Comments on: Fighter jet deal strains Norway’s ethics drive

By: Carl Phipps

Carl Phipps — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 02:49:01 +0000

Balancing ethics and business can be a sticky situation. I’m glad to see country holding companies more accountable and to higher ethical standards, but sad to see they fall short. Even if Lockheed Martin did offer Norway a much more lucrative and better deal than a company that is not blacklisted Norway should not have given the business to Lockheed Martin. Ethics went right out the window.

By: buffalojump

buffalojump — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 18:12:32 +0000

One assumes other countries such as Sweden are 100% ethically pure. No country can claim to be pure.

The issue with Norway is have they set themselves up to be criticized? Yes, and you lose the opportunity to be pragmatic because of it.

We have a lot to learn from rising powers like China. They are progressing and have not become ‘holier than thow’ and can make decisions based on pragmatism and they are not criticized for being pragmatic. The west has something to learn or slide into oblivion.

By: Gargamel

Gargamel — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 04:00:21 +0000

Its being more and more obvious that the cooperation between the nordic countries is failing as Norway and Denmark has choosen to follow a different strategy. They seem to forget that even as they obey their master they need to have good relations with their neighbours. Spitting us in the face all the time will not be done unanswered in the future and i can only see negative on the future of Swedish-Norwegian relations..

By: Andy

Andy — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 10:31:59 +0000

I always thought that the Norwegians were pragmatic, sensible people. It’s a pity they put fools in charge of their oil fund.

By: graeme anderson

graeme anderson — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 22:44:00 +0000

Every civilization in history has ended after a point when it considered itself enlightened.
Norway in particular, and Europe in general are so obsessed with their so-called high ethics and PC it has become an obsession. They have redefined the notion of “more pious than the pope”
Meantime, the new barbarians are waiting in the wings.

And choosing the best fighter aircraft for the defense of Norway? Who cares?! As long as Norge can still be pious and pure.

By: Mappe

Mappe — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 17:07:10 +0000

SAAB isn’t blacklisted, but BAE is, and they’re heavily involved in the Gripen, so it wasn’t like it could live up to the oil fund standards either. Given how interconnected the defense industry is, finding a suitable fighter jet that did would likely be futile.

By: Frode

Frode — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 16:07:28 +0000

The political elite here in Norway got their own laws they follow. It’s kind of like corruption.