List of '10 Best Countries to Live in' (Supposedly): But Look Closely At Their Criteria

Christian Post ^ | 09/13/2017 | Larry Alex Taunton

[SeekAndFind]

In an earlier article, I mentioned that lists ranking the "top" or "best" countries in the world are all over the web. Well, a friend sent me one today. It was produced by Condé Nast Traveler and is typical of the genre.

This is their list:

1. Norway
2. Australia/Switzerland (tie)
(Due to the tie for number 2, there is no number 3)
4. Germany
5. Denmark/Singapore (tie)
(No number 6)
7. The Netherlands
8. Ireland
9. Iceland
10. Canada/The United States (tie)

Curious about how they arrived at this ranking, I decided to look more closely at their criteria. The list is based on the United Nations Development Program's annual Human Development Index. Looking at that report, you discover why Condé Nast—a Leftist media behemoth that owns Vanity Fair, GQ, Allure, and Vogue—likes it. It is precisely the sort of data and social agenda-laden report that I railed against in that earlier article. A simple word search of the document yields these results:

Gay: 34 times
Transgender: 30 times
Bisexual: 29 times
Lesbian: 27 times
LGBTI: 8 times

I then looked at every instance where these words were used in the report. Each time, they were used favorably or in defense of these lifestyles. So concerned was the United Nations that this "human right" be legalized and promoted in every country, that the report said that "awareness campaigns need to be launched in households …" (Italics mine.)

But what about Christians? Christians are the world's largest religious group, numbering 2.2 billion people. According to The Spectator (UK), they are also the most persecuted, dying for their faith at a startling rate of 100,000 per year. That translates to 11 per hour. So, given these facts, how many times were Christians mentioned in the UN report?

Christian: 0 times

What about the Christian religion?

Christianity: 0 times

What about the persecution of Christians? Persecution was mentioned three times, but not once in this context.

"Religion" was mentioned 17 times, but six of those were in a single footnote. Religions were lumped together and often unfavorably. Yet, when it came to LGBTI issues—I have no idea what the "I" refers to—those generating this report made great distinction between an apparent multitude of sexual identities and preferences. What percentage of the world's population are the "T"s and "I"s? More than, say, Hindus and Buddhists, who also netted zero mentions in this study?

What this tells us, of course, is that religion is unimportant to those generating this report and, for that reason, they weren't qualified to produce such a study in the first place. Perhaps they are unaware of it, but religion is very important to the vast majority of the world's population. Yet, the gurus over at the UN, in a weighty study that essentially ranks the quality of life in 185 countries, didn't think it merited a substantive discussion. LGBTI activism, however, was of great importance to them, and that is what the above countries all have in common. In each of them, LGBTIs are practically a protected species.

As I have said, your ranking will be determined by your criteria, and your criteria will be determined by that which is important to you. I find little in rankings of this kind that reflect my values and those of many people that I know, be they American or otherwise. And that is because these studies generally place a premium on things that, while important to those committed to a progressive agenda, are of little importance to most people. Globally, people aren't losing sleep over the polar icecap and paid paternity leave. They are, however, preoccupied with concerns of safety, provision for themselves and/or their families, and the ability to live their lives freely.

Let me show you a different statistical ranking; one that is, I think, much more telling than what activist-academics at the UN are writing. It is a de facto ranking of the world's countries. In a global poll conducted by Gallup and published in June, 14 percent of the world's population would like to migrate permanently to another country—that's roughly 700 million people. Of that number, a whopping 21 percent—or 147 million people—would like to move to The United States of America. The next highest country was Germany with six percent. Norway, Number One on the UN's ranking, didn't even make the list.

This raises some very interesting questions. Chief among them is this: Why do these people want to come to America? What makes America—dare I say it?—"exceptional"? As we continue our Around the World in 80 Days journey, we will seek to answer that question.

To understand what we are doing and why, read this. Follow the rest of the expedition here.

[Buckeye McFrog]

I am sure that Germany will be a wonderful place to live as a gay man. Until the Muslims finally take over and throw you off the top of a building.

[I want the USA back]

Norway was once great, when it was just Norwegians: hard working, honest, non-violent people who were willing to have a lot of money taken out of their earnings to give them a risk-free life. (That didn’t work, and will never work. By taking risk we become stronger. Living risk free makes us soft and useless.)

[Mafe]

This is probably the same type of criteria that the Cato Institute used for “Freedom in the 50 States.” *puke*

[Vic S]

I don’t understand how Singapore got on the list, unless you’re in finance. It’s totalitarian and I doubt all those groups are treated very well. I can’t imagine that a black there would agree with that ranking.

[euram]

I’m shocked that Nigeria, Congo, Angola, and other African countries aren’t in the top ten, not even Mexico.

[Cicero]

I have no idea what the "I" refers to

FWIW, I looked it up in Dictionary.com, and it seems to refer to "intersexes"--whatever that is.

[Leep]

No Cuba or South American Countries?

[Tax-chick]

“Intersex” are the tiny fraction of people with chromosome damage which gives them both male and female sexual characteristics: what the ancients called “hermaphrodites.” There are several different genetic anomalies with varying phenomena.

[vette6387]

“I don’t understand how Singapore got on the list, unless you’re in finance. It’s totalitarian and I doubt all those groups are treated very well. I can’t imagine that a black there would agree with that ranking.”

Also, homosexuality is a crime and drug possession gets you the death penalty. Back when I was going there from time to time, if you had shoulder-lengh hair, they didn’t allow you into the country.

[vette6387]

I’m glad we’re #10. So now we should simply throttle back on all forms of immigration. Our problem is although we’re #10, we live next door to a toxic waste dump called Mexico which is most likely #200 on the list, and a country run by a French Fag, Canada. Sucks to be us.

[stylin19a]

at first glance, it looks like a list of who has the most moose limbs.

[SeekAndFind]

Here is a different survey made by Gallup MINUS all the politically correct gay nonsense from the UN survey.

[SeekAndFind]

Top Desired Destinations Worldwide 2013-2016

Among those who say they would like to move

	% Potential migrants naming this country	Estimated number of adults (in millions)
United States	21	147
Germany	6	39*
Canada	5	36
United Kingdom	5	35*
France	5	32
Australia	4	30
Saudi Arabia	3	25*
Spain	3	20
Italy	2	15
Switzerland	2	13
Japan	2	12
United Arab Emirates	2	12*
Singapore	1	10
South Africa	1	8
Sweden	1	8
Russia	1	7
New Zealand	1	7
China	1	7
Netherlands	1	6
Brazil	1	6
Turkey	1	5*
South Korea	1	5
* = Significant change
Gallup World Poll, 2013-2016

While the number of potential migrants who say they would like to move to the U.S. hasn't changed significantly from previous years, the number who say the same about Germany has risen from 28 million to 39 million in the most recent analysis period. This increase coincides with the height of Europe's migrant crisis between 2015 and 2016 -- during which Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel promised there would be "no limit" to the number of refugees her country would accept.

The United Kingdom, on the other hand, lost some of its appeal as a desired destination, as immigration became one of the driving forces behind the country's eventual "Brexit" in mid-2016. Approximately 35 million potential migrants named the United Kingdom as a desired destination between 2013 and 2016, down from about 43 million between 2010 and 2012.

[Sam Gamgee]

This rather confirms what I have always suspected. At the best, I assumed the research being done was superficial. For instance ones that have Canada at the top are obviously not aware of our kangaroo human rights courts, the free speech chilling defamation laws we have, the persecution of gun owners, ect... Especially those that rank the most “free”.

[Sam Gamgee]

LOL. I have little beef with Australia or Switzerland but wonder if the authors are aware of how expensive basics like food are in both these countries?

[Sam Gamgee]

Make you a deal. Will take ANY Hollywood actor if you take Justin Trudeau. Please!

[SeekAndFind]

RE: For instance ones that have Canada at the top are obviously not aware of our kangaroo human rights courts,

You use the pronoun “Our”. Are you Canadian?

[YogicCowboy]

One criterion: What nation has the most indulgent, secular, decadent version of a communist prison on Earth?

[Sam Gamgee]

Yes,.