Same opportunities, different results...

I see on the BBC News site two separate reports regarding economic health in two separate countries located in Europe.  Both were under Axis control in WWII and that is a good starting point for this comparison.  Both have spent the years since following what they believed was the proper economic and governmental philosophies.  However, the results could not be more different.

On one hand, we have Italy.  Damaged in WWII, and on the losing side, Italy had a lot to fix.  Eventually, they built a large economy and then somewhat struggled.  They also built a huge government and red tape factories.  They eventually joined the Euro and allowed their banks to operate with the same impunity that other EU members allowed and later suffered from.

On the other hand, we have Norway.  Occupied during the war, they also had rebuilding to do.  They rebuilt their economy and joined the initial European trade organization, but eventually did not join the EU proper or join the Euro.  They have kept rules in place to control government size, spending and actions.  They also put in place a method for managing their natural resources (specifically offshore oil deposits) so that the profits are saved and invested for future generations.  They now have a surplus fund that approaches if not tops a trillion dollars.

This really strikes me as interesting since the leaders in the EU state constantly that the Euro is the best way to go and the EU is the best way to go.  If the leaders of Norway had successfully joined the EU and the Euro, would the EU have allowed them to pursue the policies that they have?  Many portions of the EU are all about the "social justice" arguments and I just kinda doubt that they would see a trillion dollar piggy bank without figuring some way to raid it.  I see the two stories as showing personal responsibility on a national level.  The country that showed personal responsibility is comfortably examining future options for managing their nations money.  The other is mired in a financial mess and has businesses literally moving out of the country in the middle of the night.  Since the stories are both presented by the BBC, I wonder if the people in Britain will see any correlation and decide to change their national path a bit?  Maybe, maybe not...