[News] World’s happiest countries

[Herr Tubthumper]

Great if you like high taxes, even higher than ours. Personally I prefer to keep more of my money so that I can decide what to spend it on. Hunt and Sunak please note. As an aside, was just reading the Reform Party website and I think that will be where my vote goes next time. A whole raft of very sensible policies.

A tomato maybe? Extra bar on the heater for a few hours?

 

[Machiavelli]

Nobody likes high taxes, but it's a price worth paying if it means everything actually works. You find that in Scandinavia and the Netherlands, crime is lower than here because fewer people are desperate, the trains run on time, the roads are looked after, energy is cheaper because they haven't sold it off, and their health services aren't falling apart at the seams. And all this despite taking in far more immigrants per capita than we do. It's almost as if immigrants aren't really the problem we're told they are here.

But please do vote Reform. I love the fact they exist as they appeal to the hard of thinking. That's fine, that's democracy. But in a FPTP system their increased presence is a Godsend to everyone else as all they do is split the right wing vote.

I like high taxes. Especially for those that have the highest income and wealth that has ever existed in human history. But it can filter down further than that too.

 

[Machiavelli]

Israel would be number 1 if the hardline Palestinians would allow their people to live in peace

Israel has made it to number 4 because they derive so much jouissance from making Palestinians life a misery.

 

[Machiavelli]

Despite the regular advice on this thread, I wouldn't take this with a pinch of salt. There is robust evidence that the more equal a society is, the better the outcome, and this is just further confirmation of that.

 

[BadFish]

A tomato maybe? Extra bar on the heater for a few hours?

Many of the countries on that list are known for higher taxes. I wonder if their is any correlation between higher taxes, you know looking after your society and caring for others. . . and happiness?

 

[RandyWanger]

Doesn't Finland have the highest death rate of under 25s in Europe for drug abuse? Do people take drugs because they're happy or because life is shit and they need an escape? Don't know, not a druggie.

 

[Live by the sea]

I would take that list with a pinch of salt.

Israel at 4 aye...if only they could allow their Palestinian neighbors some happiness, that would be nice.

Interestingly the last few public surveys carried out in Israel have all strongly supported a peaceful co existence with their Palestinian neighbours. Unfortunately that can’t be done unless both sides want it .

There’s no incentive for many countries within the Arab world to help encourage it and clamp down on the likes of Iran and Syria arming the various jihadi groups as it doesn’t suit their narrative that Israel is the enemy of Islam and should be destroyed .

There is some hope I understand from a couple of less hardline Arab regimes that are starting to see the economic and security benefits of helping to broker a genuine peace .

 

[Swansman]

Easier to live in most countries on that list than in most places, which maybe doesn't automatically make people happy but at least less unhappy. Less misery is a sort of happiness I suppose.

 

[goldstone]

Australia in at number 12. New Zealand is happier because the Wallabies always end up under All Black boots.

New Zealand happier since they got rid of that hateful woman PM.

all well and good until you want a dentist.

I have no problem finding a dentist. I'm happy to pay to have my teeth looked after. And happier than paying even higher taxes so that I can contribute towards getting the teeth of the entire population fixed.

 

[METALMICKY]

Finland , Finland , Finland
The country where I want to be
Pony trekking or camping or just watching T.V
Finland , Finland , Finland
It's the country for me

Doesn't Finland have the highest death rate of under 25s in Europe for drug abuse? Do people take drugs because they're happy or because life is shit and they need an escape? Don't know, not a druggie.

Further proof that this survey is flawed. Their suicide rate is high and the blokes drink way too much cheap vodka. The reduced amount of daylight and generally cold weather also doesn't help. I've not been there for many years but it used to feel like a nation that was always looking over it's shoulder at the Russians

I'm qualified to comment as my sister in law is Finnish and comes from a town called Kuusankoski where Sami Hyypiä was raised. I've forgiven her that!

On the positives there's some great fishing to be done in a land full of lakes and forests. They also gave us the sauna which virtually every house has. And the correct pronounciation is in fact ' Sow Na ' and not ' Saw Na '.

 

[nicko31]

So much for "Seasonal Effective Disorder"

 

[Simster]

And the correct pronounciation is in fact ' Sow Na ' and not ' Saw Na '.

I am tempted to start a crusade calling them sownas now.

I already get very irritated when I'm handed a LARTAY.

No, I ordered a f**king LATTE you twunt.

 

[Iggle Piggle]

I briefly worked in Finland in winter. I was about as happy as a Palace fan waiting to get the train last Wednesday. Needed some Vitamin D by the end of it.

 

[PeterT]

Surely China should be on there, you never hear anyone who lives there complaining?

 

[Albion in the north]

Large pinch of salt. Finland also has one of the highest suicide rates in the west according to the WHO.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Most of those are cold expensive places. Israel is always in turmoil. Of those top 10 I would choose New Zealand, but my No.1 would be Wales.

When I thought about moving to NZ in the 90s, I discovered it had one of the worst male teenage suicide rates in the world. This was attributed to the 'macho' rugby culture and austere Scottish heritage, which may suit some, but not most teenage boys.

If one of the questions asked of everyone "On a scale of 0-100, how happy are you that your family returned to a homeland after a 2000 year diaspora?" then I can understand how Israel scores so highly.

Did you know that more than 100% of surveys contain flawed and misleading content owing to careless and ambiguous syntax?

 

[sydney]

Finland , Finland , Finland
The country where I want to be
Pony trekking or camping or just watching T.V
Finland , Finland , Finland
It's the country for me

i like chinese.

aaaand sorry load of bollocks .....2 hrs daylight and a mean temp of minus 14 .....nah sorry geoff.

@Harry Wilson's tackle load of old bollocks

 

[Coldeanseagull]

Further proof that this survey is flawed. Their suicide rate is high and the blokes drink way too much cheap vodka. The reduced amount of daylight and generally cold weather also doesn't help. I've not been there for many years but it used to feel like a nation that was always looking over it's shoulder at the Russians

I'm qualified to comment as my sister in law is Finnish and comes from a town called Kuusankoski where Sami Hyypiä was raised. I've forgiven her that!

On the positives there's some great fishing to be done in a land full of lakes and forests. They also gave us the sauna which virtually every house has. And the correct pronounciation is in fact ' Sow Na ' and not ' Saw Na '.

Is that sow, as in sew, or sow as in pig?

 

[METALMICKY]

Is that sow, as in sew, or sow as in pig?

Sow as in the pig. The world wide mispronounciation seems to really irk my sister in law.

 

[Simster]

New Zealand happier since they got rid of that hateful woman PM.

I have no problem finding a dentist. I'm happy to pay to have my teeth looked after. And happier than paying even higher taxes so that I can contribute towards getting the teeth of the entire population fixed.

Why do you feel like that about your teeth but not about your general health or education?

I don't see any difference, personally. The cost of a dental checkup is quite prohibitive to some people, never mind the actual dental work when it's needed.