Best countries to live

[Man from Crockett]

It's sad to see our country lose it's vigor and enthusiasm. I am sure there are a lot of areas to lay blame but what happened to our "can do" attitude? Have we gotten lazy, complacent, apathetic?
Is it immigration, minorities, greed, religion, lack of religion?

Any thoughts........
Gotta liven this place up somehow!!:-)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20091027/lf_nm_lif...

Want prosperity? Index ranks Finland as place to be
Reuters


Tue Oct 27, 2:12 am ET

SINGAPORE (Reuters Life!)– For those who value their freedom of expression as much as health, wealth, and prosperity, then Finland is the place to be, with an index ranking the Nordic nation the best in the world.

The 2009 Legatum Prosperity Index, published on Tuesday and compiled by the Legatum Institute, an independent policy, advocacy and advisory organization, ranked 104 countries which are home to 90 percent of the world's population.

The index is based on a definition of prosperity that combines economic growth with the level of personal freedoms and democracy in a country as well as measures of happiness and quality of life.

With the exception of Switzerland, which came in at number 2, Nordic countries dominated the top 5 slots, with Sweden in third place followed by Denmark and Norway.

The top 10 were all also Western nations, with Australia (6th place) and Canada (7th place) both beating the United States, ranked 9th. Britain came in at number 12.

In Asia, Japan was the region's highest ranked country at number 16, followed by Hong Kong (18th place) and Singapore (23rd place) and Taiwan (24th place).

Dr. William Inboden, senior vice president of the Legatum Institute, said the lower rankings for Asian nations were largely due to their weak scores for democracy and personal freedoms.

"Many Asian nations have good economic fundamentals, but the Index tells us that true prosperity requires more than just money," Inboden said in a statement.

"Democratic institutions and personal freedom measures are letting some Asian nations down. Furthermore, countries which have low levels of economic stability, such as Cambodia, finish even further down in the overall rankings."

Cambodia came in the 93rd slot while China, with its tight political controls, came in 75th despite booming economic growth.

And the world's least prosperous country? According to the Legatum Index, it is Zimbabwe, with Sudan and Yemen close runners-up.

The index combines objective data and subjective responses to surveys. More details can be found on http://www.prosperity.com .

(Writing by Miral Fahmy, editing by Ron Popeski)

[doom and gloom]

mfc said "It's sad to see our country lose it's vigor and enthusiasm. I am sure there are a lot of areas to lay blame but what happened to our "can do" attitude? Have we gotten lazy, complacent, apathetic?
Is it immigration, minorities, greed, religion, lack of religion?

Any thoughts........
Gotta liven this place up somehow!!:-)"..i have the same questions,that being said,i feel with all of the problems the U.S.A. is still the best country on the planet...

[Deer Hunter]

Any place but England.

[Man from Crockett]

D.H.
Oddly enough, people are happy there like we tend to be here. It's a lot to do with what you know...and don't know. Are they excited...no, just like us.

D.G.
We are still a dynamic country but the effort seems to be coming from fewer these days....or maybe I am getting older and ornery? It just seems like most are rolling along doing just what is needed to get by.
Maybe I am wrong?

[Deer Hunter]

Man from Crockett wrote:

D.H.
Oddly enough, people are happy there like we tend to be here. It's a lot to do with what you know...and don't know. Are they excited...no, just like us.
D.G.
We are still a dynamic country but the effort seems to be coming from fewer these days....or maybe I am getting older and ornery? It just seems like most are rolling along doing just what is needed to get by.
Maybe I am wrong?

That was worth 3 pull on the old chain, i like them Yankees from the UK.LOL

[Man from Crockett]

I know you....and that's a scary thing!:-)

[Carolyn Colvin]

Well, MFC, you know, you and I agree on some things, some things not. But you're asking for opinions so I'll give you mine:

This country started changing back in the 40's and 50's when mothers starting going to work outside of the home. It was beginning to take two incomes for the family "wants" to be met and so that meant that the children were either babysat by another or child care after school. Little Johnny's mother was too busy to be a room mother and bring cookies to the school party, so she just baked them at night and sent them. Now we have the stress of both parents working and being tired and so little Johnny wants to go to the Friday night football game and he gets dropped off. Parents are beginning now to get out of the picture of raising their children. TV, etc. now doing that part.

Along in the 60's we had prayer taken out of school. Abortion was passed. Drugs were becoming rampant. Brains were being fried and Viet Nam was very unpopular. We were told if it felt good, do it. That was alright and acceptable. It started being frowned upon if you disciplined your child with a spanking. That was a no no. Now little Johnny curses his parents and he's sent to his room to play nientendo for punishment. We're tired, we don't want to be bothered with disciplining. Both parents working even harder now to supply Johnny's wants and theirs, so both parents out of the picture as far as examples. They don't have the time or energy to teach their children respect for others or themselves.

[Carolyn Colvin]

Now we're up to the 70's 80's 90's and the millenium. Guess what? Mom and Dad are so tired, they don't have time for each other. So let's divorce and go our separate ways. Now Johnny doesn't see either parent much. He doesn't need too because he's told he has all the rights of an adult. He can do whatever he wants too. He has no respect for the law, his teachers, authority of any kind because in essence, he's raised himself. He has his own values. So what happens? He sees there's a market for a product and he can make a bunch of money WITHOUT working. It's called, "selling illegal drugs". Gee, he can have his car, his gold watches and rings, his name brand clothes and shoes and all of this without ever lifting a finger to work. Who would want to slave like Mom and Dad and just barely make ends meet? Not me! There's no respect left. He's never been taught that there may be consequences for his actions. And here we are today.

[Carolyn Colvin]

Don't get me wrong. I know that it takes two incomes now to make ends meet. I respect those families whose parents both work and still manage to spend time and energy with their kids. Teaching them right from wrong and instill values and morals into them. I respect them. But if there's anyway for a mother to stay home with a baby until the child gets older, teaching them these valuable lessons when they're little, it is well worth doing without a bigger TV, a bigger car, a bigger house.

We have good kids who come from single parent homes, homes where both parents work, homes where the grandparents are the caregivers, and they're good kids. But somewhere along the way, time was spent in teaching these young ones respect for themselves and others.

[Carolyn Colvin]

My prayer is that this country will see the mistakes we have made, turn from them, and pledge anew that we will go back to the foundation of right and wrong. Calling a spade a spade, black is black, white is white. There are some values and lessons in life that have no gray area.

Just my 2 cents MFC, have a great day and thanks for asking.
Carolyn

[Carolyn Colvin]

And yes, I believe America is still the best country in which to live. There's not too many countries left where you can get on the internet and put your 2 cents in and not have to worry about someone knocking on your door to make an arrest because you spoke outside of your government. Still the best!

[Man from Crockett]

Can't argue with much of what you said...pretty much my line of thinking...

[damntexan]

Carolyn,That was a nail driver right there.Dead on!But you forgot to add that average person today is to lazy to get off their fat ass and do anything about the problems that America is having.And if Playstation doesn't make it the youth of today aren't interested!

[What is a Low Keel]

Here is the list.

http://www.prosperity.com/rankings.aspx

Funny how the US ranks badly on the thing which many on these threads think are "just fine."

Health (27)

And ranks great on the things which many on here have said is going down the tubes.

Entreprenurship and innovation (1)
Democratic institutions (2)

The US is the highest-ranked country without universal health coverage. No other such country appears on the list until Mongolia (50).

[Man from Crockett]

What is a Low Keel wrote:

Here is the list.
http://www.prosperity.com/rankings.aspx
Funny how the US ranks badly on the thing which many on these threads think are "just fine."
Health (27)
And ranks great on the things which many on here have said is going down the tubes.
Entreprenurship and innovation (1)
Democratic institutions (2)
The US is the highest-ranked country without universal health coverage. No other such country appears on the list until Mongolia (50).

I could agree with these numbers (especially health care.
We still have the highest number of billionaires and lots of innovation. But....on a personal level I just don't see it happening.
My business is based in Houston and even there the applicants and subs are the worst I have ever seen. Just throw what you offer out and hope it flys. No real effort to be the best....just make what you can and run when it goes south.
Even business owners don't seem to care anymore....it's all a numbers game today.

[Cywar]

Nice summation Carolyn

[Mephisto]

I prefer to think ( hope, believe ) that the individual at any time and in any culture can either take charge of their life and live out their dreams or not....or something in between.
Look at families where one child flounders and another reaches great hights. We simply may be unique souls who visit this planet to work out different issues and learn different lessons.
Geography is an influence but a very minor one.

[Man from Crockett]

Mephisto wrote:

I prefer to think ( hope, believe ) that the individual at any time and in any culture can either take charge of their life and live out their dreams or not....or something in between.
Look at families where one child flounders and another reaches great hights. We simply may be unique souls who visit this planet to work out different issues and learn different lessons.
Geography is an influence but a very minor one.

Good point.
I have always believed environment has a great deal to do with what a person "becomes".
Exceptions to the rule exist but in a relatively small proportion to those that follow what they were taught and raised in.

[Mephisto]

Many are called....but few are chosen.

....or as I heard one soldier say yesterday while standing an 8 hour watch in a snowy outpost near Kabul.......

.....wait for it....

"Many are cold...but few are frozen."

I love these kids.

[Just Curious]

You know, I was just wondering....why is it that if you cross the North Korean border illegally you get thrown into prison and get 12 years of hard labor; and if you cross the Iranian border while out supposedly leisurely hiking in the hills, you get arrested and imprisoned; But if you cross the U.S. border illegally, you get a drivers license, a Social Security card, free health care and free education!

I guess that is why this country is so great?

I'm Just curious.