"Are you miserable?" Topic

link

Here is the latest world-wide misery index. Venezuela comes is as worst. You know it is bad if your misery index is almost twice that of Syria!

yes

Mexico, only twenty above the USA. And Mexicans strive like mad to get into the USA, for only a slight increase in employment/opportunity?

if your misery index is almost twice that of Syria!

But this "misery index" doesn't take any account of civil war, mass slaughter, brutal dictatorships… except in so far as they cause (for example) unemployment. Looks like the compilers think that only money makes you happy.

I'll play amateur socio-economist and note the correlation between misery and uncertainty. In their personal lives, people deal better with concrete problems that have solutions, even if the problem is severe and the solution daunting. Not knowing, or not understanding, typically provokes the highest anxiiety.

Thus with nations. Imagine living in a country where you were uncertain about what was going to happen day to day. Will we be bombed or invaded? Will everything cost twice as much tomorrow? Will the government collapse?

For an interesting comparison, consider some of the countries in the top third of the list; El Salvador, Mexico, the Philippines, Thailand. These are nations that, from the perspective of many of us, have significant issues with, variously, crime, abject poverty, political freedom, internal unrest, etc. Yet these situations are, by and large, something those nations are used to, even if it is a cause for dissatisfaction.

Just my two cents.

The rest of the world makes me feel GREAT!!!!

We're catching up here where I'm living :/ kleptocrats and their minions see that we all live in misery, noting the top 'governance' are definitely not unhappy.
Cheers and here's to hanging a lawyer, banker, politician or some other 'snake juice' peddler to cheer us up :)

The incredibly limited list of reasons why people might be unhappy undermines its credibility.

You can say that Syrians and Canadians are concerned about unemployment, as are Mexican and Swiss citizens. One might suspect, however, that a murderous civil war, or mass killings by drug traffickers, could make a difference in the numbers.

Being out of work stinks. Being kidnapped, killed and being buried in secret seems a shade worse, though.

Life sucking in most western countries much better than life sucking in underdevoloped counties Americans only think they have it bad

China #3?
who did the polling?

I dont fit in my countries misery index score!

Either…

Its wrong?

I am slightly strange?

I don't understand whats going on?

Had a little weapons malfunction here, but everything's fine now, we're all fine. How are you?

O, wait. Leaf, leaf. BRUNEI is the best??? Admittedly Britain's most successful military campaign post-WW2, but REALLY????

I always though Norway would be a good place to live.

Heaven knows I'm miserable now…

People in Brunei know what the correct answer is…

Brunei was one of "my" countries (Singapore/Malaysia were the other two – backup for Philippines and the core of of Indochina – most of that decade.)

"I was looking for country, then I found a country, and heavens knows I'm miserable now…." Henry Martini and the Smiths.

Life sucking in most western countries much better than life sucking in underdevoloped

Life sucking in many western countries is much better than being above the median in many developing countries.

On my way to work, I'd see people sleeping in the streets every day.

They didn't look like they were having that great a time.

Besides, cato institute? They're hardline libertarians. Might explain their rankings.

Only when forced to eat Lima Beans.