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Okay, I'm posting this knowing that it's going to be controversial and provocative. Mostly though, I think the subject is fascinating and worthy of consideration.

The latest issue of Newsweek magazine seeks to list the Top 100 countries in the world, placed in the order they ranked in terms of the following criterion: If you were born today, which country would provide you the very best opportunity to live a healthy, safe, reasonably prosperous, and upwardly mobile life? In answering this question, Newsweek chose five categories of national well-being -- education, health, quality of life, economic competitiveness, and political environment -- and compared the results across 100 nations. I won't bore you with all the details of who was on the committee that compiled and analyzed the data, but it's an impressive group of people from a variety of countries.

My hope is that this post will serve as the catalyst for a lively, rant-free discussion. With that in mind, here are the top 25 countries on Newsweek's list:

1. Finland
2. Switzerland
3. Sweden
4. Australia
5. Luxembourg
6. Norway
7. Canada
8. Netherlands
9. Japan
10. Denmark
11. United States
12. Germany
13. New Zealand
14. United Kingdom
15. South Korea
16. France
17. Ireland
18. Austria
19. Belgium
20. Singapore
21. Spain
22. Israel
23. Italy
24. Slovenia
25. Czech Republic

I was not so suprised that the Netherlans were high in the list,but i was amazed that the skandinavy country were so high,,i'm not a man of the world so i hope to know why,,only thing i know is that it are expensive country's and i heard they stick together get there hands out of there sleeves

I don't want to say something poltical but here in Holland we have trouble with making a new cabinet,,so we going a view placeS below the 8..and they must hurry before the world crisis get a new grip...

Shoot. Now 'll have to move to Finland!

The best country in the world is the one you live in because you make your own life positive or negative and it does not depend on where you live. Where you live might provide more challenges (sometime huge challenges), but ultimately, our perceptive on our life situation is what creates or hinders our peace and joy in living. For example, some holocaust camp survivors went through that horrible experience and still found bits of joy in loving others during it.

My two cents, Bud

buddy wrote:

The best country in the world is the one you live in because you make your own life positive or negative and it does not depend on where you live. Where you live might provide more challenges (sometime huge challenges), but ultimately, our perceptive on our life situation is what creates or hinders our peace and joy in living. For example, some holocaust camp survivors went through that horrible experience and still found bits of joy in loving others during it.

My two cents, Bud

You said well Buddy,,life is all to survive it and make the best of it and if we can help or naber(see it very broad),we can't party everyday but it is worth to try it..

I hear what you're saying, Buddy, and I appreciate that our lives are what we can make of them. But there are many, many countries where events happen that are beyond the control of the citizenry. There are places where people can't get even minimal health care, where violence is pervasive, and where girls can't even get an education or decide the course of their own lives. Can people still be happy in that environment? Probably. But the environment isn't making it very easy for them.

Having lost well over half of my relatives in the death camps, and having grown up in a Jewish neighborhood in Los Angeles, I've had the opportunity to talk to many holocaust survivors over my lifetime, and while they likely managed to find tiny things that gave them brief moments of pleasure while they awaited their fate, not one of them would say that Germany or Poland in 1943 was the best country in the world.

This list isn't so much about what you as an individual do with the opportunities you have; it's about which countries are giving you those opportunities in the first place -- the opportunities to grow up healthy, happy, and successful.

I'm surprised that the US is rated as high as it is. Personally, I might have put it around 20. This country used to be great. Then we elected people that should never have even been allowed to run. Hmmm... I feel a rant coming on. That's it for me.

Personally I agree with John Lennon on the subject. Just imagine.

But to contribute to the discussion:

I think the dangerous thing is to assume that any country has it all figured out. Sweden for example is a nice place to live but the taxes are crippling. For them it works as they accept high taxes as a fair trade off for a high standard of living. In other places such an approach would be unthinkable.

I'm surprised Germany is as far down the list as it is.

I think the USA is such an influence on the rest of the World culturally. Sometimes for the better, sometimes maybe not. But if that were a criteria the US would be further up the list.

This list is odd to me at best...there are some truly strange choices, based on the selection criteria, and a number of gaping omissions.

Contextually there are some challenges as well..

If one were to move from say the UK to the US..the currency delta has a huge impact on that outcome. Currency and cost of living can be stacked or reversed..(ie Australian moves from Oz to US and loses 30% of his wealth dollar for dollar..and moves to California where tax and cost of living is beyond a joke)...

From a micro perspective, many places in these countries are simply not reflective of the purpose..so honing down geographically is critical..

Colorado or say Sun Valley are great examples of magnificent places to go, for health, jobs, climate, tax etc etc..but Detroit, or New York or even most of California if not all are the opposite..

Much of the algorithm is missing fundamentals..if your focus is health from a "natural" perspective then why isn't Costa Rica on the list, or if you want banking stability, climate, technology and infrastructure why not Panama..?.why are there none of the Caribbean islands represented ??..I could go on but you get a general idea..

I am skimming in my answer, but it is a great conversation point thx Dennis for posting, I subscribe to several magazines like International Living and others that's whole purpose id researching this..

Don't say too loud for Chas....but New Zealand and Belize are recent highlites in the material I receive..

Interestingly in the 80's kiwis flooded Australia's shores as their job market and currency was slammed..

now net migration into New Zealand last few years flipped ..now it is looking like the worm is turning again..so Cycle history and economic power that is independant of a reliance one way or another is critical..diversity in other words is a factor worth taking into account at a Macro country level..

This list is definately a starting point, if anyone is reading this ...dig deeper..you will find a treasure of ideas..and think always of the idea of creating leverage through currency and cost of living..

If the Euro continues it's free fall, and the Union holds ..there are places in Europe that are to me more interesting as well...examples being Majorca and Mallorca of Spain, or any of the Greek islands, Malta, maybe Sardinia where the folk live to ripe old ages, and the cost of living is pennies...

In fact check out this site http://www.bluezones.com/ for ideas on research that aligns longevity studies with geography, ...

You need a check list and ranking system from climate to currency, from politics to medical system etc etc ...it is a complicated algorithm which I think is unique to every individual contemplating a change...

and of course as Dennis mentions what is now is not the future neccesarily, you almost have to add a level of clairvoyance to the mix..

It is a fascinating topic..I wish I had more time to express the research I had done and do into this , and as more eloquent but it opens doors of imagination for sure..

Thx for posting Dennis..

Haelth,happy and sukses,,then i'm glad we score a 8,,can't pay more taxes!!!