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January 20
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The world's happiest nations do not include the United States

Forums > Community > Politics
:iconebolabear:
*EbolaBear Jan 20, 2013

Nations are analyzed and ranked on 89 indicators in eight categories, such as education, government, and economics.

1. Norway
2. Denmark
3. Sweden
4. Australia
5. New Zealand
6. Canada
7. Finland
8. The Netherlands
9. Switzerland
10. Ireland


Scandinavian countries all placed in the top 10.


Luxembourg is the healthiest nation on Earth. Iceland is the safest. Switzerland has the world’s best economy and governance, according to Legatum.


All three nations have armed populations but with more restrictions than Ammurkah! But they have guns.

Funny how conspiracy nuts think the government is going to take 'all the guns' for how many decades now?
Yet three well-to-do "socialist" nations, and most of the top 10, allow private gun ownership and they all have far fewer gun related crimes and deaths than Uncle Sam's rowdy kids.


Most of the top 20 "happiest" countries according to the index are in western Europe. So what gives? What do these nations have in common that can somehow explain their prosperity?

Being an electoral democracy is virtually a given – of the top 20 most prosperous countries, only Singapore and Hong Kong aren't democracies. Being small also seems to help. Big countries with heterogeneous populations are more unwieldy; disparate groups make it harder for a society to build social cohesion and trust.

What else? They are all borderline socialist states, with generous welfare benefits and lots of redistribution of wealth. Yet they don't let that socialism cross the line into autocracy. Civil liberties are abundant (consider decriminalized drugs and prostitution in the Netherlands). There are few restrictions on the flow of capital or of labor.


Everyone shares, everyone gains. Everyone can see the doctor when they need to. Going to school won't put you in debt for 20 years.

Did I miss anything?

While I'm not sure Universal Education is do-able in the States, Universal Healthcare should be.

What else could the US do to make it into the top 5?
Why the top 5? Because we need to beat Canada! :iconcanadaplz:



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Devious Comments

:icondefinedeviancydown:
~DefineDeviancyDown Feb 12, 2013  Hobbyist General Artist
Good for them. May they all be fat, dumb and happy!
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:iconebolabear:
*EbolaBear Feb 12, 2013
Conspiracy!:shakefist:
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:icongalacticgoat:
!GalacticGoat Feb 12, 2013  Hobbyist General Artist
Yay, we're number 6... which is honestly not bad considering there is a lot of nations in the world :#1:. Actually kinda funny that #5 is actually a country I've wanted to move to but wasn't aware was that happy. Really, New Zealand is such a pretty country ;n;
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:iconebolabear:
*EbolaBear Feb 12, 2013
I hope you're a white christian. I forget where I read it, but NZ apparently has that quiet bigotry thing going on. Can't confirm it, don't care about it.

I agree, from what I've seen, the landscape is awesome.

I'm surprised Canadia got to 6 with all them mooses eating people and such
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:icongalacticgoat:
!GalacticGoat Feb 13, 2013  Hobbyist General Artist
Well I'm one of those o.o I'm an atheist but not really an outspoken one by any stretch of the imagination. I mean if someone asked me religious question I will answer truthfully but otherwise you wouldn't know.

Also I not that surprised considering most complaints I hear about people living here are things they can get over easily and not like things that the country really needs to change in order to be functional ._.
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:iconebolabear:
*EbolaBear Feb 14, 2013
Yeah, mooses eating neighbors is easily gotten over:P
It means moar quiet!:w00t:
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:icongalacticgoat:
!GalacticGoat Feb 14, 2013  Hobbyist General Artist
moar quiet is always good. I enjoy quiet.
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:iconherbaldrink:
~HerbalDrink Feb 11, 2013
Well duh. If America was one of the happiest nations on earth, do you think people like Michael Moore or Ann Coulter would even be writing books complaining about everything? *rimshot*

okay okay, I figured this thread needed some light-hearted humour.
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:iconebolabear:
*EbolaBear Feb 12, 2013
Rimjobs? Someone say rimjobs? :eager:

I think every nation on the list has whack jobs in dark corners mumbling about shit.

Michael Moore doesn't look like he's making money. He dresses like a homeless guy who visits well stocked dumpsters.
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:icondefinedeviancydown:
~DefineDeviancyDown Feb 12, 2013  Hobbyist General Artist
Don't forget the retards who threaten to, but never do, leave the country if politicians not to their liking get elected.
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