NationStates Jolt Archive

The Economist Intelligence Unit has just released (http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/05/21/1211182833666.html) its Global Peace Index Rankings (http://www.visionofhumanity.org/gpi/results/rankings/2008/). It assesses internal peace within a country.

The top 10 are Iceland, Denmark, Norway, New Zealand, Japan, Ireland, Portugal, Finland, Luxembourg and Austria.

The highest-ranked country in the Americas is Canada (11th). The highest-ranked country in Asia is Oman (25th). The highest-ranked country in Africa is Ghana (40th).

Germany is 14th, below Sweden and above Belgium.

Australia is 27th, below Bhutan and above Italy.

France is 36th, below Estonia and above Vietnam.

The UK is 49th, below Panama and above Mozambique.

China is 67th, below Bosnia and above Indonesia.

Mexico is 93rd, below Cameroun and above Belarus.

The USA is 97th, below Jamaica and above Trinidad & Tobago.

India is 107th, below Yemen and above Saudi Arabia.

South Africa is 116th, below Turkey and above the Republic of the Congo.

Russia is 131st, below Colombia and above Lebanon.

Iraq is last (only 140 countries are assessed), below Somalia.

The top five in Africa are Ghana, Madagascar, Botswana, Tunisia and Mozambique.
The top five in Asia / Oceania are New Zealand, Japan, Hong Kong, Bhutan and Australia.
The top five in Europe are in the top ten in the world, listed above.
The top five in the Americas are Canada, Chile, Uruguay, Costa Rica and Panama.

Whatever....

They should have called it 'The Mindless Automaton Borgs Index', because that's what it seems to measure.

EDIT: Having said that, how Ireland sneaked in there I don't know, and I use the word sneak pointedly, because they're sneaky.

Iceland, Denmark, Norway, New Zealand, Japan, Ireland, Portugal, Finland, Luxembourg and Austria

Hnmm... four islands, two defeated ex-military powers (Japan & Austria) which basically can't have militaries and have fairly homogenous populations...

Hmm. Why didn't Vatican City get #1? :D

Hmm. Why didn't Vatican City get #1? :D

To many American tourists apparently. Seriously though it is just the spill over from Rome that messes up the Vatican.

Yay! Hong Kong very good - though surprisingly not as good as some others above it...

Sigh. I give up on Britain.

Iceland what a joke.


They rampantly oppressed Red heads in that country. It is a pressure cooker about to blow I say. Revolution in Iceland NOW power to the RED heads!!!

source, GPI overview, http://www.visionofhumanity.org/gpi/about-gpi/overview.php

The index is composed of 24 qualitative and quantitative indicators from highly respected sources, which combine internal and external factors ranging from a nation's level of military expenditure to its relations with neighbouring countries and the level of respect for human rights. These indicators were selected by an international panel of academics, business people, philanthropists and peace institutions. The GPI is collated and calculated by the Economist Intelligence Unit.

As before, the GPI has been tested against a range of potential "drivers" or potential determinants of peace - including levels of democracy and transparency, education and material wellbeing. Now including 140 countries, the GPI brings a snapshot of relative peacefulness among nations while continuing to contribute to an understanding of what factors help create or sustain more peaceful societies.

Neighbouring countries only? Very comfy for states who send troops to invade other countries at their antipodes...

I call BS on this definition of "peacefulness".

Neighbouring countries only? Very comfy for states who send troops to invade other countries at their antipodes...

I call BS on this definition of "peacefulness".

Actually most international conflicts still happen between neighbours. Only the West has been able to export its conflicts /project its military power around the world. So yes, it is a pretty good indicator of peacefulness.

EDIT: Having said that, how Ireland sneaked in there I don't know, and I use the word sneak pointedly, because they're sneaky.

We're there because we're peaceful, ye smart arse little bollix. If ye want to say more ye can step outside and do it.....

Here's the problem, these are indicators

Number of external and internal conflicts fought: 2001-06
Estimated number of deaths from organised conflict (external)
Number of deaths from organised conflict (internal)
Level of organised conflict (internal)
Relations with neighbouring countries

Clearly they've left out disorganised conflict - Cameroon places above the USA, are they freaking serious, has anyone been to Cameroon - it's dysfunctional, the only job prospects are government, as in completely corrupt, or thief.

I can handle various sorts of these reports, they can generally be useful but I'm guessing a huge amount of money has been spent on compiling this report and I cannot, for the life of me, see any use in it whatsoever - the measurement of peaceful seems entirely subjective in terms of rating it 0-5 on each indicator.

Is it simply about 'countries that don't invade other countries'?

What is the point of this report? It says nothing about anything.

We're there because we're peaceful, ye smart arse little bollix. If ye want to say more ye can step outside and do it.....

:)

I was guessing it was because you're all too drunk to care.

i say bull to New Zealand they must be cheating some how

Seriously though it is just the spill over from Rome that messes up the Vatican.

Indeed. The Vatican's crime rate per capita is the highest in the world, I think. But it's not due to the Vaticanese themselves. It's all those Italians crossing the border. :p

It's too damned cold for any real misbehavior...

Of course Iceland is the most peaceful. They are all related and live on an island.

Of course Iceland is the most peaceful. They are all related and live on an island.

bullshit they brutal repress the red heads especially those with the audacity to breed.

bullshit they brutal repress the red heads especially those with the audacity to breed.

Red heads need to know their place: sitting out of the sun with their mouths shut!

How can the wonderful Costa Rica, who abolished their army, not be higher up the rankings?

Of course Iceland is the most peaceful. They are all related and live on an island.
Inbred insanity didn't seem to keep the Prussians from being fairly violent.

Red heads need to know their place: sitting out of the sun with their mouths shut!

Please Iceland is one of the Few places where the Red heads don't fear the Sun. If anything all non red heads should be sent to USA and and Iceland turned into a reservation for Red heads

Of course Iceland is the most peaceful. They are all related and live on an island.

The island is part of it, but if I remember correctly, Iceland is the least "diverse".

How can the wonderful Costa Rica, who abolished their army, not be higher up the rankings?

Well, 34th isn't low.

If you can make any sense of it, here's the data for Costa Rica:
http://www.visionofhumanity.org/gpi/results/costa-rica/2008

Well, 34th isn't low.

If you can make any sense of it, here's the data for Costa Rica:
http://www.visionofhumanity.org/gpi/results/costa-rica/2008
I became curious enough to check my country's stats. It turns out, we have higher ratings of civil liberties than USA or the UK! :eek:

(and more women in parliament, too.)

The island is part of it, but if I remember correctly, Iceland is the least "diverse".
Having a really homogenous population seems to push you to the top of these standings.

I wonder if the folks who compiled this realised they were making a strong argument against allowing immigration.

Those vikings are hiding something, I'm sure of it. They have ICBMs. Intercontinental Bjork Missiles.

Having a really homogenous population seems to push you to the top of these standings.

I wonder if the folks who compiled this realised they were making a strong argument against allowing immigration.

the "melting pot" theory isnt always correct.

Those vikings are hiding something, I'm sure of it. They have ICBMs. Intercontinental Bjork Missiles.
Thy also have very cute fuzzy horses.

Thy also have very cute fuzzy horses.

Obviously devised to subvert our impressionable daughters at an early age, even as their longships land on our beaches.

I like peace :)

Obviously devised to subvert our impressionable daughters at an early age, even as their longships land on our beaches.
Their horses have a very steady gait. They're famous for being steady enough you can ride one without spilling a full beer stein.

The USA is 97th, below Jamaica and above Trinidad & Tobago.
"Ha! Well you have an axe in YOUR face!" It's all because of The cloak! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JepOL9EMDqU) Everyone else is a peaceful law-abiding citizen. Yes, even the Unabomber was a law-abiding citizen. Wait a minute, what?

Trinidad must have some serious problems to be below the USA.

Trinidad must have some serious problems to be below the USA.

Very high crime, from what I can gather.

Having a really homogenous population seems to push you to the top of these standings.

I wonder if the folks who compiled this realised they were making a strong argument against allowing immigration.

Uhm... Take another look at the top 15. Denmark, New Zealand, Ireland, Canada, Germany and others aren't known for having low levels of immigration. (Contrary to popular misconception, Ireland today is very multicultural, and and has a higher rate of immigration than emigration. Which is understandable, since Ireland is fairly near the top of every quality of life rating.)

I'm not surprised by this list. Iceland doesn't even have a military. The US, on the other hand, puts its gigantic military to regular use.

However, Iceland is responsible for the largest simulated wars in history. I speak of EVE Online, an Icelandic MMO where space fleets numbering in the hundreds do battle on a regular basis.

Uhm... Take another look at the top 15. Denmark, New Zealand, Ireland, Canada, Germany and others aren't known for having low levels of immigration. (Contrary to popular misconception, Ireland today is very multicultural, and and has a higher rate of immigration than emigration. Which is understandable, since Ireland is fairly near the top of every quality of life rating.)
How dethnically diverse are Irish communities? Or Canadian communities? Germany's the only country you listed I'd describe as being particularly diverse. Ireland, Denmark and Canada are remarkably white countries without much multicultural integration.

Iceland, Denmark, Norway, New Zealand, Japan, Ireland, Portugal, Finland, Luxembourg and Austria

Hnmm... four islands, two defeated ex-military powers (Japan & Austria) which basically can't have militaries and have fairly homogenous populations...
Hmm. Why didn't Vatican City get #1? :D

So, one can infer that a "fairly homogenous population" has a causal relationship with peaceful societies?

Evidence of ever it was required that Mr. Powell was correct, and that immigration does induce unpleasant social tensions.

So, one can infer that a "fairly homogenous population" has a causal relationship with peaceful societies?

Evidence of ever it was required that Mr. Powell was correct, and that immigration does induce unpleasant social tensions.

They've listed the details for each country. Perhaps you'd like to tell us how the differences between Iceland (number one) and the UK (number forty eight) were caused by immigration. I've had a look and I can't see how the big differences (such as number of weapons exported) have been caused by immigration.

"15-34 year old males as a % of total population" seemingly counts against a country.

So arming the young men and letting them thin each other out would make any country more peaceful ... :p

Not quite. There are several conflicts in African countries that are fought out in rather ugly ways by groups consisting of mainly that age bracket.

Iceland is cheating! They automatically get a great rating on their relations with neighboring nations because they don't have any neighboring nations!

Not quite. There are several conflicts in African countries that are fought out in rather ugly ways by groups consisting of mainly that age bracket.

Whoa, sport. I thought the idea of gunfights in the street to make a country more peaceful was so self-evidently absurd that it could only be taken as a joke.

It was a kitten punch at the right-to-bear-weapons mob, as much as anything. ;)

Iceland is cheating! They automatically get a great rating on their relations with neighboring nations because they don't have any neighboring nations!

I hear the cod are rebelling soon, they have a leader, they call him the Da Vinci Cod, il tutti di frutti mare.

So dark the cod of man.

Mark my words there'll be war in Iceland.

Goddamnit, we need to get America to the bottom! Time to invade everybody.

Uh...why didn't Bhutan, Liechtenstein, Andorra, Monaco, or Switzerland rank first? Or Costa Rica, which has no military?

Goddamnit, we need to get America to the bottom! Time to invade everybody.

No, just the people below us.

Hey Trinidad, you're next!

Goddamnit, we need to get America to the bottom! Time to invade everybody.

I dunno, I bet occupied countries tend drift southwards on the list as well. What the US needs is to be invaded…

iceland has a lot going for it, but i'd love it a lot more if it had my little trains instead of damd automobiles. much as can be said for some, most, of my favorite other little odd corners of the world, about which i can say nothing with authority having never been too. just read about and looked at pictures.

=^^=
.../\...

So, one can infer that a "fairly homogenous population" has a causal relationship with peaceful societies?

Evidence of ever it was required that Mr. Powell was correct, and that immigration does induce unpleasant social tensions.

Of course. The mixing of different peoples always causes tensions, be they religious, racial, economic, etc.

Personally, I regard this as a good thing. It's what makes America... America. Tensions? Sure. A whole lot of 'em. Massive purges and violence? Not so much.

How does one scientifically measure 'peacefulness'?

How does one scientifically measure 'peacefulness'?

The same way the measure global warming: with a lot of guesswork, non-peer reviewed, and some preset notion of what they THINK should be the answer.

You clearly are a racist, toothless hick.

We both know that the international organizations that measure these things are never wrong.

If their research confirms that America is an evil, racist imperialist power, why, that's just a bonus.

Ireland, Denmark and Canada are remarkably white countries without much multicultural integration.

Wrong. They all have significant non-white minorities.

So, one can infer that a "fairly homogenous population" has a causal relationship with peaceful societies?

Evidence of ever it was required that Mr. Powell was correct, and that immigration does induce unpleasant social tensions.

Never mind that the facts don't back you up, eh? Are you seriously suggesting that New Zealand is ethnically homogenous? Have you ever been to Auckland? Or looked at New Zealand census data?

Are you saying that South Africa's problems are entirely due to a large white immigrant minority?

Oh, why do I even bother...

While you're making stupid inferences, though, how about this one?

http://img369.imageshack.us/img369/7600/800pxnetmigrationratewouj9.png

Oh, lookee! Countries with positive migration rates (in blue) are more peaceful than those with stable (in green) or negative (in orange) migration rates!

Somewhat more instructive, however, is this (https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2112.html). Canada has the fourth highest immigration rate in the world. Ireland has the fifth. Australia seventh, New Zealand eighth, Denmark fourteenth. All of those have higher immigration rates than Germany, which you mentioned, and all except Denmark have higher immigration rates than the US. So Western countries with high immigration rates are statistically more peaceful than Western countries with lower immigration rates.

Interesting, no? So sorry to introduce facts into your delirium.

Wrong. They all have significant non-white minorities.
I live in Canada. I live in the least white part of Canada. Canada's exceptionally white. Furthermore, individual communites tend to be ethnically similar.

Whoa, sport. I thought the idea of gunfights in the street to make a country more peaceful was so self-evidently absurd that it could only be taken as a joke.

It was a kitten punch at the right-to-bear-weapons mob, as much as anything. ;)
Unfortunately you didn't take my total lack of humor into account.

Denmark in the top 10?

Fuck that, it's at war currently.

Actually most international conflicts still happen between neighbours. Only the West has been able to export its conflicts /project its military power around the world. So yes, it is a pretty good indicator of peacefulness.

Hence why this was probably developed by western scientists, knowing it would make Europe and North America look better.

Edit:
Ahh yeah, hostility to foreigners/private property: 0... on a scale of 1-5... uh huh... 25% of the population vote for a party whose sole purpose is to deport all foreigners. The two major parties have absolutely nothing against helping said party pass all their laws.

I'd put it at 2 or 3 personally.

The Economist Intelligence Unit has just released (http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/05/21/1211182833666.html) its Global Peace Index Rankings (http://www.visionofhumanity.org/gpi/results/rankings/2008/). It assesses internal peace within a country.

The top 10 are Iceland, Denmark, Norway, New Zealand, Japan, Ireland, Portugal, Finland, Luxembourg and Austria.

Just don't argue with Iceland about fish...

Uh...why didn't Bhutan, Liechtenstein, Andorra, Monaco, or Switzerland rank first? Or Costa Rica, which has no military?

Bhutan: The Bhutanese Refugee problem, not very peaceful at all, and that region is rather unstable, so relations with neighbours can be tense, such as with India over old annexation fears.

Liechtenstein: Bad relations with Germany and other countries over tax haven status

Andorra: similar problems with tax haven status, has bad relations with the EU over this, as does Liechtenstein.

Monaco: actually i would've thought Monaco would be one of the most peaceful too! But again the tax thing is the most likely problem, tension with neighbours because of that

Switzerland:A lot of hatred of immigrants there, and that country is armed to the teeth!

Costa Rica: The instability of Central America in general, and the situation of poverty.

I blame the poor :)

So Western countries with high immigration rates are statistically more peaceful than Western countries with lower immigration rates.

isn't that like saying donuts make you fat because they taste delicious? (in other words immigration tendency towards peaceful happy lands will skew this a tad)

Wrong. They all have significant non-white minorities.



Never mind that the facts don't back you up, eh? Are you seriously suggesting that New Zealand is ethnically homogenous? Have you ever been to Auckland? Or looked at New Zealand census data?

Are you saying that South Africa's problems are entirely due to a large white immigrant minority?

Oh, why do I even bother...

While you're making stupid inferences, though, how about this one?

http://img369.imageshack.us/img369/7600/800pxnetmigrationratewouj9.png

Oh, lookee! Countries with positive migration rates (in blue) are more peaceful than those with stable (in green) or negative (in orange) migration rates!

Somewhat more instructive, however, is this (https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2112.html). Canada has the fourth highest immigration rate in the world. Ireland has the fifth. Australia seventh, New Zealand eighth, Denmark fourteenth. All of those have higher immigration rates than Germany, which you mentioned, and all except Denmark have higher immigration rates than the US. So Western countries with high immigration rates are statistically more peaceful than Western countries with lower immigration rates.

Interesting, no? So sorry to introduce facts into your delirium.

* New Zealand census data:
http://www.stats.govt.nz/census/census-outputs/quickstats/snapshotplace2.htm?id=9999999&tab=CulturalDiversity&type=region&ParentID=
67% European
15% Maori
7% Pacific Islander
>1% Middle Eastern/Latin American/African
...For all intents and purposes, it's homogenous. Look up New Orleans or Los Angeles some time. :)

* I'm sure that Canada does have the 4th highest RATE of immigration, since you're talking about a populace of only 33 million or so. And 75% of those immigrants came from Europe anyway.
http://dsp-psd.pwgsc.gc.ca/collection_2008/statcan/91-003-X/91-003-XIE2007001.pdf - (Figure 18, page 29 of 62.)
In short, a higher immigration rate means little since the populations that are mixing are similar to begin with.
Another example? Priests in Ireland love the new Polish immigrants -- they actually go to church. :D

* I would not call places like Angola or Afghanistan peaceful.

* Actually, YES, many of S.Africa's problems stem directly from the small white minority. I'd like to give a special shout-out to Hendrik Frensch Verwoerd & P.W. Botha on that one! :(

Iceland was peaceful right up until the 6.1 earthquake it just had.

Oh, lookee! Countries with positive migration rates (in blue) are more peaceful than those with stable (in green) or negative (in orange) migration rates!


Isn't that just an extreme case of pointing out the obvious? As in, obviously nicer countries would have more people coming to them than rubbish countries, and rubbish countries would have more people leaving than coming in.

The same way the measure global warming: with a lot of guesswork, non-peer reviewed, and some preset notion of what they THINK should be the answer.

You're confusing climatologists with the global warming skeptics again.

You're confusing climatologists with the global warming skeptics again.

Or Freeman Dyson with a real scientist? LOL!

EDIT: Global warming exists. Man made global warming? Probably not so much.

Has no one thought that the reason the countries with the high immigration rates are the happiest is because the immigration is due to their successful economies, thus their happiness and peacefulness. That seems to be the situation here i'd say (in Ireland, top 10 oh yea)

I like peace :)

Bleeding heart liberal!!!!

KILL ALL THE GODLESS ICELAND SODOMITES!!!!!



:mp5: :mp5: :mp5: :mp5: :mp5: :mp5:


Mexico 95th???


We must have paid so they pushed us a few places up.

It's Iceland, they don't even have a military and I am willing to bet Jamaica is worse than the USA in terms of peace. I've heard a lot of bad stories...

Well, Iceland is my favorite country! Even though I live in America, I want to live in Iceland sooooo bad! I know America is not peaceful and that pisses me offGO ICELAND!!!! :cool: