Germany is the best country in the world

[marv2]

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/worl...icle-1.2501676

[theboyfromxtown]

Not sure I want to be there at the moment......

[soulster]

Many Americans will bash that article.

[marv2]

Many Americans will bash that article.

I don't know why.

[theboyfromxtown]

Interesting list.

Russia number 24.
Iran number 58

[robb_k]

I live part time [[each year) in Germany, USA, Canada and I know Great Britain very well. First of all, no way would I put Germany at the top. And, there's no way I'd put great Britain nor USA anywhere near the top!

[marv2]

I live part time [[each year) in Germany, USA, Canada and I know Great Britain very well. First of all, no way would I put Germany at the top. And, there's no way I'd put great Britain nor USA anywhere near the top!

I would Canada at or near the top!

[robb_k]

I would Canada at or near the top!

So would I. And I'd put the other 2 countries in which I dwell each year, The Netherlands and Denmark, also near the top. Switzerland is also nice. But it is much too expensive for foreigners, and The Swiss are not very open nor friendly to foreigners. ALL countries have their good and bad points. It depends on one's values. For me. Western Europe is better than USA or Britain. For a materialist, or a competitive achiever, USA is better. Canada is a good compromise. Germany has bent over backwards to change from its conservative Prussian and horrendous Nazi past. But, beneath the surface, its society is still very stiff and narrow. Scandinavia may be a bit too "loose" and somewhat too "socialist". I think The Netherlands and Canada are a good middle ground.

[marv2]

So would I. And I'd put the other 2 countries in which I dwell each year, The Netherlands and Denmark, also near the top. Switzerland is also nice. But it is much too expensive for foreigners, and The Swiss are not very open nor friendly to foreigners. ALL countries have their good and bad points. It depends on one's values. For me. Western Europe is better than USA or Britain. For a materialist, or a competitive achiever, USA is better. Canada is a good compromise. Germany has bent over backwards to change from its conservative Prussian and horrendous Nazi past. But, beneath the surface, its society is still very stiff and narrow. Scandinavia may be a bit too "loose" and somewhat too "socialist". I think The Netherlands and Canada are a good middle ground.

I value a clean environment, clean neighborhoods, friendly intelligent people, good food and great architecture and variety of recreation. Canada has all of that!

[soulster]

Scandinavia may be a bit too "loose" and somewhat too "socialist".

I guess it depends on what you mean by "loose". I am progressively liberal, see nothing wrong with socialism, so that might be for me....if they don't mind Black people.

[heikki]

Hi!

I see that Finland and Norway, who usually are either at the top, or close to the top of these lists [[a few years ago Newsweek picked Finland as the best country in the world), are not even included.

Incidentally, Robb, I'll be visiting Canada [[as a tourist with my wife) for the first time in my life next September.

Best regards
Heikki

[robb_k]

Hi!

I see that Finland and Norway, who usually are either at the top, or close to the top of these lists [[a few years ago Newsweek picked Finland as the best country in the world), are not even included.

Incidentally, Robb, I'll be visiting Canada [[as a tourist with my wife) for the first time in my life next September.

Best regards
Heikki

Yes, I find this "poll" to be quite suspect, having USA and Britain so high, and Germany on top. I would place Norway and Finland [[and Sweden) quite high on my list. I plan to visit Finland in late June. Where do you live, Heikki?

[theboyfromxtown]

I guess it depends on what you mean by "loose". I am progressively liberal, see nothing wrong with socialism, so that might be for me....if they don't mind Black people.

Soulster

Europeans and our neighbours do not think of people in terms of the colour of their skin. We have a completely different mindset.

[heikki]

Hi Robb!

I live close to Helsinki, 15 km from the center.
Just let me know about your arrival, and I'll be happy to meet you.

Best regards
Heikki

[heikki]

Hi Robb, still...

I trust that you know that in this region on June 24-26 we celebrate Midsummer, and everybody's out in the country, drinking and dancing at bonfires. The cities are half-empty.

Best regards
Heikki

[robb_k]

Hi Robb, still...

I trust that you know that in this region on June 24-26 we celebrate Midsummer, and everybody's out in the country, drinking and dancing at bonfires. The cities are half-empty.

Best regards
Heikki

Great! Thanks Heikki! Yes, I know about Midsummer's Eve. We Hollanders do the bonfire watching while drinking Snaps, just as The Finns and Scandinavians do. I'm almost always in Denmark at that time [[or in Sweden). I will let you know my plans.

[BarryBlckm]

Most of the countries aren't even there. Would be interesting to look through all countries' rankings, not just the most populated ones. Its not fare! Anyway -Germany probably is a good country to live if you are a German citizen, otherwise - I don't know if it is really true.
servicing stop

[robb_k]

I guess it depends on what you mean by "loose". I am progressively liberal, see nothing wrong with socialism, so that might be for me....if they don't mind Black people.

In Germany, there is still a lot of race prejudice [[below the surface). There still are many people who believe in The Nazi ideals) who don't like "foreigners" [[e.g. people who don't have German Heritage).

However, in Scandinavia and The Netherlands, there is a lot less of that, and a lot less prejudice there against people of African heritage than in the very racist USA. I live in Germany because of work. I wouldn't live there, otherwise. But. living in The Netherlands, Denmark and Canada is great [[a LOT better than USA, to my taste).

Many, many African-American musicians, singers, artists and other celebrities moved to Western Europe because they are treated with respect there, and not in USA. I could make a list of hundreds of them, and there are thousands more.

[robb_k]

Most of the countries aren't even there. Would be interesting to look through all countries' rankings, not just the most populated ones. Its not fare! Anyway -Germany probably is a good country to live if you are a German citizen, otherwise - I don't know if it is really true.
servicing stop

Germany is a good country to live in, as countries on this Earth go. Otherwise, why would all those refugees want to immigrate there? It isn't all that much different for non-citizens, as long as they have some money. People there without a good job will have a better life there than people in similar circumstances in USA.

To me, The top rung of places to live in this World would be Canada, The Scandinavian countries, Finland, The Netherlands, Belgium, New Zealand [[although I have spent very little time there, and never lived or worked there). The drawback for the average human is that all those countries [[other than New Zealand) are on the relatively cold or cloudy side. That isn't a problem for me, having been raised in Manitoba, and being a redhead with pasty-white skin and freckles. I absolutely HATE the Sun, and temperatures above 60 degrees F. Having lived mostly in The Middle East for much of 20 years, I HATE heat and deserts and sand and love greenery and snow and fog and rain. And I like Socially-oriented "capitalist countries [[with a heart), like The Netherlands and Canada, and Norway. But Finland, Denmark and Sweden, although a bit more socialist, are fine, too. Germany is still way too bent on keeping to the rules for "order's sake", and way too rigid. They were like that under The Kaiser, under The Nazis, and although they try to be as opposite from The Nazis as possible, they are still way too fixated with everyone following the rules and having a ridiculous amount of structure. That may have come from their never having natural borders, and experiencing constant invasions from the barbarians from The East. They are way too regimented for me. There is way too much government intrusion and red tape there. It makes USA seem like a "Hippy Commune".

[robb_k]

Soulster

Europeans and our neighbours do not think of people in terms of the colour of their skin. We have a completely different mindset.

Aren't you from Britain? I don't think I've ever met a Brit [[including some of my own family members) who considered themselves or their country "European". Secondly, I've spent a lot of time in Great Britain, and to me, there is still a fair amount of prejudice against people of African Heritage [[and Asian, as well) - a LOT more than in Scandinavia and The Netherlands.

[robb_k]

Hi Robb!

I live close to Helsinki, 15 km from the center.
Just let me know about your arrival, and I'll be happy to meet you.

Best regards
Heikki

Hi Hekki,
I'll have several people I'll be seeing near Helsinki [[plus visiting The Disney Office) when I visit Finland. But, perhaps it will have to wait until 2017. My schedule is set through the end of September, and there is no time to fit in a short jaunt to Finland. I won't even be going to visit my brother in Stockholm, only The Disney office in Malmö, and friends there and in Lund. I'll be drinking to the "witch burning" on Midsummer's Eve on a small lake in Jylland [[Danmark).

I hope I'll be able to come next year. I'm in my early 70s, and hope to start working a little less, and spending more time with my family and friends [[although, my work partners and their families are among my best friends).

I look forward to meeting you, Lars Nilsson, and some of my other Finnish music "pen friends", and also ice hockey and comic art "pen friends", as well.

[heikki]

Hi Robb!

That's a pity. I really looked forward to seeing you.
I'll be spending the Midsummer by the lake, too, with some very stiff local drinks.
Incidentally, I'm sure you know that the icehockey world championship tournament is currently running in the neighbouring St.-Petersburg [[and Moscow).

Best regards
Heikki

[theboyfromxtown]

Aren't you from Britain? I don't think I've ever met a Brit [[including some of my own family members) who considered themselves or their country "European". Secondly, I've spent a lot of time in Great Britain, and to me, there is still a fair amount of prejudice against people of African Heritage [[and Asian, as well) - a LOT more than in Scandinavia and The Netherlands.

I am from England and I consider myself English but my passport calls me British. I've not yet thought of myself as European - probably because I am old school and our money is still sterling and not euros.

I have lived here for over 60 years and none of my friends or acquaintances have been prejudiced against anybody, that is until fairly recently with the huge influx of immigrants. I am aware prejudices did exist in some areas but it was minor and there is no way I would describe it as a "fair amount". From my personal experience, I only saw it when I met the friends of a person of African heritage that I was dating. That prejudice came from immigrants who brought their prejudices with them and not from those that were born here.

I don't know of any prejudice against Asians.

The recent change is more to do with the huge influx of muslims who cover their faces and do not want to participate in the British way of life. I have neighbours who will not mix with the rest of us or even say hello when we meet them in passageways. The older generation in particular are scared of such people because they do not understand and do not want to even try to understand.

[robb_k]

I am from England and I consider myself English but my passport calls me British. I've not yet thought of myself as European - probably because I am old school and our money is still sterling and not euros.

I have lived here for over 60 years and none of my friends or acquaintances have been prejudiced against anybody, that is until fairly recently with the huge influx of immigrants. I am aware prejudices did exist in some areas but it was minor and there is no way I would describe it as a "fair amount". From my personal experience, I only saw it when I met the friends of a person of African heritage that I was dating. That prejudice came from immigrants who brought their prejudices with them and not from those that were born here.

I don't know of any prejudice against Asians.

The recent change is more to do with the huge influx of muslims who cover their faces and do not want to participate in the British way of life. I have neighbours who will not mix with the rest of us or even say hello when we meet them in passageways. The older generation in particular are scared of such people because they do not understand and do not want to even try to understand.

I've seen LOTS of prejudice against Pakis and Indians and West Indians and Africans over my 60 years of visiting The UK. I have also seen prejudice and heard lots of people say bad things about Jews, as well [[I am Jewish). England and the rest of Britain was tremendously prejudiced in the 1950s and 1960s [[from where do you think the American way of thinking came?). I suppose the amount of prejudice and blind hatred has been reducing over time, as it has even in USA. But I still see it, even though I don't come to England so often, any more, nor stay as long as I did in the 1960s through early 1990s.

As to you and your friends, I suspect that you are educated, middle class or upper middle class progressive people, and not relatively lower-income working class [[where much of the prejudice lies, as it does in the long-time wealthy upper classes and former nobility).

[grapevine]

I've seen LOTS of prejudice against Pakis

'"Paki" is a racial slur directed towards Pakistanis, chiefly in the United Kingdom.' - Wikipedia

[robb_k]

'"Paki" is a racial slur directed towards Pakistanis, chiefly in the United Kingdom.' - Wikipedia

That was part of my point. Where do you think I was when I heard that "term"?

[144man]

As far as prejudice in the UK is concerned, I find that London is a lot more tolerant than the rest of the country. It's not just a "city v. country" thing either as Birmingham is nowhere near as enlightened as London.

[robb_k]

I've spent maybe a year's worth of time in Greater London Area between 1964 and 2012, but, probably about 3 years worth of time in Greater Manchester and various parts of Lancashire, and also smaller periods of time in Yorkshire, Northumbria, East Anglia and Scotland over that same period, and seen lots of prejudice and dislike of foreigners.

But, I'm probably looking and listening for signs of that all the time, being a Jew, half of whose family was murdered in The Nazi death camps, and who has had ancestors murdered by The Spanish and Portuguese Inquisition, and driven out from Spain and Portugal, and ancestors banished from France and Germany to Poland, Lithuania and Hungary, only to be persecuted there by The Russians, Litvaks and Nazis.

We had it drummed into our heads to always have our bags packed ready to flee, as it is NEVER truly safe for us in any Christian or Moslem country.

I had some family members born and raised in The East End of London. Some bettered themselves to move to Golder's Green and estates in Kent. But they told me about the prejudice they went through in the late 1800s and early 1900s. I still hear people say mean and hateful things even to this day. about Jews, Blacks and foreigners [[especially Africans and Asians, but, also even Italians, Spanish and even Frenchmen).