Polar Bears and Guns, Oh My!

In Upfront Magazine’s article “No Job? Get Lost!” author Andrew Higgins explores Norway’s northernmost territory, Svalbard, and the unusual law it maintains. Unlike most places in the world, Svalbard has a law that prohibits unemployment and homelessness. People in Svalbard who are unemployed and/or homeless get deported. This unique archipelago has an almost non-existent crime rate, even though most citizens own guns to protect themselves from the increasing threat of polar bears. The governor of Svalbard, Odd Olsen Ingero, attributes the low crime rate to the law against unemployment. Author Andrew Higgins makes the claim that living in Svalbard, despite the low crime rate, would not be pleasant.

            The author uses specific craft moves to support his claim. Although Svalbard is a territory so safe people feel confortable leaving their front doors open, Higgins choses to highlight the negative aspects of this town. Higgins devotes a subsection of his article to detail the “Guns & Polar Bears” in Svalbard, noting the high rate of gun ownership and the constant threat of polar bear attacks. Although Higgins does mention the positive aspects of Svalbard, he consistently undermines his comments by stating other negative facts about Svalbard with the intent of de-glorifying the territory. Higgins also delves into the high taxes of Svalbard comparing Svalbard’s 25 percent sales tax to the highest sales tax in America, which is only 9.5 percent. The author supports his claim by using a quote from an American named Mark Sabbatini, who lives in Svalbard and states, “If you want to live here, there is something slightly warped about you.”

Higgins article struck a chord with me. Since the 2008 recession hit, there has been non-stop news coverage of the fluctuating unemployment rates in the United States. Although the unemployment rates in the U.S. constantly change, in the history of the country there has never been an unemployment rate of 0 percent. I can’t imagine there being a U.S. city where there aren’t homeless or unemployed people, it’s part of what makes the U.S so economically diverse.

Furthermore, in the United States, it is a foundational belief that everyone is created equal. If any state, city or town in the U.S. were to deport unemployed or homeless people, staunch supporters of civil rights would cause a tumultuous uproar. Unemployment and homelessness is so widely accepted as a cultural norm in the U.S. that there are American T.V. shows built around it, from The Real Housewives to Extreme Cheapskates. Unemployment may not be considered a positive aspect of our country, however it defines the U.S. The U.S. will always be a country that has a wide array of socioeconomic statuses, and will never be a country with a low crime, homeless or unemployment rate.