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Octavius Hite
Joined: 28 Jan 2004
Location: Househunting, looking for a new bunker from which to convert the world to homosexuality.
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 Posted: Thu Nov 09, 2006 4:52 pm Post subject: Canada 6th best country to live in |
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I would like us to be #1 but I will take number 6.
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2006/11/09/2289785-ap.html
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SLO, Norway (AP) - The United Nations ranked Norway as the best country to live in for a sixth consecutive year Thursday, prompting its aid minister to tell Norwegians to stop whining about wanting more.
Canada ranked sixth on the index.
Oil-rich Norway, with its generous welfare state, topped the UN Development Program's human development index, based on such criteria as life expectancy, education and income.
Iceland was No. 2, followed by Australia, Ireland, Sweden, Canada, Japan and the United States.
Despite wealth, high levels of education, low unemployment, and an economic boom, Norwegians often complain of high taxes and of weaknesses in their cradle-to-grave welfare state, such as waiting lists at hospitals and a shortage of public care for both children and the elderly.
"There are unsolved problems in Norway, but let us battle this culture of whining, and look at the future with optimism," Aid Minister Erik Solheim was quoted as saying in an interview with the Norwegian news agency NTB.
Solheim said instead of complaining, Norwegians should work on solving those problems, and to share their wealth with poorer countries. Norway is already one of the world's most generous foreign aid donors per capita, giving nearly one per cent of its gross national product.
"The top place should make us show humility," said Solheim in the NTB interview. "Norway should be seen as a modern, rich and successful society, but should also be seen as a generous country. The world must see us as rich and generous, not rich and miserly."
Norway, a country of 4.6 million people, is the world's third-largest oil exporter, after Saudi Arabia.
The five countries with the lowest scores were Guinea-Bissau in 173rd place, Burkina Faso as 174, Mali as 175, Sierra Leone as 176, and Niger 177. The report was unable to rank 17 countries, such as Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia, because there was insufficient data.
According to the study, Norwegians earn 40 times more than the study's lowest-ranked country, Niger, live almost twice as long, and have nearly five times the literacy rate. |
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cbclark4
Joined: 20 Aug 2006
Location: Masan
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| Posted: Thu Nov 09, 2006 4:53 pm Post subject: |
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Didn't we already discuss this?
cbc |
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laogaiguk
Joined: 06 Dec 2005
Location: somewhere in Korea
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| Posted: Thu Nov 09, 2006 5:02 pm Post subject: |
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| There was also that study that was posted here where 9 of the 10 top ones were European, and Canada wasn't on it. Ofcourse, it was done by Europeans. But I think many people have different ideas of what would make a good country too. I am sure Meegook would love for a Christian Taliban controlled Afghanistan thing going on. He would rank that number 1. |
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-X-
Joined: 04 Sep 2006
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| Posted: Thu Nov 09, 2006 8:26 pm Post subject: |
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| Norway #1 and Iceland #2?? i guess they didnt take environment and climate into consideration. |
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Meegook
Joined: 12 Oct 2006
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| Posted: Thu Nov 09, 2006 8:56 pm Post subject: |
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| Yeah, right, that's why the Canadians 'Snowbirds' stay in Florida all winter if not most of the time. |
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gang ah jee
Joined: 14 Jan 2003
Location: city of paper
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| Posted: Thu Nov 09, 2006 9:01 pm Post subject: |
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| -X- wrote: |
| Norway #1 and Iceland #2?? i guess they didnt take environment and climate into consideration. |
"Have you spent winter in Norway, with the cold and darkness?"
- Olav Kjoerven, Norway's Deputy Foreign Minister
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2149799.stm
And seriously, how did New Zealand end up out of the top 15? |
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laogaiguk
Joined: 06 Dec 2005
Location: somewhere in Korea
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| Posted: Thu Nov 09, 2006 9:28 pm Post subject: |
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| That's the thing. I don't think the UN survey takes into account comforts, just necessities like health care, standard of living (objective, not subjective like weather). It doesn't mean they are the most popular to live. |
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gang ah jee
Joined: 14 Jan 2003
Location: city of paper
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| Posted: Thu Nov 09, 2006 9:42 pm Post subject: |
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| laogaiguk wrote: |
| That's the thing. I don't think the UN survey takes into account comforts, just necessities like health care, standard of living (objective, not subjective like weather). It doesn't mean they are the most popular to live. |
I reckon. And anyway, what does Sweden have that Norway doesn't?
Good neighbours.
Yes, it's not really relevant, but I got sick of waiting for a chance to tell my hilarious Sweden joke. |
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Yu_Bum_suk
Joined: 25 Dec 2004
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| Posted: Thu Nov 09, 2006 9:59 pm Post subject: |
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| So will the Irish government start using taxpayers' money to take out ads on national TV telling eveyone how wonderful their country is? |
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mindmetoo
Joined: 02 Feb 2004
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| Posted: Thu Nov 09, 2006 11:02 pm Post subject: |
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If I recall the ratings they typically cite are for, what, white middle classed males between age 25-55? Don't they have various rankings, for retired people, for women, etc.
Yeah Canada was #1 for several years in a row but those homogeneous Norwegians and their North Sea oil just nudged Canada down. |
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-X-
Joined: 04 Sep 2006
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| Posted: Thu Nov 09, 2006 11:10 pm Post subject: |
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| Meegook wrote: |
| Yeah, right, that's why the Canadians 'Snowbirds' stay in Florida all winter if not most of the time. |
There are still places in Canada that get little to no snow, the winters are short and the temperatures are mild. I wonder if Norway or Iceland can make that claim?
I always thought Australia and Canada duked it out for best places in the world in which to live?
Heres the Top 15 cities in which to live according to the Economist Intelligence Unit. apparently when ranking them, they
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| "...looked at 12 factors including housing, education, recreational activities and climate, rating every city on a five-point scale in each category, with five indicating extreme hardship." |
1. (tie) Melbourne, Australia
1. Vancouver, Canada
3. Perth, Australia
4. (tie) Vienna, Austria
4. Toronto, Canada
4. Geneva, Switzerland
4. Zurich, Switzerland
8. (tie) Adelaide, Australia
8. Brisbane, Australia
8. Sydney,Australia
8. Copenhagen, Denmark
8. Dusseldorf, Germany
8. Frankfurt, Germany
8. Oslo, Norway
8. Montreal, Canada |
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brento1138
Joined: 17 Nov 2004
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| Posted: Thu Nov 09, 2006 11:17 pm Post subject: Re: Canada 6th best country to live in |
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| So basically Australia is the best country to live in. |
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cwemory
Joined: 14 Jan 2006
Location: Gunpo, Korea
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| Posted: Fri Nov 10, 2006 1:37 am Post subject: |
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| Where was Korea? |
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The Man known as The Man
Joined: 29 Mar 2003
Location: 3 cheers for Ted Haggard oh yeah!
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| Posted: Mon Nov 13, 2006 6:21 am Post subject: |
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| God Save the Queen of Canada! |
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Ilsanman
Joined: 15 Aug 2003
Location: Bucheon, Korea
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| Posted: Mon Nov 13, 2006 7:00 pm Post subject: yes |
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| I am glad we are high on the list, but not the top. Being #1 gives the goverment an excuse to tell people that everything is hunky dory, and to shut up. Sort of what the government of Norway is telling their people. |
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