Home sweet Home in Canada!

I read

What makes people happy? The question, which has been debated by philosophers for centuries, now is being tackled by international bureaucrats and the results are interesting, to say the least.

2. Canada 

Life satisfaction score: 9.68

Debt as a percentage of GDP: 36 percent (11th lowest) Employment score: 7.86 (10th best) 

Self-reported health: 9.73 (2nd best)

Employees working long hours: 9.28 (10th best)

Disposable income: 5.16 (8th best)

Educational attainment: 9.39 (6th best)

Life expectancy: 7.8 (10th best)

Canada scores extremely well in the majority of metrics used to calculate “well-being.” The country has the tenth greatest life expectancy of all OECD countries. Furthermore, 88 percent of people in Canada report being in “good health,” compared to the OECD average of 69 percent. Although this is a subjective measure, it is “a good predictor of people’s future health care use,” according to the OECD. Education is also exceptional in the country. Eighty-seven percent of the population have received a high school degree or more, compared to the OECD average of 73 percent. In addition to this, the country has one of the highest literacy rates in the world. Canada is also relatively safe, with the lowest rate of reported assaults. The country’s homicide rate, while higher than many other OECD countries, is still lower than the OECD average.

MSNBC

... therefore, I think!

If I may, let me get you the top 10 !

This is the 24/7 Wall St list of the Ten Countries With The Happiest People, most of which have bought and paid for prosperity because their economies have allowed them to do so.

10. Austria

  9. Israel

  8. Finland

  7. Switzerland

  6. Sweden

  5. The Netherlands

  4. Australia

  3. Norway

  2. Canada

  1. Denmark

The sort of surprises in this list?

The presence of Israel and the absence of The United States of America !

Well, Israel IS a surprise, but USA not there is it really a surprise for anyone?

To have lived there ... so,  can I say that I've gained the right to talk about it.

Do not get me wrong, the US of A is a great place to live, in fact it is a wonderful place to live IF and only IF you have money. As they say, no money, no candy! the USA are not for the health and happiness of the collectivity per se, but wealth and free enterprise for individuals. Your success is in your hands.

I was reading some comments ... some that I agree with, others that I find debatable.

1. Canada is only the 51th states: LOL, yes we do hear it sometimes. When it is time to include Canada because we shine ... then the American sort of remembers where Canada is on a map.
2. An American says: Let's all move to Canada. LOL (again). Yes and that's true until they realize that in order to be that happy and healthy is because we PAY out of our taxes for "free" healthcare for everybody. That does not come free.
3. American says: No, let's stay here and ship them all our illegal immigrants who are taking our jobs and costing us money. To that, I would reply: hum. I do not know many American who still want to flip burgers at the Clown or King Place or pick strawberries 12-14 hours in a row, 7 days a week (yes, when it is time to pick them up, it is not 2 days later, it is now now), under excruciating 40C sun with bathrooms 500 meters further (when there are some ...). Ok Illegals do not pay taxes, but ... do not collect $200 either ... but still pay rent, buy groceries, buy cars, put gas in, pay for cable, send their kids to school ... anyway, this could be a very long debate ... I may talk about it another time, with facts not feelings ...
4. Canada is a socialist country: yes it is true and yes I have to pay for healthcare and education of people who do not ... but ... in the end, America pays anyway ... money is not always direct out of pocket money.
5. Oh with Obama wasn't everything supposed to be just "marvelous": do I really need to write something about this? haaaaaaaaaaaa ... let's just say that Obama, Bush, Clinton or Reagan ... as long as you have the same economic and political policies ... nobody's a magician, wake up!

I think I'll stop there before I start receiving hate mail!|

By the way, two of the reasons Israel made the list:

1. household wealth: the fifth in the OECD 
2. Low income taxes: 6.3%