And, sources for those of you interested:
Life expectancy: Study: U.S. Slipping Down Life Expectancy Rankings, Life Expectancy Wiki
Freedom of the Press index as reported by Reporters Sans Frontières
Internet Speed: US ranks 28th in Internet connection speed and World Results by Speedtest.net
Corruption Perception Index, Also reported by Transparency International
Quality / efficiency of education
Cell Phones Per Capita: Nation Master
Child Mortality Rates: Reported by the UN
Health Care Rankings done by the World Health Organization (WHO)
See Also: Ranking 37th — Measuring the Performance of the U.S. Health Care System, Chart Of The Day, Ron Paul: The SEC is a Total Failure and Part of the Problem, Social Security, the Military Budget and Wall Street, BBC News Worldwide Poll: Global Views Of US Improve, ‘Education Is a Right’: The New Gateway Drug, Why It’s Time To Fix The Tax System, Has America Really Become Economically Unfree?, America: Economically Unfree?, If America had $100 and 100 people…, and The Moral Urgency of Obesity.
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 America With And Without Health Care Reform |
 America in 1951 Versus America In 2011 |
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Oh yea, because TONS of people go to France for their healthcare. It’s a real medical tourism hotspot
You forgot GDP…
Seriously.
Don’t confuse cost with quality
@tshyfghf
God you’re stupid.
This has nothing to do with tourism?
It is a reminder, however, of the fact that we shouldn’t assume the USA is the best in everything and there’s no room for improvement. Facing the reality of our situation would allow us to better address and improve these key issues.
Fail at humor, can someone else please help this lad!?!
It’s not the point. People, you really can’t see it! There is no humor, it illustrates in a very clear way that US is far from being the #1. Stop thinking you are! How can you say it’s the best country in the world if you haven’t traveled to any other?
Been to 17 countries on 4 continents. U.S. definitely not the most culturally interesting, but quality of life is above and beyond number 1. GDP, technological and medical ingenuity, free economy and a general friendliness all contribute.
The above statistics disagree with you friend. I’ll take statistics over word of mouth (read: opinion) any day.
They might not go there for the healthcare, but those who do get injured while visiting france will get really nice healthcare for little to no cost
Actually it is
Actually they do. Look it up before you post something stupid.
*facepalm* so while the wealthiest 0.25% of the US gets to jet-set around the country (or world) to pick the doctors that carry the best reputation for their diagnosed condition, the remaining 99.75% get to settle for the best they can afford if anything at all? You’re absolutely right. Medical tourism is the most important criteria in the health care discussion.
THAT’S what caught your attention? Not the fact that russia has less prisoners and better education than us? Or that america, the supposed defender of democracy, is 17th on the list? Not to mention being 41st on the list for free speech.
We are not a Democracy
We are a Republic
you mean like China?
Oh yea, because “number of rich people served” is a real way to evaluate a country’s health care system.
Yeesh. Got anything besides typical conservative rhetoric?
Actually, yes, they do. Many people from all over the world. In fact, the single biggest problem with the French healthcare system is that it is becoming overloaded by visiting foreigners and illegal immigrants.
They actually do, watch Sick0 the documentary
No, people MOVE there for it. You’ve clearly thought out your answer.. move along.
You’re an idiot.
oh, burn.
Citizens get excellent free health care in France. Tourists would have to pay standard rates. Therefore, it is not a medical tourism hotspot. If you think for one second before you type, you will avoid looking like a moron.
Dear moron: the fact that you Hillbillies have convinced yourself that “France R Bad” doesn’t alter the fact that yes, TONS of people DO go t0 France for their healthcare.
I’m not sure if I’m sarcasm impaired today but…
France is very popular for it’s health care, just look at Micheal Moore’s documentary Sicko, and you’ll see just how bad the US health care is.
I’m British, and I’m thankful we have health care, but ours is terrible compared to France; It’s one of the reasons I’d like to retire there someday.
yeah, actually we do. Appendix removal? Cost me $40.
Trust me, France’s healthcare knocks the US’s into a cocked hat. Maybe you should go there and see before making a comment.
You forgot GDP, Olympic medal counts (sports), and overall military might.
Name a war that USA has won wit ou being paid for?
And that would serve you well when you need treatment for cancer or any other disease??/
Well I hope we aren’t Number 1 in democracy…considering we are a Republic…
*sigh* how many times must it be pointed out: a Republic is a kind of COUNTRY, to wit, one that is NOT run by a monarch. Our Constitutional Federal Republic uses the form of GOVERNEMNT known as a “Representative Democracy.” Pay attention to that second word: D – E – M – O – C – R – A – C – Y, meaning we, the PEOPLE of this Republic, ARE the government, choosing from among ourselves REPRESENTATIVES using, not lots or cards or foot races, but a balloting system, called “VOTING.”
Jeez, we need to bring back Civics classes.
Nice try at appearing to know something you are incorrect about. A Republic is NOT a type of country, it is a broad definition of any type of non-monarchial government whereby a group of people come together and establish a government that abides by a charter/document/collection of laws, such as, a C-O-N-S-T-I-T-U-T-I-O-N (see I can do that too). Under the charter, a method of how the group will be represented in the government is chosen, often it is through limited popular election, but not always. The power of a Republic is bestowed by the charter, and it limits the government and gives rights to the people to protect them.
Sounds terribly familiar, right?
A democracy is either direct or representative, everyone votes and the majority decides issues (as in a ballot initiative), or you have someone you’ve chosen make it for you, akin to the Roman Senate or our House of Representatives. However, and I stress this, a democracy possesses no protections for the minority, nor limits on the power of the majority, and the government’s power is bestowed by the people themselves, and no other entity.
Ultimately, the U.S. is a Federal Republic (no need to say constitutional, it’s implied by republic), that CHOSE to use popular elections- limited or representative democracy if you will- to choose its representatives to government (although only in the House originally, which was the weakest part of Congress by far, as nearly all the real enumerated powers given the legislative branch rest with the Senate). A democracy was the last thing the Founders wanted after all.
In truth, elected representatives owe no loyalty to the people, only to the charter, and are technically supposed to choose what is best for the country, even if not for those who elected him. He was viewed as a steward, not a true representative. However, things have vastly changed from the past, when a man would be chosen to run for president and not even know he was in the running, or be elected for office without his knowledge. Now, media pressure and elective pressures push us ever closer to the type of democracy the founders feared.
/class over
Thank you for correcting his posting on a Republic. A republic is a representative democracy with a charter (e.g. Constitution)–it is not majority rule like a normal democracy. We the people have the power but we delegate that power to our representatives who we have the power to remove thru our vote if they are not following our wishes. Basically our representatives are govern per our grace not vice versa.
I meant to say have the power to remove if they are governing outside our charter (Constitution).
A quick trip to wikipedia will confirm that this Republic vs. Democracy distinction conversative conspiracy theorists are always bringing up for some bizarre reason is really completely made up, like your theory that a Republic is a form of government based on a constitution. The word Republic simply means that citizens have a say in government, and is most often used to mean Representative Democracy (shortened to Democracy because in the modern world there are no states ruled entirely by direct democracy and thus there is no reason to specify). To say the U.S. is a Republic and not a Democracy is entirely meaningless.
Yeah man, we are a DEMOCRATIC Republic, that means we have people we elect to make decisions for us instead of doing it ourselves.
Democratic Republic is merely a term invented by people wanting to emphasis the democracy already inherent within the republic system, it’s akin to saying “I am humanly homo sapien”. It arose from people not understanding the meaning of the term, and is used because everyday citizens identify with it more and it makes them feel fuzzy. Most countries that term themselves “Democratic Republic” in their titles are actually dictatorships or socialist. It’s simply a matter of misunderstood semantics.
Our form of government is a Republic, the method by which we choose our representatives is representative democracy. However, we are not a representative democracy, in term of that form of government, it carries entirely different connotations. Stating we are a Republic automatically insinuates we use representative democracy as the method of choice, so Democratic Republic is an unnecessary term.
As Ben Franklin said, “A Republic, if you can keep it”> Yes it is, but one based on the classic Greek Demokratis, where ht people have a voice in choice and selection process.
We also need to separate the current ideology of Republicanism from The Republic, as the two are not even close in concept. Moreover Republicans in teh 19th century were a far cry from the corporate stooges we have now, and will have for decades thanks to (corporate)Citizens United.
Do you people actually read the Constitution? “…each State will be guaranteed a Republican form of government.” We are not a democracy, we never were and we never will be. by the time we hit that stage the Constitution will be defunct and America will have to start over. There is nothing written in the Constitution other then selecting congress that calls for a populist vote. Originally the house was the government of the people and the Senate was the government of the state. (Some how we managed to screw that up.) We as Americans have no direct control on how the federal government is run other than choosing the people that make the decisions for us. Hence a Republic. It is no wonder we are slipping I am surrounded by stupid people that don’t know how to think. (Ironically the argument against a Democracy.)
did you choose the representatives from whom we get to pick? I didn’t pick the 10 or so names on the ballot each election…
Thank you for making the distinction
yes we are
did you really cite wikipedia? come on now.
Yes. You got a problem?
Apparently Iceland is the best!
There is a glaring problem with these info-graphic: Iceland is near the top of a lot of those bars, but they are in an amazingly crappy economic situation. Which is conveniently left out of this chart (economic variables). Don’t look too much into this biased chart.
Avert your eyes from the biased chart, children!
Iceland is 10th in GDP per capita, $37,242(wikip), one third less then the U.S. And see that they get for the money. We’re talking about a country where one biggest employers is f***ing Lazytown! And still they have free healthcare(for everyone), free school etc.
This is of course before the economic problems(thou the GDP stat might be post crisis), which was caused by going from a regulated social-democratic(or socialist for you americans) to a deregulated american style banking system. Add a couple of crocked bankers and pro-finance politicians you have the problems in iceland pretty much summed up.
LOL – but Iceland is broke and under ashes…
No shit what a smart guy r u !!!!!
Unfortunately for our conservative friend above, the quality of healthcare is measured by what is available to every day citizens of that particular country, not what is available to tourists willing to pay top dollar.
But don’t let facts ruin a perfectly good narrative, moron.
And disregard Iceland. The entire population is about 300K.
“How to completely miss the point” by tshyfghf. Well done for being thick as fuck.
at least FRANCE knows its place and its not OWN by China
@tshyfghf
You’re dumb. That is all.
Hong Kong a country? Good job dumbfuck.
Hong Kong is a country although she is not a sovereignty state.
Hong Kong a country? Good job dumbfuck.
tshyfghf, do you know anything?
So what’s the point, hater?
what a horrible font to use. SHAME ON YOU WELLINGTON GREY.
SHAME
ON
YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
Probably the most intelligent comment in this thread.
I had a laugh at the prison population. Lowest is not even close to the best.
Now do a similar chart that shows where we are #1.
Would also be interesting to see on a scale how far we are behind these countries (Like on a scale of 1 to 100)
No-where close to Number 1 there either, tshyfghf
In 2007, between 65,000 and 80,000 people visited the United States for Medical tourism reasons, and 750,000 Americans chose to try another country – an increase of 50% on the previous year. [1]
Major medical tourism destinations include –
India – 4,500,000 people / year [2]
Singapore – 4,200,000 people / year [2]
Thailand – 1,000,000 people / year [2]
Jordan – 250,000 people / year [3]
[1] http://www.forbes.com/2008/05/25/health-hospitals-care-forbeslife-cx_avd_outsourcing08_0529healthoutsourcing.html
[2] http://www.indianhealthcare.in/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&catid=39%3A&id=327%3AINDIA+TURNING+AFFORDABLE,+QUALITY+OPTION+FOR+MEDICAL+TOURISTS&Itemid=
[3] http://www.jordantimes.com/?news=10589
How can you possibly win at Democracy?
I don’t think anyone should care about Mobile Phones per capita, and how could you possibly quantize “Freedom of Press”?
This graph, although obviously misleading, does show the lunacy in claiming your country is inherently better than all others.
This graph also doesn’t recognize the fact that record keeping is so much more effective in the United States. Innumerable countries have bad record keeping, and have distorted numbers. I’m still stunned that somehow Sweden won at Democracy, kind of like winning at Irony?
Record keeping is effective in the US? I beg to differ a lot.
1. Iceland has a 99% complete record of all people that has lived on the island since 11 century.
2. Sweden has a very complete census records since 17-century with parts of the country going so far back as the 12 century
3. I believe that a lot of the US citizens right know are filling out tons of paper while doing there taxes. I made mine in 30 seconds by accepting the numbers that already was filled in by sending a simple text message with my approval code.
4. You world wide know “do-not-fly-list” is a marvel of record keeping. John Smith is probably on it – and that’s the only form of identification given about the person on the list. So every John Smith in the world is deeply checked by the security officials no matter if he is 3 month old or 99 years old.
5. A country with good record keeping does not perform censuses because they know there people from the moment they are born.
I could go on with a lot of other examples.
@tshyfghf: The French sure do. That’s all that matters.
who cares who goes to france or not? It’s quality healthcare, and you aren’t paying $6000 for four stitches on a finger…..
http://medicaltourism.com/destination/destination-item.php?title=France&lang=en
“Medical Tourism in France has been growing amongst other European countries. Visitors from the UK and its surroundings have found that visiting France for medical tourism can be a great opportunity to combine their visit with different medical care treatments.”
I am a proud member of the Tea Party moovement and I don’t beleive you! This is just more mainstreem media socialist communism and it’s not true. We are #1. Sarah said so. This is the best countrie in the world and I don’t need no dam facts to know it.
HAHAHAHAHAHA oh my God you made me laugh out loud at the office.
Well-done satire, sir. Kudos.
@ProudAmerican –you’re funny man. Love the hillbilly angle to the satire…
tshyfghf: right! I don’t go to taiwan to get an effective education either. Go figure.
/sarcasm
You got Japan and South Korea backwards in the internet connection speed category.
This is worthless, if u really believe this you need to re-evaluate your life. 1. In the United States any sign of life is considered a live infant even if delivered at 24 weeks gestation. More early on intervention with preterm and premature infants is done in the United States inflating this statistic. Classifications in other countries of when a baby is born alive is very different. Also 99% of pregnancies in the US whether my midwife, OB or other Doctor are recorded, in other countries this is highly variable. 2. If your a Saudi King do you come to the US for treatment or do u go to France? yah they all come to the Cleveland Clinic. 3. its nice that the author actually posted his sources even though they weren`t good ones but it shoes the bias of opinion and errors in statistical variance
Being a medical tourism hot spot doesn’t mean you have a good health care system for your CITIZENS.
It just means you have really good health care for whoever has the most amount of money.
That’s not a good health care system for everyone. In fact, it’d be a pretty bad one.
What an insipid graph.
Aside from the pure fun of just trying to bash America, the graph author’s attempt is to link each country’s policies with it’s statistical ranking.
If we cared enough, I’m sure we could analyze each study and learn the inherent bias’ of the surveys’ author or data.
Costa Rica seems to rank higher in “health care” than the United State so I’m sure if the graph’s author is ever unfortunate enough to be stricken with cancer or other life threatening illness, that he will promptly fly to Costa Rica for treatment. Or if his child happens to be born prematurely, I hope he happens to be in Slovakia where I’m sure his newborn baby will receive top notch medical care.
what a stupid fucking post. you only added stats where america is NOT #1. im sure we’re fucking number one in something. but either way, whoever compiled this data should get shot.
We’re number one in jingoism! America!! AMERICA!!!!!
Oh yea, because that makes America number 1 in everything
lol at all the butthurt Americans.
I’ll try to put this to good use immdeaietly.
Wow, that makes very good sense to me dude.
Lou
http://www.vpn-privacy.us.tc
I swear this is the 4th time this has been on digg
Scientific Literacy: “Iceland 1st with USA at 33rd”
USA Nobel Prizes – 320
Iceland Nobel Prizes – 1
Not meaning to nitpick, but if Iceland has 300,000 people, and the USA has 300 million, then Iceland has about 3 times as many Nobel prize winners PER CAPITA than the USA.
Having visited or lived in over 40 countries, I can say that although the USA is a great country to visit, you do have a lot to improve. Travel, get ideas from other places, and impartially implement the best. Many of these top countries were influenced by many great American ideas in the past. Don’t be afraid to grab some ideas back! And certainly don’t fall into the lazy assumption that your country cannot be improved…..
This list is comical in its pointlessness. At the end of the day when the crap hits the fan, it’s to the US the world turns and not France or f*%^in Slovakia.
ACTUALLY, the us decides to INTERFERE WHERE IT DOES NOT BELONG !!!!!
GTFO, MORON
How many of the Nobel Prizes won by Americans, were won by naturalized Americans.
If any of you who believe that this nation is really any good at being a nation NOW, please go back and look at the stats from fifty years ago.
You don’t have to be a dope if you don’t want to be. You will see that as the ultra-elite emerged the nation has taken a dump on its other citizenry.
http://medicaltourism.com/destination/destination-item.php?title=France&lang=en
” Medical Tourism in France has been growing amongst other European countries. Visitors from the UK and its surroundings have found that visiting France for medical tourism can be a great opportunity to combine their visit with different medical care treatments.
It´s medical care structure offers important medical care treatments for international patients as well as beauty enhancements for that dreamed look. Highly recognized hospitals and doctors have made a good reputation for France as a popular medical tourism destination. Surgical costs in France are between 30% and 50% lower than in the United States and other European countries.”
One problem with this is that all countries use different standards to define each topic. These differ wildly, pretty much making this worthless. Also, the WHO doesn’t qualify (ask any questions) about the data it’s given, so every country can claim pretty much whatever it wants. One more thing: America is a Republic, not a Democracy.
Actually the poor can’t go to France, and the rich can buy whatever they want here. But for some people only rich white guys are people.
Yea, we get it. America sucks. We’re just sooooo horrible. You must have had some delight putting this together. I just can’t wait to load up the suitcases and move to Finland, Taiwan or France. Yup, sucks here.
Have you ever been to a different country for more than a week to gain some kind of basis for comparison?
Your post definitely makes us seem less dickish…
actually, it does SUCK!!!! NEVER would I even contemplate moving to your dump of a cuntry…… Rather live in Siberia.
It’s funny how high on most of those lists Iceland was, and it still went bankrupt. It’s almost like spending beyond your means to provide service catches up with you one day.
you mean kind of like the us has been doing for DECADES ??? If it wasn’t for all the foreign capital coming into the us, you would be spending your time spreading your cheeks for the chinese and saudi’s, oh wait, you already do!!!
It is very unfortunate that Americans are so poorly informed about the reality of the rest of the world. At the end of World War II, America was the only country still unaffected by the bombing and actually the US industrial complex was going at its maximum speed due to the war requirements. It was at this time that Americans felt that the country was by far the strongest ( it was) and the most powerful ( it also was). Fifty years after the rest of the world has caught up in many many areas and the only thing where America is the strongest is in the Armaments. After having fought 5 wars and not won a single one ( Korea a tie, Vetnam a defeat, Panama Granada (?) Iraq ( a loss) and Afganistan still to see, but not looking very good ) while thousands and thousands of Americans died and Hundreds of Thousands of the enemies of the moment also died, we are far from having a leadership position in any of the important standards of well being, but still believe that we are number one. I have news for all of you who believe in that, we are not and we better move fast or we will be like G.B. Shaw said of America “A great civilization that went from start to decadence without going through greatness.”
Before you label any of the mentioned military campaigns as defeats, spend some time doing military homework. Maybe you have your information twisted from whatever media you choose to watch, but if Korea, Vietnam, Panama, Iraq, and Afghanistan were being assessed in terms of military goals, they have all been “military victories”. Go do some reading before making stupid judgments!
are you kidding me?… what homework are you reading?… don’t just presume that the history books in america are true.. American Propaganda is real… i think Fox have proven that.
Try to do some reading in other languages and from other countries before YOU make stupid judgments based on your redneck newspapers.
In a way you are right though… US went into Iraq to get control of the oil… and they did… they went into Afganistan to bomb Talibans… and they did… they went to Vietnam to kill communists… and they did…
You are just as misinformed as the poster I am replying to.
America when to Vietnam to kill communists? No, not quite. Have you ever talked to ANY Vietnam veterans? No? Didn’t think so. The US went to Iraq for oil? Have our oil prices gone down? Hmm no. The history books that I read are from those who are there, were there, and actually are writing objectively. Your broad assumptions are literally based on nothing but your own indoctrinated bias. Typical :/
first America went to Vietnam not to kill communists but for the opium(herion)its in afghanistan for the same reason now,and in iraq went for the oil…what a great point of view”why the oil prices didnt go down” you think thats why they went there so Americans can get cheap gas and drive their lovely SUV….There is a lot of money to be made in Iraq ..but is for the people who started the stupid war….The American propaganda is worst tha USSR had it during Stalin regime…travel ,go and see Europe.
Panama and Granada were just exercises and the mission was completed successfully. While I will agree the first Gulf war did not finish the job, a reasonable stable government has been established in Iraq and the country is heading towards a representative republic.
In a study funded by the people of Iceland…
lol imagine if they done one of those for england lol we must be like last on every single one of those topics
tshyfghf you are a dolt…. that is all.
Makes me damn proud to be Icelandic ^^
http://digg.com/comedy/IMMA_CHARGIN_MAH_ICELAND_11oneone
shawoop!
The mis-use of Infant Mortality Rates (IMR) in these kinds of graphics and articles calls into question the rest of the ‘facts.’
As Dr. Linda Halderman succinctly put it:
“Low birth weight infants are not counted against the “live birth” statistics for many countries reporting low infant mortality rates.
According to the way statistics are calculated in Canada, Germany, and Austria, a premature baby weighing <500g is not considered a living child.
But in the U.S., such very low birth weight babies are considered live births. The mortality rate of such babies — considered “unsalvageable” outside of the U.S. and therefore never alive — is extraordinarily high; up to 869 per 1,000 in the first month of life alone. This skews U.S. infant mortality statistics.
When Canada briefly registered an increased number of low weight babies previously omitted from statistical reporting, the infant mortality rose from 6.1 per 1,000 to 6.4 per thousand in just one year.
According to research done by Canada’s Bureau of Reproductive and Child Health, 'Comparisons of infant mortality rates by place and time should be adjusted for the proportion of such live births, especially if the comparisons involve recent years.'
Norway boasts one of the lowest infant mortality rates in the world. But when the main determinant of mortality — weight at birth — is factored in, Norway has no better survival rates than the United States."
I dont know TONS of people that go to america just because of their health care… really!
It’s a lot easier to make ignorant statements than it is to actually educate yourself on something
Too bad the best nation on aggregate has an one of the worst economies and is destroying other economies through poor banking and volcanos
…….because the banks in the us have been doing SSSSOOOOOO WWWWEEEELLLLLL………….moron, and the us doesn’t/hasn’t been destroying other countries for a LOOONNNGGG time???? GTFO idiot
but what about obesity?
Nice work Iceland on Democracy, Freedom of the Press, Smallest Prison Population, Lack of Corruption, Renewable Energy Use, Scientific Literacy, and Infant Survival Rate.
BAD work on the Volcano.
ICELAND is #1!
Have u been to france…. Thought so. Moron.
Iceland is also #1 for annoying volcanoes
Makes me consider moving to Iceland…
Any claim can be supported by cherry-picking the results of several not-so-scholarly studies. If someone wanted to, he could find countless categories in which the United States “ranks” first. Numbers are easily manipulated.
Alas, an objective presentation of information wasn’t the agenda here. Anti-Nationalism is hip. You want hits. I get it. I’m sure I’ll hear some sweaty teenager in a knit winter cap regurgitate these “rankings” when I buy my coffee tomorrow.
I do. When I was living in France I had a wonderful experience with their healthcare. I used it quite often for several years and was mildly disappointed, but absolutely nothing like I get in the States. Have you… ever BEEN to France? Have you ever used their healthcare? Maybe you want to qualify your argument with some personal experience or something.
I’d go to Italy.
Get well with all you can eat soup, salad and breadsticks!
Iceland is also first on Volcanic ash output. America alas is a mere #34.
Effectiveness of Education, anyone from Taiwan will tell you that the education system there isn’t great. It is very similar to that of China. Just memorize information and not lot of real world training. Fail to the poster.
Memorising knowledge does not mean it is a bad way to learn. Some knowledge might not be very meaningful in earlier life but become very valuable when associating countless situations in later life. When one grows older, he is less likely to have time, patient, and concentration to memorise things again. There are lot of factors affect the effectiveness of learning, but one cannot learn effectively without memorising.
Conspicuously left out are America’s ratings in philanthropy, foreign aid, medical technological innovation, military advancements, space advancements, etc, etc, etc. The author fails in almost every way imaginable to be objective – when you just throw raw numbers around while failing to take into account social, cultural, and economic factors behind them you are failing to make real use of that very data. Cell phone usage? Woah! How does that matter at all? And as far as Freedom of Press goes, here is a nice excerpt you failed to mention (via their compilation methods) “The index should in no way be taken as an indication of the quality of the press in the countries concerned.” (http://en.rsf.org/IMG/pdf/note_methodo_en.pdf). Objectivity is what gets society and science places, not this bullshit.
America’s ratings in foreign aid you say:
Okey, USA is 1st place for absolute spending in foreign aid but only about 19th place as a percentage of Gross National Income. How’s that for a generous country?
http://www.undispatch.com/international-foreign-aid-score-card
That is a sad attempt to berate the US. 19# based on GNP, but that doesn’t take private or personal donations into account, just tax funded giveaways. Our system of government is on a much larger and more complex scale than the Swedish system. Read between the lines, tool. The US’ philanthropic and charity efforts are far beyond and away from any other country. I don’t see Sweden doing much in any news outlet.
Most of our foreign aid is military goodies for the other fascists states.
Of course in “private or personal” donations America is #1. Because there are the most super-rich in America. They are super-rich, because America is NOT #1 in all the fields that matter. Also why the GDP is not listed – it just doesn’t matter for the MAJORITY OF ACTUAL CITIZENS.
I’ll take a bet that the USA has long been outpaced in the field of medical advancements. And might you care to enlighten me why military and space advancements are of any use? Kill people and fly in space, that helps your children’s education. Not.
This reminds me.. FIGURES LIE AND LIARS FIGURE.
I think this idiot missed the point. ^^^^
In many cases, the US has something of a disadvantage in being a country spread out over a large geographic area. It’s easier for a smaller country in a contained geographic area, for example, to provide faster internet speeds to its citizens. In other cases, one hopes these statistics are a wake-up call to the American populace.
I’m an American living in South Korea and I find it hard to believe that South Korea ranks below the US in cellphone ownership.
From personal experience, cell phone ownership is as near 100% as any country in the world.
The smallest amount of research supports this.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_South_Korea#Cellular_phones
I think you’ll find French healthcare is for the French – as in they have a free healthcare system that CARES for their citizens.
@tshyfghf: Not the Palins. They go to Canada.
The reference for freedom of press shows America being tied for #20 (a lot of countries tie, in fact); where did #41 come from?
The United States is a very large and populous country compared to some of the other countries ranking high on the list. Some things such as “smallest prison population” are negated simply because the US has 300 million residents while Iceland has 300,000. Some of the other things such as Scientific Literacy (however that is defined) need to be improved.
@tshyfghf I believe the people who are ‘medical tourists’ are wealthy individuals who use the United States to bypass their own slow health care systems. While I agree that wealthy people should be able to get a premium level of care, should we be proud of our health care system which has the wealthy flocking to us?
How do you explain that India has a smaller prison population that USA? India is close to 4 times the population size of the USA. I think the graph actually takes in to account difference in population by using % of the population.
RE: prison population: In absolute numbers, maybe; But I’d guess a lot of such numbers are in a per-capita or percentage of total population respect.
If you look at the sources, you would see that it’s per capita.
I don’t think anyone ever thought of America as #1 expect americans themselves…
BINGO !!!!! ^^^^^^^
Your graphic puts US at #41 for freedom of press. Your source says it is 20th. Fail.
If America is not number one then tell me why so many people are trying to get in here illegally?
That’s a dumb comment. Not being the best doesn’t mean their original countries aren’t worst.
Especially the ones south of us. I haven’t heard of many Canadians making breaks across the border except to sell dope. Then they go home.
because you ARE the LARGEST consumers of illicit narcotics in the world, so there, you ARE number 1 at something. Now you can go to sleep knowing you’re number 1 in something…
BTW – Pot imported to the states from Canada goes for about 1.5k/pound ( Canadian ) in Canada, how much are you morons paying, 5-6k ( in us $$ ), thanks for the $$$
What a meaningless set of numbers.
Which is one of the reasons that you are lost. They have meaning. Your inability to perceive facts is meaningless.
There are a few graphs missing . . . . .
Military spending.
Polarization of wealth distribution.
CO2 emissions.
Obesity rates.
USA #1 USA #1 USA #1 !!!!(or close) ! ! ! !
Military Spending: America spends more on its military than any other country – yet we assist MANY foreign countries with military aid, advisors, and weapons technology. The world looks to America for anything military related.
Polarization of wealth distribution: False. America’s poor receive help in tons of forms, everything from welfare, to medicaid etc. Despite popular belief, most hospitals will give indigent persons free or nearly free health services.
CO2 emissions: America produces the most CO2, but we also are spearheading new renewable energy resources. India and especially China burn way more dirty coal than we do, and since they are developing, don’t care.
Obesity Rates: America sure has a lot of fat people, but do some investigating into how that is ranked – via BMI scales. Accordingly, the fittest athletes are considered “morbidly obese” based on the BMI charts. Not to mention, slightly overweight people live the longest and healthiest of anyone.
Facts and Reality 1 : Your biased misconceptions 0
lol eRokk I am so glad I waited until this late in the day to read digg, or I would’ve missed all your hilarious comments.
The world looks to America for anything military related because we’ve already declared ourselves the police system of the entire world. Why would other countries waste their money trying to be the coolest country on the block when they know we’ll come smashing down someones door just to say, LOOK AT US, LOOK WHAT WE ARE DOING FOR EVERYONE!
Think about it, all of our military spending has yet to be actually utilized on any real or practical threat. We just spend billions of dollars running around through the desert killing people who can’t afford and do not have the means to even place a phone call to the united states, let alone bomb it haha.
I also would really like to see a source cited for “Accordingly, the fittest athletes are considered “morbidly obese””, this is absolutely plain as day one of the most retarded things I’ve ever heard. MORBIDLY obese? Let’s just try to make some more stuff up and that’ll make us seem right.
And the comment about polarization of wealth, you obviously have absolutely no idea what that means in any way. Polarization of wealth in no way translates into “How much money your government gives poor people”. It’s almost like you aren’t even reading anything anyone says and just talking about completely different topics.
And all of the wars mentioned were absolute failures. Just because George Bush comes on the TV and says “Mission Accomplished!” you think oh geeze, another winner for America! Name one productive result of the war in Iraq, or the war in Vietnam? Would the world be controlled by vietnamese right now if we wouldn’t have gone there, lost countless numbers of lives, and then decided that we were just gonna leave after accomplishing nothing?
eRokk: “America doesn’t have the most polarized wealth, my money isn’t cold at all!”
Wow… you really do believe all that, don’t you. That’s sort of… well, sad, but it sort of fits the picture, I guess.
“The world looks to America for anything military related.”
Ahem, yeah, sure we do, sure… We all look to you, you the kings of the world, instead of, say, international coalitions such as UN and NATO…
“India and especially China burn way more dirty coal than we do, and since they are developing, don’t care.”
Soo… when did “well those guys are even worse” become a viable excuse? Here’s some news: The fact that somebody else sucks more than you do doesn’t make you guys suck any less.
“Polarization of wealth distribution: False. America’s poor receive help in tons of forms, everything from welfare, to medicaid etc. Despite popular belief, most hospitals will give indigent persons free or nearly free health services.”
LOL! Oh yes, your silly country has no problems with polarization of wealth distribution, oh sure, because we all know how brilliantly helpful you are to people. You make it possible for anyone to get back on their feet by providing a good welfare system… oh, wait, you don’t! As a sidenote, it’s quite funny to see that you’d consider *most* hospitals giving practically free health services a *positive* thing. In a civilized country, *any* hospital refusing to care for a patient in need without first checking their bank balance would be an abomination.
“America sure has a lot of fat people, but do some investigating into how that is ranked – via BMI scales. ”
True that BMI is an idiotic scale, and not a good reference at all. But, see, disregarding that reference does not prove that you wouldn’t have an obesity problem, only that it’s not proven by that reference that you do. I’m pretty sure that if you take any valid obesity scale, that would still show that you have an obesity problem.
LOL………very true
You, sir, seem to mistake medical tourism and health care.
A lot of people finding some medical treatment really cheaper in some country doesn’t mean that the overall country health care is excellent.
I see glass as being half full: Rating USA @ 30 in Life Expectancy means that it has better expectancy than in 137 other countries in the world. Eat that!
Well, it’s just about USA not being #1, so your argument is invalid. ^^
It’s not about affordability or availability, it’s about quality.
All that made me think was GO ICELAND!
This looks like propaganda to me.
It’s probably a natural reaction to think things containing facts we don’t like look like propaganda.
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