Where are the world's happiest countries?

Discussion in 'Latest US & World News' started by Fisherguy, Mar 20, 2017.

  1. Fisherguy

    Fisherguy Well-Known Member

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    Guess what, it ain't here. As expected, the northern European countries trade out every year who is in first place. Despite our rightwing keyboard commandos (without passports) tearing these countries down, every chance they get. Let's see....America, ranked 19th place on World Happiness Day 2017.

    Norwegians have more reason than ever to celebrate the International Day of Happiness.

    After ranking fourth for the last two years, Norway jumped three spots and displaced three-time winner Denmark to take the title of "world's happiest country" for the first time. Denmark dropped to second place this year, followed by Iceland, Switzerland, Finland, Netherlands, Canada, New Zealand and Australia and Sweden (which tied for ninth place), according to the latest World Happiness Report, released Monday by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network for the United Nations.


    Denmark has won the title three of the four times the report has been issued, while Switzerland has won the title just once. The United States came in 14th place, dropping one place from last year.

    Russia climbed way up to what, 49th place? Wow. Maybe we can be more like them, with Donnie's help.

    http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/20/travel/worlds-happiest-countries-united-nations-2017/index.html
     
    Last edited: Mar 20, 2017
  2. crank

    crank Well-Known Member

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    Is this list universally agreed upon? Or is it only white/western nations voting?
     
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  3. BlackHogGranolaBrown

    BlackHogGranolaBrown Banned

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    If Scandinavians are so happy, why don't they smile very much?
     
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  4. Bowerbird

    Bowerbird Well-Known Member

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    Bhutan has a national happiness index :)

    They know they will never be able to compete with many western nations but that does not stop people from being happy
     
  5. Bowerbird

    Bowerbird Well-Known Member

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    Perhaps they stop smiling only when they meet right wing American :p
     
  6. crank

    crank Well-Known Member

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    They're also a VERY closed nation. It's quite a complex and difficult process even to visit for a few days.
     
  7. crank

    crank Well-Known Member

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    It's a cultural thing. Go to SE Asia and even the poor people are smiling their heads off.
     
  8. Fisherguy

    Fisherguy Well-Known Member

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    Flashing your teeth is considered aggressive in many cultures, and also in the animal kingdom. Norwegians are reserved, that's for sure. We knew a student named Tilda from the far north (something like 90 percent of their country is within the Arctic Circle). Her dad was a commercial fisherman. She got free university of course, and that meant anywhere. So she studied in the U.S. and that's how we met her. Her country paid for everything, though she had to live in a dorm. She reimbursed her country for the money she didn't spend. After graduation, I dropped her off at Orlando airport.
     
    Last edited: Mar 20, 2017
  9. Deckel

    Deckel Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Denmark is just sad because they are starting to realize the reason they were able to pay off all their foreign debt is that people no longer want their currency. They'll be back next year, I'm sure.
     
  10. Doug_yvr

    Doug_yvr Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    I don't know it looks pretty stable to me.
     
  11. lizarddust

    lizarddust Well-Known Member

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    True,, I lived in Laos for eight years. Very happy, laid back people,, until they get behind the wheel of a car.
     
  12. lizarddust

    lizarddust Well-Known Member

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    I'd have nothing to smile about living in - 25DegC..
     
  13. Bowerbird

    Bowerbird Well-Known Member

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    Nah!! Scariest driver on the road is the one that you can see silhouetted in front that has the skinny neck, large ears and hat. He has just come off a property somewhere - is 120 years old but still droving cattle and HE does not stop or brake for anything under the size of a fully grown mallee bull. Not only that but he WANDERS all over the road just to see if he can get a better look at something :p
     
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  14. Deckel

    Deckel Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    That is because the DKK is pegged to the euro and doesn't act independent of it. That will change.
     
  15. Gilos

    Gilos Well-Known Member

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    Israel on 11th place :) and that's before "legalization" law.
     
  16. Draco

    Draco Well-Known Member

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    I act as my own sales rep for the SW and have a lot of experience on the road and have averaged about 30-35,000 miles per year for the last decade.

    A lot of the "stereotypes" are pretty true, Asians and women tend to be more defensive/reactionary drivers and it causes a lot of problems on the road.

    But by far THE WORST group of anything out there is Prius drivers. It is absolutely insane the % of people who drive that car, no matter what sex, no matter what color, are absolutely terrible drivers.
     
  17. VotreAltesse

    VotreAltesse Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    In some cultures, you smile only to your friends, not strangers.
     
  18. Fred C Dobbs

    Fred C Dobbs Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    These countries are predominately White. Perhaps that contributes to their happiness and wealth. What sort of countries make up the bottom half of the list?
     
  19. VotreAltesse

    VotreAltesse Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    In peace too. Their is a global link between wealth and happiness. However their is plateau effect. Some studies tend to prove that spending money for other people tend to make you happier than spending for your own. Most of those countries have too important socialcare services.
     
  20. Pollycy

    Pollycy Well-Known Member

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    The link you provided takes us to a story written by CNN. :lol:

    No wonder, then, that it would concoct a story about how hyperliberal, über-socialist, completely inconsequential "boutique" countries, that spend next to nothing on their own defense, would rank so highly on a hypothetical "happiness index". No wonder the whole stinking third-world is crashing down the gates trying get into these lovely little welfare retreats, so they can suck on the Northern European 'crack-pipes', too!
     
    Last edited: Mar 23, 2017
  21. Texas Republican

    Texas Republican Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Every poll in the U.S. shows conservatives are happier than liberals, by a wide margin.
     
  22. sharik

    sharik Banned

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  23. Fisherguy

    Fisherguy Well-Known Member

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    CNN had nothing to do with the poll. Don't you be no fool, fool. And try getting a passport just this once—turn off your Faux News, and actually travel. You are the typical ugly American.
     
  24. Pollycy

    Pollycy Well-Known Member

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    You shouldn't try to spray paint everyone in the world with your naively stupid, simple-minded point of view. I've been everywhere from Japan to Europe. I've gazed on England, Ireland, France, Austria, Switzerland, and Austria, on top of spending an extensive amount of time in Germany. I've seen how nice, safe, and cheap it is to live under the protection of the Armed Forces of the United States of America.

    Gee! Why, that leaves you a LOT of extra money that you can spend on things like a cradle-to-grave Welfare State! :hippie:

    [​IMG]. "Wo ist mein verdammtes Geld von der Regierung? Bringt es jetzt!"
     
  25. Moonglow

    Moonglow Well-Known Member

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    It so damn cold...
     

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