The Latest Number One

The latest poll is out. Who is number one?

Where would one find the best country in the world in which to live? There are many ‘rating sources’ with different criteria centered for a variety of age and personal interests. One reputable ‘rating group’ is The Economist Intelligence Unit which provides analysis and forecasts on more than 200 countries and key industries, including technology, finance and energy.

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The Economist Intelligence Unit, or EIU is a British business  providing services through research and analysis, such as monthly country reports, five-year country economic forecasts, country risk service reports, and industry reports.
NBC News used the latest EIU report to interview residents  in the latest “number one country”, unfortunately, the country chosen was not The United States Of America .

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The country determined to be the “Best Country In Which To Live”  was, once again, Norway.

 Norway has been rated “number one” by the EIU six years running and NBC reporters visited Norway to discover how they are achieving this feat. Keeping in mind, these ratings vary due to criteria and the rating-center’s results.Nevertheless, Norway consistently winds up in the top five in most rankings, sharing honors with their Scandinavian neighbors Sweden and Denmark, year after year.
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One of the NBC team’s interviews included that of two 18 yr-old Oslo residents. When asked if they planned to vote in their elections, they thought the question to be strange. Eighteen yr-old  Norwegian Aurora Aven stated ”It would seem very strange not to vote. It’s, like, a normal thing.” Norwegians are automatically registered to vote and  78% did vote in the last election. (The US percentage was twenty percent lower). They went on to say “ Norway has  a good system. No one feels left out and everyone knows their voice will be heard.”

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There are eight political parties in Norway’s legislature and debate is much milder than that in the US. To get anything done, they must utilize more cooperation than confrontation. Interviewees mentioned that the political members are not known to be of big personalities with high incomes. Taxes are nationally known to be very high, but residents do not object, knowing that their comfortable living standard, health care and education is, and will be available free of charge aided by the fact that Norway’s oil industry has provided a $880 million dollar ‘ Piggy Bank’ for Norway residents.
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Money does not seem to be a big issue for Norwegians. Money can’t  ‘buy a political job.’ One resident stated " In Norway we try to keep it so the politicians don't earn that much money. They do it because they care about the country and the future." 

      When asked about their opinion of America, most are aware of the musical entertainment industry and the US being a world leader as being very important, but worried about current American conditions that are causing concern to Europeans.
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Norway is famous for its economic practices, plus the residents are well-cared for with

emphasis on family-friendly policies. It is a well known fact that even fathers can take up to 12 weeks paid leave during the first three years after a new baby’s arrival. Norway’s residents are very aware of  outside areas. Tourists find that Norwegian youth can speak very good English! ( Americans, as a whole, are not known to reciprocate.)

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While Norway, Sweden  and Denmark are often found in the top 10 “Best countries”, The United States is not to be found in that category! In this EIU survey of 167 countries, the USA was ranked 24th. In this survey, the NBC staff found that the United States had been downgraded to being a “Flawed Democracy”.

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                       The latest EIU index as stated in the explanation:   
“Full democracies are nations where civil liberties and basic political freedoms are not only respected, but also reinforced by a political culture conducive to the thriving of democratic principles. These nations have a valid system of governmental checks and balances, independent judiciary whose decisions are enforced, governments which function adequately, and media which is diverse and independent.                                                                                                These nations have only limited problems in democratic functioning.”

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“A flawed democracy is a country with free elections but weighed down by weak governance, an underdeveloped political culture and low levels of political participation” according to the EIU. "Trust in political institutions is an essential component of well-functioning democracies.Jan 25, 2017.”

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   The US middle-ranking shared ratings with Columbia, a country of decades-long violence and violations of human rights, although making progress since 2002.  Also Argentina ,whose residents have struggled with military dictatorships, as well as India which is the world’s largest democracy  with a population expected to overtake China’s in 2028 to become the world’s most populous nation, but also tackling social and economic problems.

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In comparison of these issues, Norway is fortunate in their social, economic and political positions. Residents are content enjoying their national pride corruption free, lack of pollution, low crime rate which explains how Norway can deserve their title of “The Best Country In Which To Live.”