Our regular readers are familiar with Gro Harlem Brundtland. She is a physician, a former Norwegian prime minister, former head of the World Health Organization from 1998-2003, and by all measures a life-long hypocrite.
In recent years Mrs Brundtland has lived the good life, trading on her reputation as a world-opinion maker, garnering a handsome income from public speaking and consulting fees, while also accepting enviable pension payments. For her semi-retirement, she forsook chilly Norway for tony residence in the south of France. As the article linked with describes, she and her husband have both suffered ill health in recent years, so have jetted as necessary for state-subsidized Norwegian medical care and hospitalizations, while being careful to spend more than half of each year in France: primary residence in France exempts the couple from paying any Norwegian income tax. They have paid none.
The recent newspaper revelations come as no great surprise. As we’ve said, our readers are long familiar with Gro Harlem Brundtland, an old scold who, as this press report relates, has always been considered "arrogant and bossy." Also noted for her love of high living and world travel via subsidized junkets, this portly jet-setter, haughtily and contemptuously confident of her own privileged position, has of late expended the greater portion of her amply stored hot air as an ardent advocate of restrictions on activities cited for "global warming," and of fascistic tobacco and — yes also — obesity control.
What else has this vicious vilifier of (lower income) fatties and smokers been up to? We can say she is consistent. Hypocrisy of this consistency is in fact remarkable. As the linked article tells us: "Brundtland came under fire last year for also agreeing to be a paid consultant for Pepsico, even though she has long been a fierce opponent of the sugar industry." Are we surprised that she is violently opposed to sugar and money that goes into the bellies and pockets of persons other than her exalted self? No we aren’t. Could she be any worse? Oh yes, as the paper continues, "It also emerged that she failed to list her income from Pepsico on tax documents."
In response to spiralling criticism girthy Gro has announced she will soon return to Norway and begin paying her taxes again. Now isn’t that big? Norway is welcome to make ample room for her. It is welcome to keep listening to this Labour party elder lecture others about the need for ever-expanding socialism, enormous taxes, and tyrannical regulation of every aspect of every person’s life, except, of course, her own. In this sad age of exalted blowhards Norway is likely to do just that. We note the nature of the enemy, and its inflated size, and its incredible idiocy, and hatefulness, and we plan against it with confidence. Unclothed emperors cannot reign forever. A better world is going to be made, with a place in it for everyone, but the likes of Gro Harlem Brundtland.
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