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Common Dreams reports
Nordic countries with strong social welfare structures fared best, as they have in previous years, on the United Nation's annual accounting of global happiness--while the United States finished in 18th place, down four spots from 2017.
Finland was ranked number one on the World Happiness Report, compiled by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network. The country was joined by other Scandinavian nations--Norway, Denmark, and Iceland--in the top four, followed by Switzerland, the Netherlands, Canada, New Zealand, Sweden, and Australia.
[...] the United States finished in 18th place, down four spots from 2017.
[...] The drop followed President Donald Trump's first year in office, during which the majority of Americans reported disapproval of the country's top elected official, and hundreds of thousands protested his regressive policies on immigration, women's reproductive rights, and gun control--as well as widespread concerns that the president is blatantly profiting off his position in public office.
The past year also saw reports of America's widening wealth gap, with the average upper middle-class household holding 75 times more wealth than low-income families.
Trump's tax law, pushed through Congress despite the disapproval of 53 percent of Americans, only heightened the perception of many people that the government is intent on transferring wealth to the richest Americans while the majority live paycheck to paycheck.
The World Happiness Report ranks countries according to per capita GDP, social support, life expectancy, freedom to make life choices, generosity, and corruption levels.
Life expectancy in the U.S. dropped for the second year in a row in 2017, with researchers suggesting that the opioid addiction epidemic and inequality are related to the decline.
Reigning political ideologies in the highest-ranking nations contrast sharply with that of the U.S., noted the researchers.
The countries in the top 10 tend to "believe that what makes people happy is solid social support systems, good public services, and even paying a significant amount in taxes for that", said [Jeffrey D. Sachs, editor of the World Happiness Report].
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 19 2018, @05:56PM (3 children)
There are two sides of this. The first is knowing that I'd be serving life in prison if I did half the shit Hillary has done, so there is no way she should run our country. FYI, my job involves a security clearance, and I'm aghast at her tremendous string of felonies. It's way worse than even what the most extreme alt-right media understands.
The second is liking Trump. Well, he at least said the right stuff. The only reluctance is that he might not follow through. Well, nobody else even bothered to make those campaign promises, and Trump did follow through to my surprise! So now I'm delighted. I doubted he'd do what he promised, but Trump has done a damn fine job.
You ought to vote for him.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 19 2018, @08:53PM
I see the Russians have gotten to you, with the Hilary Hate implant. Do not sit on park benches. You have been compromatized.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 19 2018, @10:07PM
Depends on what day you were listening.
Donald Trump Flip-Flopped 3 Times In 3 Days On Minimum Wage [motherjones.com]
(His actual position is that he is in favor of a race to the bottom for workers--in case that wasn't obvious from his policies WRT to his employees in his businesses.)
Trump Trade Position Is Opposite Of What People Think It Is [commondreams.org]
...and Trump flip-flops on a whole bunch of stuff. [google.com]
He's simply a huckster.
Another apt word is sociopath.
-- OriginalOwner_ [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by tangomargarine on Tuesday March 20 2018, @03:26PM
So you'd rather candidates lie about doing something rather than just be boring? I'd prefer mine to promise nothing if they won't at least try to follow through.
Wait, when did construction start on the Wall? And how much is Mexico paying for that again?
"Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"