UN report: Canada 4th best place to live

[oldjones]

Well Zydeco,

Rather than being vague be specific. Someone implied that the US is freeloading as is evident by their failure to pay arrearages. I suggest that is not the case...freeloaders are ones trying to enjoy something for nothing and are generally motivated by the need to save money. I have presented facts that refute the contention of freeloading and advance the point that the US issue with the UN is political, not economical.

Is that too difficult for you to understand?

EBS

You agree to join, you pay what you agreed. Is that too difficult to understand? Political, economical, or fantastical, who cares what your differences are? You live up to your word.

Surely you don't excuse a freeloader because their heart is pure? Why that's…that's… s o c i a l i s m!

 

[tompeepin]

Re: Re: UN report: Canada 4th best place to live

And when did I say per capita GDP equals quality of life, you really need to learn to read more and assume less.

Good on ya mate.

OTB

I know that this means nothing to people who only consider GDP and household income as gauges of quality of life.

When did I say that you said that per capita GDP equals quality of life? You really need to learn to read more and assume less.

Good on ya mate.

 

[onthebottom]

Re: Re: Re: UN report: Canada 4th best place to live

When did I say that you said that per capita GDP equals quality of life, you really need to learn to read more and assume less.

Good on ya mate.

There you go, now you get it.

OTB

 

[james t kirk]

Couple of comments,

1. The US always uses the UN as a tool for its own foreign policy, so I highly doubt the US would ever opt out of the UN. (See thread about US vetoing 28 UN resolutions condeming Israel.)

2. From 1992 to 2001 Canada was ranked No. 1 by the UN as the place to live. Last year we were 8, this year we are 4.

Depends on how you look at it i guess

 

[HaywoodJabloemy]

Norway and Sweden are too friggin cold! Australia is glorious, but everything there is poisonous...

Sweden: Our 'hobby' outlawed in 1999.

http://www.petraostergren.com/english/studier.magister.asp

Australia: 900 legal brothels!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/1723583.stm

I think I'd accept the risk of all those spiders and snakes.

 

[The_Jaded_One]

If history repeats itself OTB will start quoting statistics from the Economist he doesn't understand to show that polarization and poverty are not increasing in the States.

PS OTB - I told you so.

 

[onthebottom]

If history repeats itself OTB will start quoting statistics from the Economist he doesn't understand to show that polarization and poverty are not increasing in the States.

PS OTB - I told you so.

Not to disappoint TJO (and because I'll be on holiday all of next week without internet access):

It's impossible to respond (or really not necessary) because the link doesn't mention how it was measured.

I would give you: http://www.census.gov/hhes/poverty/poverty02/pov02fig1.jpg as a frame of reference (not really that hard to understand)

and : http://www.gtacompanions.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=12861 (easy to understand you just won't like what it says)

An interesting note, it looks like all of Sweden makes less than the US MEDIAN - but oh well, as we've already said here money isn't everything.

With the exception of Australia (which is perfect in my book) all the top 4 are cold weather countries....

OTB

 

[happygrump]

Yes, Sweden makes less than the US median because the cost of living is less. It's all tied to the local economy, because all economies ARE local.

 

[onthebottom]

Yes, Sweden makes less than the US median because the cost of living is less. It's all tied to the local economy, because all economies ARE local.

Look closer, it is a PPP (Purchasing Parity) meaning that if you make half as much and stuff costs half as much then you're fine.

See

OTB

 

[The_Jaded_One]

OTB, I will look at the graphs on the weekend (or next week since you are gone). Where did you take the graph that you posted on GTAC from (what website)? I want to see the numbers and explanations behind the graph. Thanks.

 

[onthebottom]

Thanks for the link, I'll look thru it.

OTB

 

[onthebottom]

While I don't know what a Gini index is this is interesting:


14. Inequality in income or consumption

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Survey Year 2000 6
Share of income or consumption (%) - Poorest 10% 1.9
Share of income or consumption (%) - Poorest 20% 5.4
Share of income or consumption (%) - Richest 20% 45.8
Share of income or consumption (%) - Richest 10% 29.9
Inequality measures - Ratio of richest 10% to poorest 10% 15.9
Inequality measures - Ratio of richest 20% to poorest 20% 8.4
Inequality measures - Gini index 40.8

but would not be inconsistant with: http://www.gtacompanions.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=12861

OTB

 

[onthebottom]

OTB, I will look at the graphs on the weekend (or next week since you are gone). Where did you take the graph that you posted on GTAC from (what website)? I want to see the numbers and explanations behind the graph. Thanks.

Economist is the source, part of an article that I've quoted before on TERB but the details are: Would you like your class war shaken or stirred, sir? Sep 4th 2003.

OTB

 

[lenharper]

The best place to live.
How about a country where the "haves" lock themselves in gated communities so they don't have to worry about their fellow citizens and are afraid to venture into the inner city?

How about a country where the ruling party tries to initiate a constitutional ammendment to outlaw gay marriages? Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness -- christ even the so called "socialists" in our country allow freedom to love who you want.

How about a country that deliberately bends the truth to start a war which is of no benefit to it's citizens (except the ones who believe the lie that Saddam was directly or indirectly responsible for the WTT attack).

How about a country where the lives depicted in Barbara Ehrenreich's "Nickel and Dimed" is the rule rather than the exception?

 

[ocean976124]

Correct me if I'm wrong EBS - but isn't the US hundreds of millions of dollars behind in it's UN contributions - talk about freeloaders!

LOL, seeing that the UN is using a prime piece of real estate in NYC tax free I don't see a need for the US to pay UN dues. Afterall, they can't do anything without us anyways...

 

[500miles]

EBS,

The USA is only a good place to live if you are rich and boring. It has too much violence, religious repression, and inequity to ever be considered the best place in the world. Also, special interest groups control everything as can be seen by George Bush's popularity. On top of that, too many Americans are uptight and take offence at everything if they are not thought of as number one (which is made all the more evident by your post). No one wants to live there except for Americans. I will admit that the USA has some nice places to visit but just to visit not live.

Absolutely true. I invite everyone to work at my workplace for a week before they run screaming into the wind. There are a lot of rich guys, but I'm not sure what the heck they do for fun besides going to church.

 

[500miles]

Jaded One,
Let me put it to you this way...I regularly see gratitous backhanded comments about Americans on this board. Canucks are obsessed in comparing your country and selves to the US and Americans. When I jump on this nonsense...you cry foul. Well guess what...keep right on posting it and I'll feel very free to refute it.

EBS

And we Americans are endless obsessed with Canadian women. The U.S. is a great place to make boatloads of money, but it is not much fun if you want to stay on the right side of the laws, and there are god damn boatloads of laws. Why else would we be hanging on Terb if not for Canada's more relaxed, European-influenced culture?

 

[james t kirk]

Vivre les girls



Lets face it, that's what life is all about.

First you get the money.

Then you get the women.

Fuck the power, just give me the women.

 

[happygrump]

AMEN to JTK!!

 

[*d*]

Happygrump,

The UN is currently the rest of the worlds tool to keep the US in check. ...

EBS

No, its the opposite. The UN deals with US affairs and interests first before touching on third world problems. And that's where the UN's weaknesses lie. Take UNSC resolution 1546 for example. It appears on the surface as a transfer of sovereignty back to Iraq, but in really its an endorsement legitimising an illegal military occupation. I believe it's the first time the UN has legalized an illegal military invasion of a country. And it just so happens that the invader was the US, not Sudan or Rwanda. No, the UN is bias to US affairs first.