing field as equal as possible. Therefore, the world's richest country is going to go head-to-head with the world's richest man, Bill Gates.




















As wealth is the primary point of comparison, Bill Gates and Norway will be compared on three essential features of a wealthy individual (or nation): stability, altruism and responsibility. These three characteristics are the best judge of an entity's essence when said entity is rich. Why? Stability ensures the entity will remain rich, thereby solidifying its identity as a wealthy entity. Altruism ensures the entity will remain "human" by recognizing the rights and existence of other entities, thereby solidifying its existence within our reality. Responsibility is the third strand in the rope which ties the two previous characteristics together by ensuring there is discipline to keep both in check so the entity does not fall apart.

Stability

Norway and Bill Gates have had a history of both tumultuous and placid times. Norway had Vikings, The Black Death and World War I and II, while Bill Gates has had the death of his mother, a traffic violation in 1977 and an antitrust suit filed against Microsoft in 1998.

Both Bill Gates and Norway reached a threshold where after crossing they maintained personal stability. For Norway this time came after World War II. The country's oil reserves and financial planning to this day leaves them as the wealthiest country in the world. Furthermore, their currency (the Krone) is considered by bankers to be the most stable world currency currently. Bill Gates' threshold meanwhile was the fall of Microsoft's stock as well as his own wealth's decline. Yet, he still maintains a considerable fortune at nearly $100 billion dollars.

Both Norway and Bill Gates appear equal in stability.

Altruism

Kindness goes a long way in making friends whether you're a software entrepreneur or a Scandinavian nation. Norway has certainly answered this call within their own country, using their savings to provide health care for all citizens and specialized care for the elderly.

Norway is also a founding member of North Atlantic Treaty Organization, United Nations and the European Union (EU). They have been active alongside the UN with work in the Sudan and Kosovo. The have over 80 embassies across the world and 60 in their capital city of Oslo. Overall, Norway gets a gold star for their contributions to the world community.

Bill Gates is not to be outdone. In 1994 he sold some of his Microsoft stock to create the William H. Gates Foundation. Later, he combined that organization with three Gates family foundations to create the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Gates' Foundation has provided money for AIDS research, education in America and abroad, poverty and TB vaccinations to name a few. However, Gates has received criticism that the Foundation does not give as much as it could and some of the organizations receiving Foundation money utilize tactics which have actually made poverty worse in some cases.

Yet, Gates actually surpasses Norway in altruism. Not necessarily in money, but in the diversity of programs sponsored. While Norway has given support to the international community, its welfare programs remain primarily inclusive. Although Gates' Foundation has received criticism, it does not overshadow the amount of good it does in such diverse places. Gates takes the cake in this category.

Responsibility

What does it mean to be a responsible country? First, it means maintaining stability by ensuring needs are met within its own borders, which Norway does. Second, it means projecting an image that ensures respect is held for the money and support it gives. Norway's solid currency and positive first step in ecologically friendly activities (e.g. renewable and alternative energy use, pollution control, etc.) sets itself as a role model for other countries. Thereby, Norway presents not only tangible goods to the world community, but intangible goods; giving but also living in a positive manner. Both these steps contribute to a world community in need of guideposts for operating a healthy society.

The same goes for being a responsible person. Are needs met within the person's life and does it project an image which ensures respect for the money it gives? Gates has successfully raised three children alongside his wife, Melinda. They are comfortably housed in a 66,000 sq. foot home. He engages in outdoor activities such as golf and tennis to supplement his health. He is also an avid reader with a large home library. This, alongside an active business life, keeps his mind active. Although Gates was an acerbic boss and businessman in the early years of Microsoft, he has since withdrawn from business life and focused on altruistic ventures in the latter years of his life. This reflective rather than active position portrays a positive sense of security and self-worth as Gates is no longer driven to out-do competitors, rather to help others.

Both Bill Gates and Norway match each other in responsibility. Overall, it appears Norway falls short of human beings as it is still slightly withdrawn from full-investment in human affairs (as opposed to political affairs) as its status as a country prevents this. Gates has stretched his (and Microsoft's) wallet to cover the world.

This is possible for individual human beings, while a country - made up of many individuals with differing motives - cannot possibly achieve this type of linear projection. Countries, although rich, have too many political considerations to make any great leaps. It is, as it has always been, up to individuals to invest in others, to save the world.