US fails to crack top 10 as best place to live

steve55 · Post by **steve55** » November 30th, 2012, 11:44 am

See http://shine.yahoo.com/healthy-living/b ... 00116.html

Though America may be the "land of opportunity," Switzerland will be the best place to be born in 2013 according to a quality-of-life index from the Economist Intelligence Unit.

The EIU, a sister company to The Economist magazine, determines quality of life based on surveys of the population covering 11 factors including wealth, crime, family life, trust in government and the stability of the economy.

Best U.S. states to live in 2032

Income estimates for babies born in 2013 are based on projections for the year 2030, when those children will come of age.

The top ten best places to be born in 2013:
1. Switzerland
2. Australia
3. Norway
4. Sweden
5. Denmark
6. Singapore
7. New Zealand
8. Netherlands
9. Canada
10. Hong Kong

With its small but very stable economy, Switzerland comes in first, wealthy, healthy and trusting of its public institutions. The United States, "where babies will inherit the large debts of the boomer generation, languishes back in 16th place," the EIU explains. Feeling the effects of the European monetary crisis, "the largest European economies, France (26), Germany (tied with the U.S. for 16) and Britain (27), don't do particularly well."

The quality-of-life index also reflects changes in the Middle East and North Africa, where "life expectancy continues to increase steadily and political freedoms have spread across the globe," though Nigeria comes in as the worst place for a baby to be born in 2013.

Other interesting ratings include China, coming in at 49, and Russia, coming in at 72.

Back in 1988, the United States was in first place, with France in second, and West Germany in third. Zimbabwe was last, with Iraq second to last and Iran third to last.

For a more detailed explanation of how these numbers are calculated, see "the lottery of life methodology."

All said, the takeaway from the index seems to be that in today's world, a country's stability and trust in public institutions results in the best quality of life for its citizens.

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ladislav · Post by **ladislav** » November 30th, 2012, 11:48 am

The US is an excellent place to be born because you get citizenship just by being born here. Most other developed countries require that at least one parents be citizen or at least resident.
So the list should have an addition-"born as a citizen of..."
The article was written by an American who is not aware of Jus Sangunis laws of most countries outside of the US.
Even in Australia, just being born there means nothing.

zboy1 · Post by **zboy1** » November 30th, 2012, 12:15 pm

ladislav wrote:The US is an excellent place to be born because you get citizenship just by being born here. Most other developed countries require that at least one parents be citizen or at least resident.
So the list should have an addition-"born as a citizen of..."
The article was written by an American who is not aware of Jus Sangunis laws of most countries outside of the US.
Even in Australia, just being born there means nothing.

The U.S. citizenship and the good, but very expensive universities/colleges is the only good thing about the U.S. these days...

OzGuy · Post by **OzGuy** » November 30th, 2012, 12:42 pm

I grew up in Australia and now live in Switzerland

I have dual citizenship.

abcdavid01 · Post by **abcdavid01** » November 30th, 2012, 12:46 pm

I'm not buying the great universities myth. We have great research institutions in the U.S. filled up with foreigners. Undergrad programs are pretty abysmal.

"Opportunities are available in all walks of life in Australia! So if you're young and if you're healthy why not get a boat and come to Australia?" - The Kinks

Anti-American · Post by **Anti-American** » November 30th, 2012, 1:15 pm

I agree with abcdavid01. I'm not buying into the USA has great universities myth also.

Tsar · Post by **Tsar** » November 30th, 2012, 1:16 pm

I'm happy to finally see the truth being reported. America isn't the best country to be born in and hasn't been for at least one decade. Things will be getting a lot worse in America. In America everything is basically "Hell" You might have some good moments, enjoy the wide variety of stores, or the familiarity but ultimately all the negatives, isolation, servitude, and lack of companionship is "Hell" This "Hell" is for every person in America and it's getting more difficult for people to leave. If there were free borders like the Euro how many Americans would just get up and leave to go live somewhere else if they could have a job overseas, a functional government, a fairer economic system, and ( for men have a selection of quality of women)? Most Americans. I wouldn't be surprised if in the future the U.S. Government tries to keep people inside creating an equivalent of a "Berlin Wall" for Americans. The illegal immigration in America is occurring but it's like a smokescreen for the aging demographics and real problems with good jobs being removed by corporations.

If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State.
-Joseph Goebbels

Tsar · Post by **Tsar** » November 30th, 2012, 1:25 pm

Anti-American wrote:I agree with abcdavid01. I'm not buying into the USA has great universities myth as well.

There are good universities all over the world especially in Europe, Asia, Australia...

In America many undergraduates are required to take electives and general education. Most people need loans, pay for overpriced books, and essentially become serfs.

In many other countries tuition is free or very inexpensive (only for their citizens and residents), there is more specialization, less general education, and people do not come out debtors/serfs. They come out beginning their lives with freedom and opportunity.

Good universities in America? They might be "good" but they're overpriced, turned into an industry rather than a place for educating the populace, and turns people into serfs/debtors.

A population enslaved by debt is more easily controlled and kept in check. Tyranny flourishes under such a system because not only are people poor, they are forced to stay in line serving corporations and the U.S. government unless they have a desire to lose everything and be destitute and totally financially ruined. Very few people have careers where they break-even and even fewer will rise the socioeconomic ladder.

Another Generation Becomes First Generation to Live Worse than Parents
http://reason.com/blog/2012/08/27/anoth ... st-generat

Report reveals that American men in their 30s earn less than their fathers did, as family income growth decelerates.
http://money.cnn.com/2007/05/25/pf/mobi ... /index.htm

ladislav · Post by **ladislav** » November 30th, 2012, 2:51 pm

US universities are good in the sense that they are easy to get into. Yes, in Europe and other such places they are either free or cheap but hard to get into. If you want the gov't to pay you to get a degree, they want to make sure you are smart and diligent and will do a good job. And they can kick you out just like that!

Many smaller US universities compete for students as you would compete for customers and make it easy for them to get in. This is why they are full of people from many ( mostly 2d/ 3d world) countries who could not pass local stringent entrance exams but who were able to get into US colleges just like that! Some students in Asian countries commit suicide if they do not pass the entrance exams. No biggie in the US- just apply somewhere in N. Dacota or some small college in Mississippi and they'll take you. They need your money.

Also, admission requirements at many colleges have been lowered to accommodate previously disadvantaged classes and the GPA required to stay in college was lowered to 2. So, anyone who was not bright enough back home - they needed a 3.7 GPA there to get into college- was now above average in the USA.

And when you go back to your country with a US degree, they will treat you OK.

Also, there are many non-accredited ( but legal and approved) colleges and universities which will help you earn a BA/MA/PhD. Now, while they may not be acceptable in many places in the USA, people from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Thailand, etc will benefit from such degrees in the private sector of their country when competing for private sector jobs.

Say, one has a degree from University of Karachi, one from International American Louisiana Academy of the World ( a PO Box somewhere). The latter was will get the $600 a month job because he has an American diploma. They don't know the difference between an accredited and non-accredited one.

For refugees and people with green cards, the US is heaven when it comes to degrees. You do not need to take TOEFL or have high grades- all you do is you apply as a regular American student.

So, people who would have been laborers back home become degree holders in the USA.

abcdavid01 · Post by **abcdavid01** » November 30th, 2012, 3:29 pm

From the article Tsar posted:

"The expectation that each generation will do better than their parents has become a fundamental part of what we call 'The American Dream,'" said Morton. "But this new analysis suggests this bedrock belief may be shifting under our feet."

I am still chasing that dream, but I am convinced I must look outside America to do so.

innovatorsclub · Post by **innovatorsclub** » November 30th, 2012, 5:09 pm

http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/arch ... in-decline

ladislav · Post by **ladislav** » November 30th, 2012, 5:11 pm

abcdavid01 wrote:From the article Tsar posted:

"The expectation that each generation will do better than their parents has become a fundamental part of what we call 'The American Dream,'" said Morton. "But this new analysis suggests this bedrock belief may be shifting under our feet."

I am still chasing that dream, but I am convinced I must look outside America to do so.

My philosophy has been not to just look outside but to combine America with other countries. This way my heart is not full of anger or frustration as it would have been had I not quilted my world from all its wonderful patches. US citizenship + a US degree. Arab or Japanese economic opportunities, Latin American, SE Asia and E. European social life and maybe NZ nature or Canadian nature, etc. This way you live a complete life.

Google the Five Flag Theory. An excellent idea.

Anti-American · Post by **Anti-American** » November 30th, 2012, 5:15 pm

Ladislav, how would an AA(Associates degree) from an American community college fare outside the US?

ladislav · Post by **ladislav** » November 30th, 2012, 5:30 pm

AA ( pun intended) . It really depends what your degree is in. For teaching anywhere where the pay is semi decent, you will need a BA.

abcdavid01 · Post by **abcdavid01** » November 30th, 2012, 5:56 pm

ladislav wrote:
abcdavid01 wrote:From the article Tsar posted:

"The expectation that each generation will do better than their parents has become a fundamental part of what we call 'The American Dream,'" said Morton. "But this new analysis suggests this bedrock belief may be shifting under our feet."

I am still chasing that dream, but I am convinced I must look outside America to do so.
My philosophy has been not to just look outside but to combine America with other countries. This way my heart is not full of anger or frustration as it would have been had I not quilted my world from all its wonderful patches. US citizenship + a US degree. Arab or Japanese economic opportunities, Latin American, SE Asia and E. European social life and maybe NZ nature or Canadian nature, etc. This way you live a complete life.

Google the Five Flag Theory. An excellent idea.

Well...I'm a young guy and I'm looking to start investing once I build up enough in savings. My dad's actually asked me for investment advice before; he lost on Facebook (I was a skeptic) and had about a million during the dotcom bubble. So yeah, I like the idea of asset protection. I'm just trying to wrap my head around how to build a family into this. Get dual citizenship, fly out to U.S. in early pregnancy and wait until the kid's born there, keep businesses operating in tax havens, and actually raise the family in whatever good culture there is between flying to U.S. for the births. Something like that?

Actually, is that even necessary? If a parent holds dual citizenship with U.S. and some other country, but has a child born in that other country, are they also granted citizenship here? It's just confusing figuring out the logistics beyond one person.