Would you like your country to operate like Norway?

@Xpatinasia "No. Evidently, you are ignorant about the amount of taxes Norway collects.' OK, references please. Please substantiate your claims with supporting documentation.

@garytoo "no wonder, Norway is so small, a country as large as the USA takes a lot of money to run. And remember if the USA, Britain, and France falls so does the whole world"

Fall to where. If a country can be materially self sustaining, food, clothing, shelter, energy, world financial crisis becomes irrelevant.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norway#Economy

''Norwegians enjoy the second highest GDP per-capita (after Luxembourg) and fourth highest GDP (PPP) per-capita in the world. Today, Norway ranks as the second wealthiest country in the world in monetary value, with the largest capital reserve per capita of any nation.[72] According to the CIA World Factbook, Norway is a net external creditor of debt.[2] Norway maintained first place in the world in the UNDP Human Development Index (HDI) for six consecutive years (2001–2006),[5] and then reclaimed this position in 2009 and 2010.[15] The standard of living in Norway is among the highest in the world. Foreign Policy Magazine ranks Norway last in its Failed States Index for 2009, judging Norway to be the world's most well-functioning and stable country. Continued oil and gas exports coupled with a healthy economy and substantial accumulated wealth lead to a conclusion that Norway will remain among the richest countries in the world

Tax on "ordinary income"

Ordinary income (alminnelig inntekt), which consists of all taxable income (wages, pensions, business income, taxable share income and other income) minus deductions (losses, debt interest, etc.), is taxed at a flat rate of 28%. In 2010, the tax on "ordinary income" is split in a local tax (kommunale skattøre) of 12,80%, a regional tax (fylkeskommunale skattøre) of 2,65% and a tax to the central government (fellesskatt) of 12,55%.[11]

Deductions

Average tax rates on wage income for a person in Class 1 with only standard deductions, 2010

The current income tax system has two standard deductions: basic allowance (minstefradrag) and personal allowance (personfradrag).

The basic allowance is set as a proportion of the income with upper and lower limits. For wage income, the rate is 36% and the upper limit is NOK 72 800 in 2010. The lower limit is the so-called special wage income allowance (lønnsfradrag), which is NOK 31 800 in 2010. The basi

The basic allowance is set as a proportion of the income with upper and lower limits. For wage income, the rate is 36% and the upper limit is NOK 72 800 in 2010. The lower limit is the so-called special wage income allowance (lønnsfradrag), which is NOK 31 800 in 2010. The basic allowance in pension income is slightly lower than the basic allowance in wage income. In 2010, the rate is 26% with a lower limit of NOK 4 000 and an upper limit of NOK 60 950.[8]

I agree with Joseph, the common wealth, all the nations of the Queen's empire would do well to do the same.