President Trump has not made America happier again.The Sustainable Development Solutions Network...
For the second consecutive year, the United States has taken a tumble in the World Happiness Report’s annual ranking of more than 150 countries, published by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network, an initiative of the United Nations.
Today — perhaps you noticed — United Nations’ International Day of Happiness.
And the U.N. sort of way of thinking about happiness has us in 18th place.
Finland is No. 1, edging out Norway, the 2017 champion. Denmark was third, followed by Iceland and Switzerland....What kind of white supremacist propaganda is this?!
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I"d love to see the "Happiness index" broken out by State.
Every time I go to the Big City - everyone looks miserable.
published by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network, an initiative of the United Nations.
All I needed to see. Whatever metrics they cobbled together will be derived entirely on their own enormously biased and globalist notions of what "happiness" is to a society. So, in other words, a great load of bovine excrement.
Sounds like we need to import more Scandinavians.
In the United Nations way of thinking, happiness comes from a social safety net, environmental activism, and immigration. Details like depression and suicide are not so important. That said, the ranking might be fine since I don't know how they define "happiness." I just know how normal people do.
Those are all smart people places.
I spent a day escorting Frans Brüggen around places I hung out (bowling alley, small airport) and he seemed pretty happy.
Maybe the socialists are happier. Many people learn to love the leash, as long as Master throws them scraps. The Old Right (Nock, Mencken, and particularly Garet Garrett in his classic essay "The People's Pottage") could see this happening in the USA. In late-stage socialism, of course, the scraps disappear. Probably not too many Venezuelans are happy at this point.
Maybe they're using happiness as a synonym for self-satisfaction.
Huh. Some of us are happier.
"I spent a day escorting Frans Brüggen around places I hung out (bowling alley, small airport) and he seemed pretty happy."
Wow. My envy makes me seriously unhappy.
To paraphrase Milton Friedman loosely, are the Scandinavian Scandinavians happier than the American Scandinavians?
I didn't look them up, but a quick scan of the 17 ahead of the US leads me to think that all of them combined have a smaller population than the US. Germany's the only biggish population country, two steps ahead, and the UK just behind.
In any measure like this, small units - whether countries, states, or counties - tend to dominate the top and bottom. Bigger units tend to be more heterogeneous, and so have some plus and minus areas which tend to average out to middling results overall. The US is vastly overperforming here.
If you wanted Hillary to be elected, you've made sure you aren't going to be happy, nor anyone around you.
Is there some correlation between a society's happiness and its ethnic diversity?
The World Happiness Ranking is meaningless and stupid. The Sustainable Development Solutions Network is another useless UN effort. And I am tired of dumb non-holidays like the United Nations International Day of Happiness. No, I had not noticed it, and now that I know about it, I don't feel that my life has been enriched in any way.
WC, above: Venezuela is at 103, between Nepal and Gabon.
"President Trump has not made America happier again."
I'm definitely happier.
Happiness is a social construct. What counts as "happy" in Scandinavia is different from what counts as "happy" in Somalia. This survey is racist!
We need a more diverse and inclusive concept of "happiness".
How can anybody be happy while millions groan under the yoke of Trump's oppression ?
Oh dear, the shithole countries got shitty scores (see Figure 2.2 of the report).
Speaking of which, the ranking for the most violent cities in the world was just released.
Not a Scandinavian country to found!
http://www.businessinsider.com/most-violent-cities-in-the-world-2018-3
So there appears to be a very strong correlation between homogeneous societies and happiness. Damn. Facts are racist!
If so, Sweden has changed since the early 19th century:
From Patrick O'Brian, The Surgeon's Mate:
Gothenburg, a melancholy town, most of it quite recently burnt, inhabited by tall spare melancholiacs dressed in grey wool, much given to drinking and self-murder (the river brought three suicides past the Ariel during her brief stay), but kind to strangers if not to themselves.
The World Happiness Report 2018, which ranks 156 countries by their happiness levels, and 117 countries by the happiness of their immigrants,
What kind of white supremacist propaganda is this?!
It might be a different kind of supremacist propaganda:
Finland - 67% don't believe in god.
Norway - 78% don't believe in god.
Denmark - 72% don't believe in god.
Iceland - ??
Switzerland - ??
Iceland - ??
Maybe contentment is confused with happiness. But contentment inhibits creativity and economic growth. So there's that. Meeting challenges can be productive of happiness but in a different sense.
Fernandistein's post brings up the obvious question: If atheism is highly correlated with national happiness, why are America's atheists such unhappy (in fact often very angry) scolds? A secondary query is why communist countries (officially atheist) are such miserable places, given the suggested correlation above?
It is not White-anything propaganda, it is we-see-it-all-the-time Socialist propaganda.
"President Trump has not made America happier again."
Hillary's not making us miserable, so at least there's that.
In order to see how happiness changed during the Obama Administration, look at the World Happiness Report for the year 2017. Go to that year's Statistical Index, Figure 15, Part 3, on the page numbered 33.
https://s3.amazonaws.com/happiness-report/2017/StatisticalAppendixWHR2017.pdf
On that Figure, the USA is on line 103.
That Figure shows that during the period from 2005-2007 to 2014-2016, the USA's "happiness index" fell by .372 index points.
The total number of countries measured was 126.
* The country with the biggest happiness rise was #1 -- Nicaragua.
* The country with the biggest happiness fall was #126 -- Venezuela.
* The country that remained the same was #64 -- Montenegro.
The USA was #103 -- well within the set of countries with decreased happiness.
I was not able to read the Washington Post article because of the pay wall, but I assume that the WP compared the happiness index during the Trump Administration with the happiness index during the Obama Administration. After all, that's what good journalists would do.
Those countries are like Wisconsin. All they need to be happy is the sun to shine and and the snow to melt. So why do people take vacations mostly to warmer places? Do they want to be unhappy. Those countries are not big tourist destinations.
Maybe it's a result of emigration. The unhappy (maybe genetically prone to it) moved to other places, and the only people left are those who are naturally happy, or at least have a disposition to say so.
"What kind of white supremacist propaganda is this?!"
The very best kind, crafted by the Best and Brightest for consumption by their inferiors.
Well, what with about 95% of our dominant media and cultural "leaders" constantly screaming that we are in a truly awful situation and facing imminent ruin, being 18th doesn't seem all that bad.
Whaaaaaat?! Why do the Scandinavian countries get to be happy when they have all those awful Mooslims?
Sheesh.
What, happy Scandinavians, an oxymoron. Finns are not Scandinavians. They are related to the Hungarians and the Estonians. Note that most of these happy countries are relatively homogenous.
Finland happiest? FINLAND???
Some twenty-five years ago, Morley Safer (pbuh) did a "60 Minutes" piece on how morose and depressed Finns appeared to be. In his view the entire populace seemed to be taking downers.
He actually trotted out a local pop star with a Sophia Vergara - ish personality as an example of what your typical Finn is NOT.
Maybe she was just off her meds....
"Those countries are like Wisconsin. All they need to be happy is the sun to shine and and the snow to melt. So why do people take vacations mostly to warmer places? Do they want to be unhappy. Those countries are not big tourist destinations."
Iceland would be a nice summer vacation. Stays in the 50s. That's when the coolness occurs.
I'd live there year round. The winter in Reykjavik is significantly warmer than here in Madison.
I'd be happy in Iceland I think, now that I've learned to value the winter dark along with the summer light.
I can say unequivocally that many people are much happier under Trump. I see it and read it everyday. I don't even remember a period in my life where people were as happy and positive about the future as they are today. That may be because I moved out of California, where it does seem like people are a lot less happy. This new happiness is limited to just about half the population. That's too bad for them, but I wish they didn't pine so much for the chance to ruin the happiness of the rest of us. I'm not sure if they want to be happy, or just want us to share their misery. I suspect the second. The basis of progressivism is dissatisfaction with the world, past and present.
Hot vacations might be okay for someone who wants to lie out in the sun, but I'm not able to do that at all. Just physically impossible because of my skin.
Yea, Althouse, but you're not normal. NTTIATWWT.
I question the Happiness Assessment methodology and scale.
I'm from Boston, my neighbors and I are happiest when we are miserable. Measure that.
-sw
It could be the general attractiveness of their women. I know that makes me happy.
@JE,
Finland happiest? FINLAND???
How can you tell a Finnish extrovert?
Because when you talk to him he stares at your shoes instead of his own.
I read in grammar school that Iceland was named as a deception plan to keep additional colonists away. The ocean currents actually made it much warmer than mainland Scandanavia. Similarly, Greenland, which then and now was cold AF, was given an enticing name in hopes of keeping up the flow of colonists to replace the ones who died or fled back home.
JSM
@YoungHegelian
The Swedes joke that you can't really get to know a Finn until he has at least four drinks in him, by which time he's become such an ass you don't want to anymore.
I suspect that blue state areas were oversampled in their happiness poll in the U.S., which might account for some of that unhappiness. Buck up, buttercups.
He actually trotted out a local pop star with a Sophia Vergara type...
You misspelled Viagra.
Some points for Iceland:
1. Interesting saga literature
2. Central urban heating in Reykiavik.
3. Fresh codfish
4. Interesting geography and geology
5. Lots of trolls and nature spirits. Yes many Icelanders believe in them.
6. An interesting language. Icelandic is the closest modern language to Old Norse. Linguists do philological research there.
7. Interesting principles for naming children.
8 They have a language control board that governs naming and the importation of words from other languages. This isn’t
necessarily desireable. Its an example of linguistic nationalism.
If winning the happiness index means high complacency, then I'm glad to lose. Better to have some unhappiness to motivate working to improve things.
read in grammar school that Iceland was named as a deception plan to keep additional colonists away. The ocean currents actually made it much warmer than mainland Scandanavia. Similarly, Greenland, which then and now was cold AF, was given an enticing name in hopes of keeping up the flow of colonists to replace the ones who died or fled back home.
Well, a thousand years ago, Greenland had plenty of grasslands because of the fact that it was at least as warm as today, the Vikings were not known for their creative, ironic, names. Newfoundland was “flat rock land” and North America was “vinland” as it was covered in grape vines along the shore.
This is something it took a long to to get the climate alarmists to admit. Some are still in denial, figuring that the Vikings forged historic records on navigation routes, sea ice, and the like.
2. Central urban heating in Reykiavik.
And it's volcanic heat!
I’d be happy in Iceland I think, now that I've learned to value the winter dark along with the summer light.
Plus they have a penis museum!
The happiness poll is a measure of socialism in place, so naturally “happiness” dropped in the US as the US rejects socialism. It’s for propaganda purposes. One wonders if Inga swallows it whole, or is just using it for its intended purpose.
I’d be happy in Iceland I think, now that I've learned to value the winter dark along with the summer light.
Nobody goes there for the food.
It was Erik the Red who supposedly decided to name Greenland Greenland because the name would be likely to entice settlers.
This was during the medieval warming period which was followed by the little ice age which ended around 1850. The original
Greenland settlements were frozen out by the return of the ice age around 1350.
The Report ends on a different tack, with a focus on three emerging health problems that threaten happiness: obesity, the opioid crisis, and depression. Although set in a global context, most of the evidence and discussion are focused on the United States, where the prevalence of all three problems has been growing faster and further than in most other countries.
Gee, when Trump pointed that out, he was roundly attacked!
Gallup’s Migrant Acceptance Index is based on three questions that ask respondents about migrants in increasing level of proximity to them. Respondents are asked whether the following situations are “good things” or “bad things”: immigrants living in their country, an immigrant becoming their neighbor and immigrants marrying into their families.
“A good thing” response is worth three points in the index calculation, a volunteered response of “it depends” or “don’t know” is worth one point, and “a bad thing” is worth zero points. We considered volunteered responses such as “it depends” because in some countries, who these migrants are may factor more heavily into whether they are accepted.. - The Report
So they feel like that have to defend not just giving a zero to people who might say “it depends on the person whether it is a good. thing or a bad thing but the best answer is “It’s great! More tables at FolkFest!” But if you wonder about it, well, that puts you close to zero.
It has to do with their goal of “Imagine there’s no countries...” borderless world. As I said before, Neither Hitler nor Stalin had a lot of regard for borders either. How long before Croissants, which were first made in celebration of the victory over the Muslims at Vienna’s gate are banned in France?
Basically it’s a measure of how closely a country hews to “liberal” values.
Inga: "Whaaaaaat?! Why do the Scandinavian countries get to be happy when they have all those awful Mooslims?"
https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/766057/Three-police-officers-injured-attacked-thugs-Stockholm-no-go-zone
http://www.weeklystandard.com/video-head-of-ambulance-union-confirms-no-go-zones-in-sweden/article/2007000
snip: "Grattidge explained to Neuding that the problem with these areas is linked directly to immigration policy in the country. "In these areas, the no-go zones, the majority of the people are immigrants."
Gattridge went on to tell Neuding that ambulance drivers are blocked from leaving these areas and have had rocks thrown at them. He also said "hand grendes have been thrown at police" in majority-immigrant areas."
https://www.dailywire.com/news/21205/swedens-big-solution-their-rape-crisis-booklet-paul-bois
snip: "The guidebook comes as a result of Sweden's growing rape epidemic, with public records showing that 85% of all gang rapes and sexual assault were committed by migrants. The staggering numbers have earned it the infamous title "Rape Capital of the West" from the Gatestone Institute (GI), an international nonprofit policy council."
Maybe according to Inga and Whoopie, it's not really rape-rape if committed by a muslim.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/12/09/grooming-gangs-muslim-men-failed-integrate-british-society/
Thouands, literally thousands, of British girls groomed for repeated rape by muslims.
Inga thinks its all good.
It's my understanding that the Happy Meal at a McDonald's in Finland is a hell of a lot better than what we have here in the States so maybe there's some truth to this latest ranking thing after all.
I understand that the Scandinavian countries offer mixed economies. There are still some capitalists extant in them. They make furniture and mobile phones and sweaters in sheltered workshops. Unfortunately the workers there don't consider themselves downtrodden. Now that there are migrants available to exploit and oppress the capitalists must have undergone a sharp increase in happiness. A capitalist without an underclass to exploit is like a caged lion, pacing back and forth in his sterile cell, all his instincts stifled and suppressed. How elated these caged beasts must be now that they have allowed in prey for them to rip apart. I like forward to reading about the rapacity and greed of the oppressor class in Scandinavia. Unfortunately the underclass has just arrived so the capitalists have not yet figured out the cruelest way to rip the flesh from their bones, but it will happen. Just be patient. Scandinavia will achieve misery.
Another Icelandic advantage. Almost no Downs Syndrome. They kill them before they are born.
ceowens: "Another Icelandic advantage. Almost no Downs Syndrome. They kill them before they are born."
That's just outstanding "medical care" according to the lefties of the world.
And if you can gather up all the baby parts for fun and profitable sale, well, that's even better for the left.
White Supremacy, indeed. The top countries are the whitest of white countries. My God, you have to get almost to #50 before you find a happy country with peoples of colour. Just not right. Sad. Who actually believes those white lies, that you would be happier in Finland than in the Central African Republic, that happier people reside in Norway than in South Sudan which it turns out is an even shittier shit hole than Haiti which appears to be happier still.
Almost no Downs Syndrome. They kill them before they are born."
They were deemed unworthy and summarily aborted under a rite practiced at the twilight fringe.
Another bullshit UN narrative.
Who gives a shit? All of these places have long, miserable winters, high alcoholism and suicide.
Is it Iceland that is proud of exterminating all Downs kids?
Happiness. The ultimate privilege is happiness.
Wow, imagine if you are white, an American and HAPPY all at the same moment in time! Now, imagine that you are also the POTUS! Super-extra HAPPINESS!!
"How to Talk About Places You've Never Been", by Pierre Brayard. Available you-know-where.
n.n.: "They were deemed unworthy and summarily aborted under a rite practiced at the twilight fringe."
It has been said before: Liberalism is a religion, and abortion is its sacrament.
Liberalism is a religion
It is a moral philosophy, complete with articles of faith, traditions, and practices. It is only by virtue of its divergence that it is perceived as tolerant and equitable in the breach.
"Maybe the socialists are happier."
Quasi-socialists. Sweden, for example, has actually become less socialist over the past 2 decades after they realized what they started in the 70s was strangling innovation and entrepreneurialism.
This survey has been debunked in various news articles and op-eds over the years -- to the point that there are now even books being written to debunk -- for example: "The Almost Nearly Perfect People: Behind the Myth of the Scandinavian Utopia"
https://www.amazon.com/Almost-Nearly-Perfect-People-Scandinavian-ebook/dp/B00JI09FF4
The black hole that is Hillary, from which no happiness can escape, is certainly dragging down the entire country's rating.
It has been said before: Conservatism is a religion, and mass shootings are its sacrament.
" Blogger Richard Dillman said...
Some points for Iceland:
1. Interesting saga literature
2. Central urban heating in Reykiavik.
3. Fresh codfish
4. Interesting geography and geology
5. Lots of trolls and nature spirits. Yes many Icelanders believe in them.
6. An interesting language. Icelandic is the closest modern language to Old Norse. Linguists do philological research there.
7. Interesting principles for naming children.
8 They have a language control board that governs naming and the importation of words from other languages. This isn’t
necessarily desireable. Its an example of linguistic nationalism."
9. Chlamydia is so common they refer to it as the Icelandic handshake.
Howard: "It has been said before: Conservatism is a religion, and mass shootings are its sacrament."
I missed the conservative marches in support of mass shootings and/or legislation offered to make mass shootings legal.
Other than that, though your analogy fails, obviously, it at least was topical.
Overall I give your effort a "65" cause it had a good beat and is easy to dance to.
It's obvious who gets a thrill out of mass shootings. The people who feel they can use it to further their political aims.
If the bank that has your money gets drained by armed robbers, the first thing you would obviously do is call for armed guards to prevent it again, even if there is some preferred longer term solution, but if kids get killed you go off on some ridiculous political movement to change laws, including the Constitution, becuase that will stop a crazy person in their tracks.
We all know the guns will not go away, and there are other weapons anyway. If we have another shooting, well, we get to do it all over again anyway. More attention for our progressive politics and politicians!
Conservatives, have nothing to gain from the shootings. The political advantages all go to gun grabbers, and those wanting to attack conservative principles like the 2nd amendment.
Finland has a high suicide rate. So if they are so happy, why do they kill themselves?
It has been said before: Conservatism is a religion, and mass shootings are its sacrament.
Congratulations, Howard. That's the dumbest thing I've read on the internet this week.
It's obvious who gets a thrill out of abortion. The people who feel they can use it to further their political aims.
I'd be happy in Iceland I think, now that I've learned to value the winter dark along with the summer light.
I've been to Iceland in Winter. I liked it. Icelandic bread is good. I like the fresh fish. And the swimming. People like to read. Good for introverts. Everyone goes to the pool for exercise, relaxation, chatting with neighbours.
The wind is too harsh when it comes in. Downside: Expensive and small. Very small.
People spend more time eating in Italy and France. I'd say happier in Italy/France but more content in Iceland.
It's obvious who gets a thrill out of abortion. The people who feel they can use it to further their political aims.
Both For and Against.
Howard: "It's obvious who gets a thrill out of abortion."
Uh, perhaps the Planned Parenthood personnel who squeal with delight when they find "whole legs" and other baby parts in the remains of the little ones?
Perhaps the ones selling off the baby parts?
Oh no. Not them.
In the same way that its not the ISIS guys getting a thrill out of their beheadings. It's actually the people trying to STOP ISIS that gets a thrill out of ISIS beheadings.
Obviously.
Well, I guess we now know who gets a thrill out of tossing gays off of roofs or burning them alive in cages in the middle east: The military guys sent to stop the killers.
Obviously.
You know who gets a thrill out of murder?
District Attorneys who prosecute murderers.
Obviously.
You know who really got a thrill out of what the Nazi's did?
George S. Patton.
Obviously.
"Liberalism" is a secular religion, a branch of State-cultism, and mass murder is its sacrament. (Google "democide.")
FIFY, Howard. And I'm not even a conservative. You're welcome.
It has been said before: Conservatism is a religion, and mass shootings are its sacrament.
Yeah but those mass shootings occurred at Lexington and Concord, Breed's Hill, Saratoga, New Orleans, San Jacinto, Vera Cruz, Belleau wood, Bastogne, Guadalcanal, Inchon, Khe Sanh and Kuwait City.
It's obvious who gets a thrill out of abortion. The people who feel they can use it to further their political aims.
Punish us by outlawing abortion. We've been very naughty...we deserve it.
Gahrie: "Yeah but those mass shootings occurred at Lexington and Concord, Breed's Hill, Saratoga, New Orleans, San Jacinto, Vera Cruz, Belleau wood, Bastogne, Guadalcanal, Inchon, Khe Sanh and Kuwait City"
Uh oh.
The lefties will say that is racism. Straight up.
That's because it's a day ending in "y".
Nancy Reyes said...
Finland has a high suicide rate. So if they are so happy, why do they kill themselves?
3/15/18, 4:59 PM
Duh! They only survey LIVING people for happiness.
I live in Italy, a few km from Switzerland. If our Swiss neighbors are the fourth happiest in the world, I need some explanation about the current meaning of the word "happy" and its derivatives. As for Finland, Norway an Iceland: nice people, very polite and obedient to their super-liberal govs. But the are the most probable victims of suicide - which is regarded, apparently, as an healthy sign of happiness, nowadays.
"Finland has a high suicide rate. So if they are so happy, why do they kill themselves?"
Is it any coincidence that the happiest places are in the part of the world where it's customary for people who are not happy to go to a doctor or clinic for a suicide ritual?
(Maybe they're afraid not to be happy.)
I have worked in Barbados, Spent time in St Lucia, worked in the Caymans, and those people seem pretty darn happy. They make you promise to leave when you get there, and practically see you to your plane to get you to leave. But they probably don’t have enough socialism.
Drago, re Howard: SJW's always project.
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