According to a Newsweek cover story, the ten best countries in the world are:
Finland, Switzerland, Sweden, Australia, Luxembourg, Norway, Canada, Netherlands, Japan and Denmark.
Why is Finland #1?
I would have to say that it's because there are (at times) more iSteve readers in Finland per capita than in any other country. I haven't read Newsweek's reasons, but I can't imagine they'll be any more plausible.
By the way, have you ever noticed how many people don't really believe that Switzerland and Sweden are different countries? It's all just Swedzerland or Swiden to them. (My father says his father told him that a lot of Swedes immigrated to Switzerland in the 19th Century, but I can't find any record of this.)
I would have to say that it's because there are (at times) more iSteve readers in Finland per capita than in any other country. I haven't read Newsweek's reasons, but I can't imagine they'll be any more plausible.
By the way, have you ever noticed how many people don't really believe that Switzerland and Sweden are different countries? It's all just Swedzerland or Swiden to them. (My father says his father told him that a lot of Swedes immigrated to Switzerland in the 19th Century, but I can't find any record of this.)
They're small, European, wealthy, tolerant, good at staying out of wars, and start with the same two letters. Otherwise, they're totally different. For example, Switzerland's flag is square. Is that cool or what?
ReplyDeleteI've spent a fair amount of time in both and never heard about that immigration thing.
They're small, European, wealthy, tolerant, good at staying out of wars,
ReplyDeleteWell, it's worth mentioning that Sweden was humbled into taking that tack...
What New Zealand 13!, our SWPLs will NOT be happy. Clearly we need more arts spending, public rail systems and increased child care subsidies.
ReplyDeleteEven Switzerland is struggling to keep the PC-hordes at bay. Young predominantly French-speaking women there want into the EU and vote left, whilst the German majority keeps the economy going and votes right.
ReplyDeleteThe only part of Europe I'd want to live in is England. I spent a couple of months in London last year and absolutely love it.
ReplyDeleteWatching this documentary made me want to go back and explore the country in full:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Picture-Britain-Complete-BBC-DVD/dp/B000B8TJBM
After studies, I'll probably return for a year to live(love) and work.
A lot of "W's" migrated from Sweden to Sitzerland in the 18th Century.
ReplyDeleteYou gotta know your history!
"They're small, European, wealthy, tolerant, good at staying out of wars..."
ReplyDeleteSweden somehow let itself get sucked into the Afghan morass.
'Well, it's worth mentioning that Sweden was humbled into taking that tack...'
ReplyDeleteA few years ago I visited a Swedish war museum. I came to the conclusion that Swedes gave up on war after losing a few.
Sweden #3. It's a very good country. Not much wrong with it. Swedes good intentions and naiveté are a dangerous combination.
This summer I travelled around Dalarna, Sweden. Birthplace of Gunnar Myrdal. I have never seen sadder looking blacks than those sitting on the steps of a government building in remote Orsa. Very clear thinking indeed.
Odd that possibly the two most homogeneous countries of the top 20, Finland and Sth Korea, have significantly high homicide rates at 2.2 per 100,000, higher than all other 18 countries with higher immigrant and/or indigenous populations...excluding Japan.
ReplyDeleteFinland has 100% literacy but 8.5% unemployment.
I have never seen sadder looking blacks than those sitting on the steps of a government building in remote Orsa.
ReplyDeleteWhy were they sad?
Very glad to hear a boost for my country, Sylvia. And it's nice that you have the same name as my mother ;-) Yes, England is underrated. I spent 20 years living in London and miss it a lot. I now live 30 miles outside the capital and it's incredible how much unspoilt countryside there is - forests, hills, fields of sheep, pretty villages, decent pubs with good food. And if you get fed up and need a change, nearly everywhere I want to go is a short-haul flight away. My last year has included a weekend in Stockholm, skiing in Switzerland, sunbathing and just chilling in Portugal, and a roughy-toughy week backpacking with the kids in Norway. All on low-cost short flights. Sweden and Switzerland are both nice, but hell knows how anyone could confuse them.
ReplyDeleteFinland, Switzerland, Sweden, Australia, Luxembourg, Norway, Canada, Netherlands, Japan and Denmark.
ReplyDeleteIt reminds me that apartheid South Africa used to class the Japanese as Honorary Whites.
Swedes emigrating to Switzerland? Never heard about it, seems rather unlikely. There certainly was a very big immigration wave towards the Americas, primarily the US, but hardly anything significant to other European countries.
ReplyDelete"Finland, Switzerland, Sweden, Australia, Luxembourg, Norway, Canada, Netherlands, Japan and Denmark."
And all iSteve-readers can of course understand why these countries are at the top - race matters. Simple as that. Even more striking when you consider the cultural differences between the countries: Australia is a rather conservative place, the Netherlands are very liberal, Japan is both ultra modern and sort of traditional, and so on. Sadly, Sweden got a lame liberal combination: while feminism is a state religion (only our SWPLs believe in it though), everybody supports abortion and so on, we aren't allowed to smoke weed and have a monopoly on alcohol! Damn you, nanny state, damn you...
Some of these countries - especially Netherlands and Sweden - aren't going to top the list in 50 years. Why? Well, we all know the answer... immigration matters. Simple as that.
Bonus info: together, these countries got 4 WC silver medals, 2 WC bronze, 5 EC bronze, 2 EC gold medals. In football.
"A few years ago I visited a Swedish war museum. I came to the conclusion that Swedes gave up on war after losing a few."
Yeah, that's basically it. We had a good run during the 1600s, then got attacked by every Nordic country in the 1700s - I suppose it ended like a draw, but it was clear that Russia was the new boss on the block; they took Finland from us in 1809 and since then Sweden has been a peaceful and not really important country.
Sweden and Switzerland is very different countries: one is socially liberal, one conservative; one traditionally homogeneous but with lots of immigrants, one with both French, German and Italian speaking people; one a social democracy and one a low tax paradise; one very centralized and one a direct democracy...
And they're still at the top of this ranking. Something matters...
@FF:"Finland has 100% literacy but 8.5% unemployment."
ReplyDeleteHow do the Finns define "unemployment"? We have at least six official Federal Government definitions of unemployedness (U-1, U-2, U-3, U-4, U-5, and U-6).
Our different definitions range from 4-5% unemployment to 16-18% unemployment, I believe.
In the US if you lose your 40 hour a week job and manage to mow the neighbor's lawn for $5, you are deemed "employed" for the week you mowed the lawn.
FF said...
ReplyDeleteOdd that possibly the two most homogeneous countries of the top 20, Finland and Sth Korea, have significantly high homicide rates at 2.2 per 100,000, higher than all other 18 countries with higher immigrant and/or indigenous populations...excluding Japan.
Gotta be that lack of diversity. Be sure to mention these untouched lands to the $PLC.
Odd that possibly the two most homogeneous countries of the top 20, Finland and Sth Korea, have significantly high homicide rates at 2.2 per 100,000, higher than all other 18 countries with higher immigrant and/or indigenous populations...
ReplyDeleteOdd that all 10 are significantly less diverse than the United States, and that none have large populations of Hispanics or blacks. I thought we were supposed to celebrate diversity?
"Sweden somehow let itself get sucked into the Afghan morass."
ReplyDeleteI'm sure both Swedish soldiers sent over there are absolutely terrified.
Confusing Sweden with Switzerland is no different than confusing Slovakia with Slovenia. If you know nothing of the geography or the history, than the slight similarity of the names is confusing. Otherwise, not.
FWIW: Only 2.5% foreigners, mostly high class, only a few Muslims (that care for a LOT of problems, particularly rape by Somalis).
ReplyDeleteI spent some time in Switzerland, so I know it's not Sweden. (! All by myself!)
ReplyDeleteMy dad's family is from Sweden, no Denmark*, and I've always gotten Sweden, Denmark and Norway mixed up. (*That was a real mistake! I guess I'm not too concerned with my ethnic/ cultural heritage, which I think mostly consists of goat farmering or something equally fascinating, plus maybe a little rape and pillage a long time ago.)
Odd that possibly the two most homogeneous countries of the top 20, Finland and Sth Korea, have significantly high homicide rates at 2.2 per 100,000, higher than all other 18 countries with higher immigrant and/or indigenous populations...excluding Japan.
ReplyDeleteFinland has 100% literacy but 8.5% unemployment.
Several points:
First, each year the US has takes in more immigrants than the entire world does. The US has the highest murder rate of these 18 countries by far, just behind Albania and Peru and nearly double that of Finland and S.Korea.
Second, Fins are known to be more than a little quirky and Koreans have been known to come unhinged (esp compared to the likes Swedes and Swiss). I would bet that 30-50yrs ago when all 18 countries were approximately equally homogeneous that Fins and Koreans still floated near the top of murder rankings here.
"have you ever noticed how many people don't really believe that Switzerland and Sweden are different countries?"
ReplyDeleteNo, I can honestly say I've never noticed that. Must be a California thing.
Having traveled a fair bit, something tells me these these ranking criteria may not be linear.
ReplyDelete"Odd that possibly the two most homogeneous countries of the top 20, Finland and Sth Korea, have significantly high homicide rates at 2.2 per 100,000"
ReplyDeleteDon't know about S. Korea, but with the Finns it must be the alcohol.
Slightly off topic Steve.
ReplyDeleteMy father was Polish and was born in 1920.He often mentioned a big emigration of Scots into Poland as a kind of 'folk memory'.Apparently,this immigration did occur in the 17th century.I suppose that memories and folk histories were held very tightly amongst Polish villagers.
My BS detector goes off when I read stories like this where the US is not ranked at the top. It seems like these stories are used to lobby for more government involvement in health care, welfare and the like.
ReplyDeleteWhy don't they rank nations on where the immigrants are heading? Based upon your previous posts on anchor babies and half a billion dollar schools, it seems the whole world is trying to get to the US.
I actually wish the US were perceived as 'damaged' goods by the third world. It might curtail the invasion.
Sylvia said..."The only part of Europe I'd want to live in is England. I spent a couple of months in London last year and absolutely love it."
ReplyDeleteYou would.
And: "After studies, I'll probably return for a year to live(love) and work."
Great. Can't wait. And I mean that sincerely. Meanwhile you can post your winsome comments at CiF in The Grauniad where you're sure to make friends and influence people.
I'm surprised that people are surprised about Finland. It's transparency. The group Transparency International measures corruption by country. Finland traditionally comes out on top.
ReplyDeleteFinland and Finns appear to be the most honest people on earth.
I for example example live in Oakland California. Rand McNally says we have the best weather in the US. That's on the plus side of the ledger, but yesterday the local news celebrated two weeks without a murder in the city.
Most people still remember our local school board's contribution to public education - Ebonics. They may not remember that that same local government was essentially bought by Al Davis but I doubt if they would be surprised.
Let's face it Oakland has a reputation for corruption and crime but a wonderful climate. Whereas Finland is just the opposite.
Albertosaurus
Canada is on their way out of the top 10. Most of our new immigrants come from countries # 59, 66, 78 and worse.
ReplyDeleteYeah, but being unemployed in Finland is no big deal, though.
ReplyDeleteYou've still got your flat in Helsinki with high speed internet access and the same income as your friends with jobs that pay a decent salary (but get taxed at high rates).
Re: homicides
Finland has mandatory military service and people own guns. I doubt their homicide rate is "high" but I could see it being higher than countries where people simply don't have guns lying around their lake houses where they go hunting.
As for education, I've heard that Finns aren't obsessed with getting their kids into the right kindergarten. Hell, they barely even have private schools. Clearly they still have something to learn from the good people of Brooklyn Heights.
"High-school students here rarely get more than a half-hour of homework a night. They have no school uniforms, no honor societies, no valedictorians, no tardy bells and no classes for the gifted. There is little standardized testing, few parents agonize over college and kids don't start school until age 7.
Yet by one international measure, Finnish teenagers are among the smartest in the world. They earned some of the top scores by 15-year-old students who were tested in 57 countries. American teens finished among the world's C students even as U.S. educators piled on more homework, standards and rules. Finnish youth, like their U.S. counterparts, also waste hours online. They dye their hair, love sarcasm and listen to rap and heavy metal. But by ninth grade they're way ahead in math, science and reading -- on track to keeping Finns among the world's most productive workers."
"Finland and Sth Korea, have significantly high homicide rates at 2.2 per 100,000, higher than all other 18 countries with higher immigrant and/or indigenous populations..."
ReplyDeleteNot all 18 countries. We blow both of them out of the water with a homicide rate of 6.0 per 100,000.
U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!
I haven't really noticed this confusion at all. I can't imagine anyone referring to the Swedish Alps or the Swiss-American population of Minnesota. Plus, unlike Iraq and Iran, Slovakia and Slovenia, or Lithuania and Latvia, they're not particularly near each other.
ReplyDelete(My father says his father told him that a lot of Swedes immigrated to Switzerland in the 19th Century, but I can't find any record of this.)
ReplyDeletePerhaps your father is mistaken, and it was actually a lot of Swiss that migrated to Sweden. Maybe your background is actually Swedish, and all this time you've been thinking its Swiss. (I'm assuming, in a HBO-aware blog such as this, that Swaziland has been ruled out entirely.)
PS: robert61, the Swiss and Vatican flags are the only square flags, with most of the rest being rectangular. Nepal is the one exception, with a double-triangular flag.
"What New Zealand 13!, our SWPLs will NOT be happy. Clearly we need more arts spending, public rail systems and increased child care subsidies."
ReplyDeleteIf it weren't for its geographic isolation and the presence of the Maori(15% of NZ's population), New Zealand could easily make it into the top 4 best countries in the world.
If you're only looking at the quality of life and health statistics of white New Zealanders, it is about as good as Finland.
Considering this, Australia(4#) is very fortunate in that its Aboriginal population is so small and largely rural.
Besides racial factors, it is also worth noting that all these countries are very secular. Indeed, with only a few exceptions(North Korea, Vietnam, etc), there is a significant correlation between the % of atheists/agnostics/non-believers and being in the top 10 Best Countries - http://www.gadling.com/2007/08/23/least-religious-countries/
I've visited Finland - it's very nice. Of the top group, Sweden and the Netherlands have way too much Muslim immigration. That's getting to be a problem in Canada and Australia, too. Japan is very interesting to visit, but the Japanese don't like foreigners too much. Singapore is good if you can stand the wretched climate and lack of political freedom. I'm surprised New Zealand didn't score higher. Of course, Cuba came out at #50, which calls the whole thing into question.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, have you ever noticed how many people don't really believe that Switzerland and Sweden are different countries?
ReplyDeleteIs this a common US thing? I spoke to a fairly bright (university level at least) US kid who did this a couple weeks ago. Apparently, Swiss "sounds right" as the nationality of people who live in a country called Sweden, with an American accent. :puzzled:. Might be more common than I think round my neck of the woods than I'd expect as well though...
What about the Italians in Switzerland?
ReplyDeleteFWIW, my Swedish g-grandfather married my Swiss g-grandmother in Geneva and they immediately emigrated to the US. However, he was born in Sweden and I have no idea what he was doing in Geneva.
ReplyDeleteI actually feel like Sweden and Switzerland are fairly different (the Swiss are *way* more uptight, for starters) - but I have a lot more awareness of intraeuropean cultural differences than most Americans.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a discussion of where to build retirement homes. Except the weather in these countries can be formidable.
ReplyDeleteRobert61,
ReplyDeletelook up Fjordman's posts at the Gates Of Vienna blog for a more up to date analysis of Sweden's migrants. The Swiss also have cultural enrichment problems.
Sylvia,
You like London? I've lived here nearly all my life and I can honestly say that is is becoming a f**king nightmare.
Google, 'London Homicide map' to get some idea of what I mean.
Richard
Finland has a lot of money from their oil. Someone was quoted by Sreve as wondering why Nigeria--with a huge oil supply--was not quite as peaceful and prosperous. That is a tough one!
ReplyDeleteI think I got it.
ReplyDeleteIt's because Finnish is a weird language.
Indo-European countries are falling behind. And I for one welcome our new Tolkienesque overlords.
It is common in Australia for people to confuse Sweden and Switzerland.
ReplyDeleteBoth countries are located somewhere in Europe. They both have snow and snow skiing. They both say 'ja' a lot. They traditionally shared some forenames.
I think most of the confusion simply occurs because both countries start with Sw. I have given up correcting people.
"Finnish youth, like their U.S. counterparts, also waste hours online. They dye their hair, love sarcasm and listen to rap and heavy metal. But by ninth grade they're way ahead in math, science and reading -- on track to keeping Finns among the world's most productive workers."
ReplyDeleteThis is something else Finns share with Sth Koreans.
I wonder if there was some common ancestry?...Finns seem a little 'eastern' to me.
"Finland has a lot of money from their oil"
I think you are confusing Finland with Norway.
Note how nine of the ten countries have an overwhelming White population. The only non-White country has almost zero minorities. Coincidence? I think not. Also note the total dearth of sub-Saharan countries or places like Haiti too.
ReplyDelete"Finland has a lot of money from their oil."
ReplyDeleteYou're confusing Finland with Norway (maybe because they both sound so different?).
I looked at the homicide map of London and in the first sentence were the words "more then half of the victims were black". Big surprise there! If I didn't know it was an English city I could easily have thought it was Chicago or Detroit. Hmm,, there was no slavery or Jim Crow in Britain, so how do you explain (or excuse) it? Black crime and violence are universal.
ReplyDeleteWorld rankings for reading, maths and science: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1571445/World-rankings-for-reading-maths-and-science.html
ReplyDeleteBefore mass-immigration started 20-30 years ago, Sweden was always on the top of these lists. Today the score is pretty bad because of under-achieving immigrant kids and a socialist school system.
Finland, which is still fairly homogenous, except for the somewhat elitist Swedish-speaking minority, instead have risen to the top.
"have you ever noticed how many people don't really believe that Switzerland and Sweden are different countries?"
ReplyDeleteNo, I can honestly say I've never noticed that. Must be a California thing.
I was astounded at how many people in California don't know that North and South Carolina are two different states. Not sure what they think of the Dakotas.
"Odd that all 10 are significantly less diverse than the United States, and that none have large populations of Hispanics or blacks. I thought we were supposed to celebrate diversity?"
ReplyDeleteI'd also wager that all 10 have significantly more immigration to the US the from it (even with all of the Hispanics and blacks).
"Second, Fins are known to be more than a little quirky"
ReplyDeleteA "little" ????? My gawd, the whole population is depressed.
Albertosaurus: "Most people still remember our local school board's contribution to public education - Ebonics. They may not remember that that same local government was essentially bought by Al Davis but I doubt if they would be surprised."
ReplyDeleteYes, yet *still* my Raiders suck.
The Brits have left a lasting legacy.
ReplyDeleteThe top Islamic country, Malaysia and the 3 top black countries, Jamaica, Sth Africa and Botswana were all British colonies.
The colonised countries- US, Can, Aust, NZ , Sth Af and even Singapore were built in a few hundred years in the face of isolation and 'challenging' local populations.
Doesn't seem fair to compare them to 'stay at home' Nordic countries.
But the big shocker is Saudi Arabia at 64.
How would you confuse Sweden and Switzerland? The countries aren't even close to eachother.
ReplyDeleteRegarding the education success of Finland and South Kitorea, I can't say's a fair comparison.
ReplyDeleteIf the comments are correct, the Finnish achieve great results despite being quite lackadaisical about schoolwork.
The Koreans, Japanese, heck, ALL the East Asians, go bughouse crazy with extra lessons and schoolwork.
http://www.asiapacificmemo.ca/south-korea-hyper-education
Not much better here in Singapore.
I'm beginning to think education should be measured in terms of input (genetic potential), value addedness (how many additional IQ points did it add?), and efficiency (how many man-hours on both educators and students were spent?).
So why is Finland's suicide rate nearly the highest in the world? Seems there's more than meets the eye when looking at countries from the outside in.
ReplyDeleteAccording to a Newsweek cover story, the ten best countries in the world are: Finland, Switzerland, Sweden, Australia, Luxembourg, Norway, Canada, Netherlands, Japan and Denmark.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy them while they last:
List of sovereign states and dependent territories by fertility rate
Finland: ~1.75
Switzerland: ~1.45
Sweden: ~1.60
Australia: ~1.78
Luxembourg: ~1.70
Norway: ~1.80
Canada: ~1.55
Netherlands: ~1.70
Japan: ~1.25
Denmark: ~1.75
Japan, Switzerland, and Canada are already extinct, and the other countries are not far behind.
Jesus, the TFR fetishists are almost as rigid as the IQ fetishists. JAPAN IS A VERY DENSELY POPULATED COUNTRY; FUTURE GENERATIONS WILL THANK THEIR ANCESTORS FOR THE GODDAMNED ELBOW ROOM. Similarly, Europe is like five times (pulled from me arse) as densely populated as America.
ReplyDeleteTHESE PEOPLES COULD DO WITH SMALLER POPULATIONS.
A 2.2 per 100,000 murder rate is something to brag about. The United States has a 5.4 per 100,000 murder rate. The US only manages to achieve that with the world's highest or second highest incarceration rate.
ReplyDeleteThat high US incarceration rate indicates the US is a very high criminality country.
"I'd also wager that all 10 have significantly more immigration to the US than from it (even with all of the Hispanics and blacks)."
ReplyDeleteI'm sure that's true but immigration to the US requires a tourist visa, a plane ticket and maybe a little luck. The top 10 countries, and I've visited or worked in all except Finland, are a bit harder to immigrate to. Look into what is required to join any EU country as a citizen. I think Austria allows you to buy in for $3m, otherwise good luck (or maybe be a refugee from the 3rd world since Europe, at least, also seems bent on suicide). But I'm sure these countries relative resistance to immigration is coincidental to their being in the top 10.
By the way, have you ever noticed how many people don't really believe that Switzerland and Sweden are different countries?
ReplyDeleteAND
I was astounded at how many people in California don't know that North and South Carolina are two different states. Not sure what they think of the Dakotas.
I'm sorry to inform you Americans that you do not have a monopoly on the geographically-challenged.
My mother-in-law was deeply concerned to wake up one morning in the 1980s and discover that Argentina had invaded islands off the coast of Scotland. One short ferry ride and the Latino Fascists would have been goose stepping through London. It must have been terrifying for her.
Apparently she was far from alone in her fears and concerns.
A lot of "W's" migrated from Sweden to Sitzerland in the 18th Century.
ReplyDeleteBut fortunately not enough to turn it into Seden
Svigor: Jesus, the TFR fetishists are almost as rigid as the IQ fetishists.
ReplyDeleteTFR & IQ determine just about everything.
The only other ingredient would be something along the lines of legalism -vs- antinomianism [as preached by the ambient culture].
And, like Derbyshire, increasingly I wonder whether even the propensity for legalism -vs- antinomianism might have a strong biological [genetic] component.
Finland is probably on the same road as every other nation in the West in regards to immigration. My guess is that Finland's success is due to its relatively low immigrant population, and the fact that less capable students are directed to trades early on.
ReplyDeleteI'm married to a Finn, and have visited the country many times over the last twenty years.The decay is setting in there as well--Finland is just behind the curve. Twenty years ago, there were few obvious foreign residents in the country. Today, many bus drivers in Helsinki are Africans, and there are immigrant communities in many cities throughout the country, with the usual associated problems.
Many Finns are naive about immigration (as the Swedes I knew tewnty years ago were), and I've had quite a few Finns claim Finland is too white and needs diversity. The real test for Finland is what happens when the new generation of teachers and leaders takes full charge, since Finland is several decades behind the rest of the West in its suicidal tendencies.
"E. REX said...
ReplyDeleteI think most of the confusion simply occurs because both countries start with Sw. I have given up correcting people."
One wonders if they also confuse Switzerland and Swaziland? I guess a lot of people just have no knowledge of geography at all.
"Dog of Justice said...
ReplyDeleteWell, it's worth mentioning that Sweden was humbled into taking that tack..."
So was Switzerland:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Marignano
Jesus, the TFR fetishists are almost as rigid as the IQ fetishists. JAPAN IS A VERY DENSELY POPULATED COUNTRY; FUTURE GENERATIONS WILL THANK THEIR ANCESTORS FOR THE GODDAMNED ELBOW ROOM. Similarly, Europe is like five times (pulled from me arse) as densely populated as America.
ReplyDeleteTHESE PEOPLES COULD DO WITH SMALLER POPULATIONS.
Maybe, but it doesn't help if the Nile Valley (I mean, Egypt), Nigeria, and South Asia don't cooperate. Nature abhors a vacuum.
Help me out, what does TFR determine?
ReplyDeleteThe equatorial belt seems to be "cooperating" with the Japanese.
I understand that TFR can't decline forever, but that's just it; it can't decline forever.
TFR is inserted into so many of these discussions, and used by our enemies in so many nasty ways, that I look askance at the whole issue.
I understand it's important, but lots of things are important. We don't discuss oil much here, either...doesn't make it unimportant, just not particularly germane.
Canada fought shoulder to shoulder as a major ally to liberate Europe. For one example.
ReplyDelete"Sylvia said...
ReplyDeleteThe only part of Europe I'd want to live in is England."
Translation: Miss Snotty Cosmopolitan Liberal doesn't actually speak a foreign language and is too lazy to learn one.
"Translation: Miss Snotty Cosmopolitan Liberal doesn't actually speak a foreign language and is too lazy to learn one."
ReplyDeleteI've got to give you that one, Grasshopper.
Ughg, this reads more like a list of the most boring countries on earth - no young person with any spirit or verve would want to live in any of these places. They are "nice" - enough said. I generally use these lists as lists of places I should avoid travelling to if I don't want to be bored to death.
ReplyDeleteI would infinitely prefer to live in Argentina, Brazil, heck even Thailand, than Sweden, and even Japan is just plain boring and vanilla at the end of the day.
I would infinitely prefer to live in Argentina, Brazil, heck even Thailand, than Sweden, and even Japan is just plain boring and vanilla at the end of the day."
ReplyDeleteTo complete you education, please plan on spending extra time among Somalis in Sweden, Jamaicans and Nigerians in London, and please don't forget neighborhoods full of blacks and browns surrounding Paris. Close the door on your way out, and don't forget an extended stop-over in Johannesburg.
"One wonders if they also confuse Switzerland and Swaziland?"
ReplyDeletePeople who confuse Sweden and Switzerland are not aware of Swaziland's existence.
E. REX:
ReplyDeleteAustralia? Isn't that the country immediately East of Switzeland?
>People who confuse Sweden and Switzerland are not aware of Swaziland's existence.<
ReplyDeleteDon't tell them. Talk about hopeless confusion.
"Odd that possibly the two most homogeneous countries of the top 20, Finland and Sth Korea, have significantly high homicide rates at 2.2 per 100,000, higher than all other 18 countries with higher immigrant and/or indigenous populations"
ReplyDeleteThat is because Germanics are so law abbiding, they make up for the violent immigrants in their midst.
Sweden is now full of immigrants. They won't stay in pole position for long.
ReplyDelete