Pierre the Great Posted May 30, 2007 Share Posted May 30, 2007 Top 5 most peaceful nations (out of 121 countries) 1 Norway 2 New Zealand 3 Denmark 4 Ireland 5 Japan 6 Finland 7 Sweden 8 Canada 9 Portugal 10 Austria 11 Belgium 12 Germany 13 Czech Republic 14 Switzerland 15 Slovenia 16 Chile 17 Slovakia 18 Hungary 19 Bhutan 20 Netherlands 21 Spain 22 Oman 23 Hong Kong 24 Uruguay 25 Australia 34. France 49. United Kingdom 96. United States Bottom 5 117 Nigeria 118 Russia 119 Israel 120 Sudan 121 Iraq The Global Peace Index, compiled by the Economist Intelligence Unit, looked at 24 factors to determine how peaceful each country was. The authors say it is the first attempt to produce such a wide-ranging league table of how peaceful countries are. Factors examined by the authors include levels of violence and organised crime within the country and military expenditure. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/6704767.stm ------------------------------------------------------------- lol the US, one of the most dangerous countries in the world. And I've got to agree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bacchus Posted May 30, 2007 Share Posted May 30, 2007 (edited) well, Japan has a huge military expenditure, they just call it a defense force as a way around the whole problem that they are not allowed to have a military. They are about to buy a whack load of these badboys to defend Japan .... Their defense force could kick Canada's army's asses! Also, Ireland, until recently, had a serious terrorism problem ... and they were probably seriously limited in what they could get for a military by England. But aside from that, makes sense that the Northern European countries and Canada are up there. What about Cuba ... they are pretty peaceful! Very little crime, and very little military ... aside from that whole Guantanimo Bay deal. Edited May 30, 2007 by Bacchus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierre the Great Posted May 30, 2007 Author Share Posted May 30, 2007 Cuba is 59 http://www.visionofhumanity.com/rankings/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierre the Great Posted May 30, 2007 Author Share Posted May 30, 2007 They go into detail too, like here's Canada's statistics: Peace index scores from 1 to 5 where 1=most peaceful. Ranked out of 121 countries where rank 1=most peaceful country Level of distrust in other citizens 2 Number of internal security officers and police 100,000 people 1 Number of homicides per 100,000 people 2 Number of jailed population per 100,000 people 2 Ease of access to weapons of minor destruction 2 Level of organised conflict (internal) 1 Likelihood of violent demonstrations 1 Level of violent crime 1 Political instability 1 Respect for human rights 1 Volume of transfers of major conventional weapons, as recipient (Imports) per 100,000 people 1 Potential for terriorist acts 2 Number of deaths from organised conflict (internal) 1 Military expenditure as a percentage of GDP 1 Number of armed services personnel per 100,000 people 1 UN Deployments 2006-07 (percentage of total forces) 5 Non-UN Deployments 2006-07 (percentage of total forces) 2 Aggregate number of heavy weapons per 100,000 people 1 Volume of transfers of major conventional weapons as supplier (exports) per 100,000 people 2 Military capability/sophistication 3 Number of displaced people as a percentage of the population 1 Relations with neighbouring countries 1 Number of external and internal conflicts fought: 2000-05 2 Estimated number of deaths from organised conflict (external) 1 http://www.visionofhumanity.com/rankings/show_country/17 Here's the US numbers: http://www.visionofhumanity.com/rankings/show_country/113 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bacchus Posted May 30, 2007 Share Posted May 30, 2007 It seems that the method of analysing a country's Peacefulness is biased towards a western view of domocracy and social order. It is more interesting to measure up against other western nations seeing as they are our values. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athlétique.Canadien Posted May 30, 2007 Share Posted May 30, 2007 Their defense force could kick Canada's army's asses! There isn't too many forces in the world that couldn't so I fail to see your point. France would beat us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierre the Great Posted May 30, 2007 Author Share Posted May 30, 2007 When will people learn that armies are utterly pointless unless you want to invade other countries and steal their women. Armies are for protecting the country not going around on crusader missions. If you don't go into the bee hive you won't get stung. Norway's army is made up of teens who go on ice breaking missions every couple of weeks in the winter. Granted they make a lot of arms but they don't go out and invade countries. Walk into bee hive = get stung Invade another country= endless black hole of money pit, lots of blood on your hands As Tony Benn said: "All war represents a failure of diplomacy." And Confucius: When embarking on the journey of revenge, dig two graves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The-Habby2919 Posted June 4, 2007 Share Posted June 4, 2007 well, Japan has a huge military expenditure, they just call it a defense force as a way around the whole problem that they are not allowed to have a military. They are about to buy a whack load of these badboys to defend Japan .... Their defense force could kick Canada's army's asses! Also, Ireland, until recently, had a serious terrorism problem ... and they were probably seriously limited in what they could get for a military by England. But aside from that, makes sense that the Northern European countries and Canada are up there. What about Cuba ... they are pretty peaceful! Very little crime, and very little military ... aside from that whole Guantanimo Bay deal. Theyre about to get a bunch of STARSCREAMS were doomed! :hlogo: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierre the Great Posted June 4, 2007 Author Share Posted June 4, 2007 who is? And what's StarScreams? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLP Posted June 4, 2007 Share Posted June 4, 2007 well, Japan has a huge military expenditure, they just call it a defense force as a way around the whole problem that they are not allowed to have a military. They are about to buy a whack load of these badboys to defend Japan .... Their defense force could kick Canada's army's asses! That's me flying it guys! Pretty cool but no ashtray, and parking is a bitch . . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bacchus Posted June 4, 2007 Share Posted June 4, 2007 There isn't too many forces in the world that couldn't so I fail to see your point. France would beat us. The point is that it isn't classified as an army seeing as it is illegal accoding to their constitution (a result of their uber agressivity in WWII and the colonial period that preceeded it. Thus, they have an army, but they call it a defense force. So, my point is that although they don't have an army, they do have a serious force that could wage war. Capiche? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLP Posted June 4, 2007 Share Posted June 4, 2007 The point is that it isn't classified as an army seeing as it is illegal accoding to their constitution (a result of their uber agressivity in WWII and the colonial period that preceeded it. Thus, they have an army, but they call it a defense force. So, my point is that although they don't have an army, they do have a serious force that could wage war. Capiche? Also watch out world (Asia) because the new nationalist PM Abe is determined to scrap Article 9 in the Constitution, Japan's so-called "pacifist clause" -- but yeah Bacchus it has been nothing but a matter of semantics regarding the "Self Defence Forces," call it what you will Japan has spent a whole lot of money developing their military and now the new power elite want the right to use it. Plus how is Japan "peaceful" when the last two PMs have paid homage at a shrine honoring Class A war criminals? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierre the Great Posted June 4, 2007 Author Share Posted June 4, 2007 Plus how is Japan "peaceful" when the last two PMs have paid homage at a shrine honoring Class A war criminals? That's like the equivelant of republicans bringing homage to their confederate heroes during the civil war. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLP Posted June 4, 2007 Share Posted June 4, 2007 That's like the equivelant of republicans bringing homage to their confederate heroes during the civil war. I think more like Merkel laying a wreath at Hitler's grave, that sure would piss off a bunch or people, and when PM Koizumi visited the shrine honoring Tojo, the Koreans and Chinese went nuts, as they had suffered the brunt of the Japanese Imperial Army's rampage. But the USA and the West in general did little to protest that, I guess Asia seems "far" for most in the West and given Japan's a culture of obfuscation and tireless spin department, maybe I can understand them finishing top five "peaceful" here hehehe. Anyway I assure you Japan are dusting off their militarism again, historical revisionism and nationalist rhetoric are spreading fast through the government and media, and the US, who wrote the Article 9 pacifist clause into Japan's post-war constitution, is ironically the country that most wants to see it scrapped now so nothing stands in the way of the hawks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierre the Great Posted June 4, 2007 Author Share Posted June 4, 2007 well of course. The US needs a strong army in the Rim to strike North Korea at some point or defuse tensions between Taiwan and China which wants to see the 'rogue province' back into the fold by 2020. I think Hitler's bunker is now a kindergarten. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLP Posted June 4, 2007 Share Posted June 4, 2007 well of course. The US needs a strong army in the Rim to strike North Korea at some point or defuse tensions between Taiwan and China which wants to see the 'rogue province' back into the fold by 2020. I think Hitler's bunker is now a kindergarten. Hitler's grave not his bunker, different places. Actually my friend's place where I stay in Berlin is pretty well atop where Hitler's bunker was, maybe a hundred meters from where he died. And yes the US does gladly trade off its much-vaunted principles and swerve quickly off the moral high road whenever they perceive a benefit in doing so, that's why some countries are given a free hand to do whatever they like. I think this hypocrisy is a big reason why public opinion in Europe and many if not most other parts of the world has turned strongly against the US in the 21st C. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierre the Great Posted June 4, 2007 Author Share Posted June 4, 2007 moral high ground? When has the US ever had the moral high ground? lol The country that invented assassination politics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLP Posted June 4, 2007 Share Posted June 4, 2007 moral high ground? When has the US ever had the moral high ground? lol The country that invented assassination politics. Look at the Kennedys for example, through much of the 20th C the US was probably the most level-headed place on the planet and its greatest social experiment, with thinkers and visionaries who advanced some of the most progressive ideas about what a country should be. And there were political assassinations long before the pilgrims landed my son . . . I know I was there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierre the Great Posted June 4, 2007 Author Share Posted June 4, 2007 well I'm just talking about Iran, Chile, Cuba, Vietnam, Afghanistan (80's) Iran we didn't like this democratically elected guy, so we shot him, installed the Sha oops that led to the Revolution. Chile, nah your democratic process is worthless, bang shoots the guy installs a dictator. Afghanistan, hey taliban I hate the soviets too, here Osama this how you fight. Cuba way to go Castro for getting rid of the mafia run Cuba, Castro comes to Washington wants to be friends, Ike is out playing golf gives Castro the bird, Castro feels like he has no choice joins the Soviets. Woodrow Wilson and Ho Chi Minh, Ho loved america wanted Wilson to help him liberate Vietnam. But oh Wilson only cares about white Europeans. Ho is distraught still tried to get help from the US through Truman when he was in power. No luck he loses trust with America and they become enemies. oh its just lovely our imperialism. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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