Thursday, March 09, 2017

New survey finds that United States is no longer one of the top five best countries in the world.

Courtesy of US News:  

Switzerland is viewed as the No. 1 overall country, according to a survey of more than 21,000 people from 36 countries in all regions of the world. People regard the European country highly for its citizenship, being open for business, an environment that encourages entrepreneurship, the quality of life it provides its citizens and for its cultural influence. 

Switzerland is one of 20 new countries evaluated this year, as the total number of nations assessed in the survey grew to 80. 

Canada finished No. 2 overall and the United Kingdom No. 3, as both did last year. Germany fell from its top spot in 2016 to No. 4 this year, while Japan moved up two positions to No. 5 overall.

The United States fell as many positions as Germany in the rankings, dropping to No. 7 overall, behind Sweden. The U.S. is still seen as the world's most powerful country, but the gap between it and second-place Russia, which American intelligence officials say interfered with the presidential election in an effort to help Trump, has narrowed to a near-negligible difference in that area.

"Narrowed to a near-negligible difference." Oh that's just dandy.

Other findings from the survey were the following:  

  • Nearly 75 percent of respondents said they had lost respect for the U.S. in some degree because of the toxic tone of the 2016 presidential campaign. 
  • Hillary Clinton, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, would have won the global popular election, but Trump would have won in Russia (83 percent of survey respondents viewed him favorably) and China (54 percent). He also polled fairly well in Israel (46 percent), Nigeria (42 percent) and Turkey (37 percent).

Is this what Trump means by MAGA?

Because I really don't see it.

21 comments:

  1. Anonymous4:37 AM

    I am pretty sure that the top countries have universal health care. Nobody who lives there has to worry about costs of monitoring their health. The US (thanks to gop) is sliding farther behind. Why are taxpayers still funding the healthcare for the politicians? If they are so enamored with their plan, use it themselves, set an example!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous6:19 AM

      Our new GOP member of Congress is a retired Marine general. He is opposed to people getting something for nothing (his big bugaboos include Social Security, Medicare and the ACA). What I want to know is what he and his family are getting "free of charge" for his years in the military and now as he embarks on his, hopefully, very short tenure in Congress. He also knew so little about ethics that he voted with all of his GOP comrades to eliminate the House ethics oversight group. His sole intention was to cut down on bureaucracy. What a lot of baloney.
      Beaglemom

      Delete
    2. Anonymous7:58 AM

      Quote from FB>"Let's add what I call the Ayn Rand Amendment to any Health Care Proposal from Congress.
      "For the purpose of ensuring that a law that is applicable to some shall be applicable to all, and to ensure that the self-interest of the few serves the interests of the many, Congress hereby agrees that any program that replaces the Affordable Care Act shall be immediately adopted as the standard of care for Congress, the Executive branch and the Judiciary branch including all principals and personnel..."

      Delete
    3. Anonymous8:32 AM

      @4:37
      Spot on!!!!

      Delete
    4. Anonymous8:53 AM

      Switzerland's health care system is actually a lot like the US--you're required to buy policies from private insurance. However, I'd bet that they've got regulations in place to make sure things like insulin don't go from $20 a vial to $250 in just a few years, as well as other consumer protections to keep health care costs under control.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous9:04 AM

      The Swiss Health Care Laws are very, very similar to the ACA/"Obamacare." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Healthcare_in_Switzerland

      Delete
  2. Anonymous6:33 AM

    Yes, of course. We have gop pus grabbers not working at governing with all that entails, negotiations, delegation, compromise, persuasion, good of "the people". No, no it is only by keeping a dumb as rocks prez in office who is nuts too. Gop will go down in history as buffoons and not legislatures, politicians, reps of the people. History is forever.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous7:45 AM

    OT? IS Double Dare drumpf's game..?
    http://www.politicususa.com/2017/03/09/donald-trump-likes-story-franken-thinks-sessions-committed-perjury.html

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous8:37 AM

      It makes for a good distraction.

      I'm not meaning to imply it IS a distraction. I don't know either way.

      Could be donnie's hanging miss jeff out to dry, maybe he's all mads since miss jeff recused herself and donnie didn't want her to?

      Delete
  4. Anonymous8:13 AM

    RESIGNs:

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2017/03/07/head-of-devos-founded-group-resigns-after-he-said-he-wanted-to-shake-an-official-like-i-like-to-shake-my-wife/?tid=pm_local_pop&utm_term=.d4d02fbbcb9a

    RESIST!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous8:51 AM

    SNL snub? True or not...
    http://conservative101.com/donald-trumps-son-just-eviscerated-snl-on-social-media-youll-cheer/

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous8:55 AM

    UK is #3?? It makes me think the people in the poll were just average people naming places they had a good feeling about--not because of living standards or levels of freedom or happiness of their citizens.

    UK has a high cost of living, is dealing with Brexit, has a Tory gov't. bent on privatizing their NHS. It's not an ideal place. Also, where's Norway? Denmark?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous9:06 AM

      Please read the full article 8:55 - there is a part about methodology.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous9:28 AM

      Don't be stupid.All of that,ad it's seen by the world as better than the US. Start listing some of the negative things the US is dealing with ,I bet the list gets longer.

      Delete
    3. Norway and Denmark? Probably tied for 6th ahead of the U.S.

      Delete
  7. If taken individually the U.S. is way down the list in every category (health care, education, cost of living, clean energy).

    We are number one in three things. Amount of our GDP spent on the Military, incarceration and guns.

    We are not even tops in Democracy. We have been downgraded to a "flawed" democracy due to this last election. North Carolina helped a lot but the Republicans can claim equal credit due to their gerrymandering of districts and voter suppression and disenfranchisement.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous9:35 AM

    http://www.rawstory.com/2017/03/internet-erupts-in-mockery-after-trump-says-trumpcare-will-be-a-beautiful-picture/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous11:50 AM

      "Hell, a public company would probably be opening itself up to lawsuits for breach of fiduciary duty if it didn't abandon the market."

      http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2017/03/republicare-will-destroy-individual-health-insurance-market-completely

      aka donTcare<Good one.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous1:10 PM

      http://www.politico.com/agenda/story/2017/03/three-misleading-claims-in-paul-ryans-obamacare-lecture-000349

      Delete
    3. Anonymous1:18 PM

      dumb a$$ ryan>
      https://thinkprogress.org/paul-ryan-doesnt-know-how-health-insurance-works-a07e608ada8a#.80e5hpj01

      Delete
  9. Anonymous1:12 PM

    Can't spell a name 'F':
    http://www.rawstory.com/2017/03/yikes-trumps-team-misspelled-new-york-senators-name/

    ReplyDelete

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