[paully dub]

Originally posted by BasketofPuppies:
And what happens when you choose not to vote?

You vote anyway- for the guy who wins.

[Lancer409]

Originally posted by Scifience:
I'd pick Japan over any of the places that are listed there. Mmm...sushi!

not to mention all the electronics! .. those apple stores just seal the deal!

[olePigeon]

Originally posted by BasketofPuppies:
And what happens when you choose not to vote?

Don't you watch South Park?

[SamuraiDL]

1. Japan

[Athens]

Originally posted by wdlove:
The United States is still the country with the most freedom and least government control.

Ya 5 years ago maybe, freedoms have been lost since 9/11 and government control is just as bad as other places. Canadians enjoy more personal freedoms and freedom of speach then the US.

[Randman]

Originally posted by SamuraiDL:
1. Japan

Have you been to Japan?

It's freakin' expensive. Great to visit, and I'd jump at the opportunity to live there, but the expensive living conditions, traffic in Tokyo, attitudes toward gaijin and small living quarters probably factor into the equation.

[Sherwin]

Originally posted by The Windozer:
Isle of Man?

[SubGeniux]

Israel - we kill people 'n stuff, dead cool, come visit.

[Sherwin]

Originally posted by SubGeniux:
Israel - we kill people 'n stuff, dead cool, come visit.

Do you supply bomb-belts to all visitors before they tootle off into downtown Tel Aviv then? That'd be cool.

[SubGeniux]

Originally posted by Sherwin:
Do you supply bomb-belts to all visitors before they tootle off into downtown Tel Aviv then? That'd be cool.

Nah, we just shove the indiginous population into refugee camps, then bomb them from the air with the latest in military technology from the US.

[Spliffdaddy]

and France.

[SubGeniux]

Originally posted by Spliffdaddy:
and France.

We bombed France?

[Phat Bastard]

Canada not in the top 10? What the heck? Apparently The Economist doesn't read the United Nations Human Development Index, which is the standard for this type of survey.

From that site: "Human development index (HDI) value: A composite index measuring average achievement in three basic dimensions of human development�a long and healthy life, knowledge and a decent standard of living."

And I read The Economist--maybe not anymore!

[Feathers]

Originally posted by Phat Bastard:
From that site: "Human development index (HDI) value: A composite index measuring average achievement in three basic dimensions of human development�a long and healthy life, knowledge and a decent standard of living."

And I read The Economist--maybe not anymore!

From the HDI, Ireland and America have the highest per capita wealth in the world AND the highest levels of relative poverty(?)

Basically, Ireland and the USA demonstrate the biggest disparity between rich and poor in the entire world! Pretty sickening! There is a gross wealth imbalance in both societies which only exacerbates tensions. It's gotta be difficult enough to be poor without some guy driving over your foot with his SUV!

[Feathers]

Originally posted by SubGeniux:
Nah, we just shove the indiginous population into refugee camps, then bomb them from the air with the latest in military technology from the US.

And don't forget the approximately $8 billion dollars worth of weapons Israel sold to Iraq in the past twenty years! There's no religion but commerce!

[Spliffdaddy]

hence my mention of France earlier.

[wang_himself]

I would bump Sweden up a bit higher, eventhough they have cold winters and all, the women are beautiful, the people are intelligent, and they actually update their constitution and laws quite often.

[Oisín]

Originally posted by Feathers:
Basically, Ireland and the USA demonstrate the biggest disparity between rich and poor in the entire world!

I find that very hard to believe! A country such as India has a far greater disparity between rich and poor, I'd say, as do many other Asian countries. (I'm not basing this on any facts or anything, just standard knowledge)

Originally posted by Feathers:
Ireland my arse!

Let me rebuff you a little

One of the most expensive countries in the world.

A lot cheaper than Denmark and Norway (I'd say about same price level as Sweden and Germany, right?)

It rains about seven months of the year.

Yeah, Denmark too. The difference is that in Ireland, the result is lots and lots of beautiful green landscapes and fertility; in Denmark, the result is grey, muddy slush all year round.

The women are butt ugly (well, most of them).

Who cares? The guys tend to be rather on the cute side.

It's bloody freezing most of the time.

Erm... freezing? In Ireland? You don't know the meaning of the word.

Lousy public transport system.

For such a sparsely populated country, I think it works okay. Not excellent, but could be a lot worse.

Appalling hospital waiting lists.

Can hardly be worse than in Denmark. And as for A&E's, when I was there (three years ago, granted), there wasn't any waiting time, we got straight in. In Denmark, we were once kept waiting for 12 hours in the waiting room of the A&E (extreme case, but still).

21% V.A.T. (sales tax)

25% in Denmark. Plus average income taxes of somewhere around 60%, I think.

No smoking anywhere!

This is a bad thing?

A nanny state where just about everything is being or about to be banned!

Well... true that.

I would love to know what the attraction is?

Landscapes, people, and the fact that overall, Ireland is a very nice country.

Oh, and did I mention that most of the women are butt ugly and dress like sh1t?

Pfft... come to China, you'll know what "dress like sh1t" really means!

[Feathers]

Originally posted by Ois�n:
I find that very hard to believe! A country such as India has a far greater disparity between rich and poor, I'd say, as do many other Asian countries. (I'm not basing this on any facts or anything, just standard knowledge)

It's all relative - Ireland has "super-rich" people who pay zero tax and people barely above minimum wage paying some of their income at the highest rate of tax (42%). The calculations are relative wealth vs relative poverty distributed over population, and the sums aren't good!

A lot cheaper than Denmark and Norway (I'd say about same price level as Sweden and Germany, right?)

Ireland IS the most expensive country in the Eurozone

Yeah, Denmark too. The difference is that in Ireland, the result is lots and lots of beautiful green landscapes and fertility; in Denmark, the result is grey, muddy slush all year round.

I'm sorry but I'd trade a socially equitable state for lots of grass.

Who cares? The guys tend to be rather on the cute side.

?????

Can hardly be worse than in Denmark. And as for A&E's, when I was there (three years ago, granted), there wasn't any waiting time, we got straight in. In Denmark, we were once kept waiting for 12 hours in the waiting room of the A&E (extreme case, but still).

A lot has changed in three years and it also depends on the day and time of day. If after finally being examined, you needed to be admitted, due to shortage of beds, you could find yourself on a gurney in a hallway for up to seven days. In recent times, people have died on trolleys in hallways!

[The Windozer]

Originally posted by wang_himself:
I would bump Sweden up a bit higher, eventhough they have cold winters and all, the women are beautiful, the people are intelligent, and they actually update their constitution and laws quite often.

Sweden is Norway light.

[digiology2]

Originally posted by Feathers:
From the HDI, Ireland and America have the highest per capita wealth in the world AND the highest levels of relative poverty(?)

Basically, Ireland and the USA demonstrate the biggest disparity between rich and poor in the entire world! Pretty sickening! There is a gross wealth imbalance in both societies which only exacerbates tensions. It's gotta be difficult enough to be poor without some guy driving over your foot with his SUV!

It seems this is fact, but its hard for me to believe that. Can you tell me where you got that info please? Just seems kind of odd considering we have the dole(unemployment benefit), free college and free healthcare (ie its not just every man for himself). Ireland has poverty alright, I just wouldn't have thought it was as bad as the US.

[His Dudeness]

Originally posted by voodoo:
Checks list:

Mhmm, Spain, Iceland and Norway - yep all there

Best three IMO

Spent the day in Rota once, courtesy of the Navy. Awesome! Loved it!

[His Dudeness]

Originally posted by SubGeniux:
We bombed France?

The French embassy in Tripoli, I believe...

[His Dudeness]

Originally posted by brutal:
Damn! Norway was on first place last year..

I know. I've seen women there. The Navy also got me to Bergen, Stavanger, and Tromso. Very very nice and also very damn expensive up there.

[nforcer]

Any country that has high taxes, lax drug laws, cold climates (below 92 degrees in the summer and gets snow in the winter), or a liberal government is automatically on my "Bottom Countries" list.

[The Windozer]

Originally posted by nforcer:
Any country that has high taxes, lax drug laws, cold climates (below 92 degrees in the summer and gets snow in the winter), or a liberal government is automatically on my "Bottom Countries" list.

High taxes = lower social injustice (In Scandinavia, anyway)
Cold climates = best climate
liberal government... In Scandinavia, the conservatives are the ones who want to keep (conserve, you see) the old, successful ways of social democracy. The liberals are the communists and the people who want lower taxes and more of an every-man-for-himself policy on social benefits. I know, I don't like those liberals either

[SimpleLife]

Antarctica, with a loaded gun and 1 billion dollars.

[Rolling Bones]

Originally posted by nforcer:
Any country that has high taxes, lax drug laws, cold climates (below 92 degrees in the summer and gets snow in the winter), or a liberal government is automatically on my "Bottom Countries" list.

You must live in Mexico.

[Dennis002]

Or in an institution..
Don't mind, I'm liberal

[Feathers]

Originally posted by digiology2:
...Just seems kind of odd considering we have the dole(unemployment benefit), free college and free healthcare (ie its not just every man for himself). Ireland has poverty alright, I just wouldn't have thought it was as bad as the US.

I agree. I don't entirely understand their classification of poverty, I mean we don't have anyone starving to death and precious few kids even going around in their bare feet! Unfortunately we do have a number of massively wealthy people, proportionately greater than countries like Sudan or say, India. It seems that the concern is that a significant proportion of the wealth of the country is in the hands of a very small few people and that, of itself, is regarded as undesirable and a social injustice. To that degree, I'm inclined to agree with the assessment.

I would refute the suggestion that "college" is free, the average third-level capitation fee is about a grand and they have just introduced charges for A&E, not to mention the fact that without private health insurance, VHI or BUPA, you can be on multi-year waiting lists! People have died of cancer as a result of late diagnosis due to waiting lists.

I am nonetheless uncomfortable with the bandying-around of the term "poverty" particularly when (as mentioned before) nobody is dying of starvation. If Ireland has poverty, then what the hell do we call the situation in Sudan?

[nforcer]

Originally posted by Rolling Bones:
You must live in Mexico.

Indeed I do live in California.

[wang_himself]

clearing out old comments

[digiology2]

Originally posted by Feathers:


I would refute the suggestion that "college" is free, the average third-level capitation fee is about a grand

Mmmm, my capitation fee was �65 I think thats what everyone pays if they are on a grant (and if they are not on a grant then they can afford to fork out a grand).

[Athens]

Originally posted by Feathers:
I agree. I don't entirely understand their classification of poverty, I mean we don't have anyone starving to death and precious few kids even going around in their bare feet! Unfortunately we do have a number of massively wealthy people, proportionately greater than countries like Sudan or say, India. It seems that the concern is that a significant proportion of the wealth of the country is in the hands of a very small few people and that, of itself, is regarded as undesirable and a social injustice. To that degree, I'm inclined to agree with the assessment.

I would refute the suggestion that "college" is free, the average third-level capitation fee is about a grand and they have just introduced charges for A&E, not to mention the fact that without private health insurance, VHI or BUPA, you can be on multi-year waiting lists! People have died of cancer as a result of late diagnosis due to waiting lists.

I am nonetheless uncomfortable with the bandying-around of the term "poverty" particularly when (as mentioned before) nobody is dying of starvation. If Ireland has poverty, then what the hell do we call the situation in Sudan?

Some one has to visit more cities, there are people that are dying of starvation, that have no shoes and so forth. So do we here in Canada, every country has a small element like that. Usally its ppl with major mental illness and drug addicts but still. And with the Health Care and Colleges, every state is different, if your state has free College, dandy, dosent mean every state has free college. But this list is bogus anyways.

[Oisín]

Originally posted by Athens:
Some one has to visit more cities, there are people that are dying of starvation, that have no shoes and so forth. So do we here in Canada, every country has a small element like that. Usally its ppl with major mental illness and drug addicts but still. And with the Health Care and Colleges, every state is different, if your state has free College, dandy, dosent mean every state has free college. But this list is bogus anyways.

Ireland has states?

[Feathers]

Originally posted by Athens:
Some one has to visit more cities, there are people that are dying of starvation, that have no shoes and so forth. So do we here in Canada, every country has a small element like that. Usally its ppl with major mental illness and drug addicts but still. And with the Health Care and Colleges, every state is different, if your state has free College, dandy, dosent mean every state has free college. But this list is bogus anyways.

Sorry - I don't get the point of what you are saying!

Some one has to visit more cities, there are people that are dying of starvation, that have no shoes and so forth.

If you're talking about Ireland, you are talking through your hole.

I also agree with Ois�n's query re: "Ireland has States?" - It doesn't.

Finally, yes, the list is bogus. My point from the beginning.

[Rolling Bones]

Originally posted by Ois�n:
Ireland has states?

States = Countries

Some people here are so daft and petty. Pointing my finger at no one in particular.

[PacHead]

Originally posted by wang_himself:
So sad, but true. What was that new term I herd on KCRA the other day, Mexifornia or something to that affect.

That's not a new term, it's been around for a while. Apparently, there's a bunch of racist mexicans who dream of taking over texas/california etc. one day. We've kicked Mexico's ass before, I'm sure we can oblige in the future also, if these traitors get too rowdy.

[Feathers]

Originally posted by Rolling Bones:
States = Countries

Some people here are so daft and petty. Pointing my finger at no one in particular.

Not necessarily, a State may be a subdivision into which a Country is divided as was the context in this case. So why not stick that pointy-finger somewhere else!

[Rolling Bones]

Originally posted by PacHead:
That's not a new term, it's been around for a while. Apparently, there's a bunch of racist mexicans who dream of taking over texas/california etc. one day. We've kicked Mexico's ass before, I'm sure we can oblige in the future also, if these traitors get too rowdy.

When the majority in Texas, Florida, California et al speak Spanish. stage one of the invasion will be completed.

[PacHead]

Originally posted by Rolling Bones:
When the majority in Texas, Florida, California et al speak Spanish. stage one of the invasion will be completed.

You're forgetting the part where millions of illegals will be expelled.

[Rolling Bones]

Originally posted by Feathers:
Not necessarily, a State may be a subdivision into which a Country is divided as was the context in this case. So why not stick that pointy-finger somewhere else!

People knew what he meant. I am daft, that is true and I knew what he meant. State, province, territory, country...whatever...still petty.

...and I don't like sticky fingers!

[Oisín]

Originally posted by Rolling Bones:
People knew what he meant. I am daft, that is true and I knew what he meant. State, province, territory, country...whatever...still petty.

...and I don't like sticky fingers!

My point was that whatever you call it, a state is normally a (partially) self-governing unit, whereas the Irish provinces and counties are far less self-governing than, for instance, the individual states in the USA or the Canadian provinces. My problem was with the sentence, "And with the Health Care and Colleges, every state is different, if your state has free College, dandy, dosent mean every state has free college". Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't one of the differences between the Canadian provinces and the Irish provinces/counties that fees etc. for health care and colleges are not different in the different provinces in Ireland?

[cpt kangarooski]

Originally posted by PacHead:
You're forgetting the part where millions of illegals will be expelled.

Then who would pick fruit, wash dishes, and mow lawns? Americans won't do any of those things. No, I'm sorry, but without illegal immigrants to foist crappy work onto, many Americans would be screwed. And it's more or less always been like this, for varying groups of immigrants.

Which of course brings us to this.

[Rolling Bones]

Originally posted by cpt kangarooski:
Then who would pick fruit, wash dishes, and mow lawns? Americans won't do any of those things. No, I'm sorry, but without illegal immigrants to foist crappy work onto, many Americans would be screwed. And it's more or less always been like this, for varying groups of immigrants.

Which of course brings us to this.

Ok, its late and I'm tired and barely able to think or read..

Is that just bullcrappy or is that a real movie?

Ok...laff at me.

[jbartone]

Woohoo!

Australia is up there, should be higher but a good result anyway!

We should be first, no way I'd want to live in one of those Nordic freezing cold tax havens.

[cpt kangarooski]

It is a real movie. Been getting mixed reviews, and I haven't seen it, but it seemed appropriate. (and IIRC there was a similar sort of thing re: blacks in the South in the 50s-60s)

[Sherwin]

Originally posted by jbartone:
Australia is up there, should be higher but a good result anyway!

We should be first, no way I'd want to live in one of those Nordic freezing cold tax havens.

Wow. Just how high are your taxes if you class the Nordic lands as "tax havens"?

[Oisín]

Originally posted by Sherwin:
Wow. Just how high are your taxes if you class the Nordic lands as "tax havens"?

I was wondering the same thing... I would consider the 60-odd percent my parents pay quite enough to get on with...

[SubGeniux]

Originally posted by Feathers:
And don't forget the approximately $8 billion dollars worth of weapons Israel sold to Iraq in the past twenty years! There's no religion but commerce!

Yeah, what would we do without the massive amounts of funding by the US. Not fair.