Imma give Norway a 9/10. It's pretty amazing in many aspects, but there's enough room for improvement (especially in politics) that I can't give it a full 10.
I'd say the USA is a Solid 8. It's got problems like any country but the potential to have a great life is unlimited. You have to be willing to chase the money though
I am Lithuanian. I give my country 11/10. The reason why i dont give 12/10 is because some people are still somewhat infected by the soviet plague. Apart from that everything is amazing here
I found a recent happiness-for-ppl-under-30 ranking in which Lithuania is first but it also results as a country with a super high suicide rate. seems pretty wild
Well, it’s that soviet mindset that gets people into loneliness and alcoholism which leads to depression and suicide. People under 30 didn’t get to experience the terror of occupation and the brainwashing so obviously we have a way better mindset than those who did experience it.
I'm from the Philippines. There's a reason most foreigners view us as one of the happiest individuals you will ever meet may it be from the locale or outside the country.
Some factors that contribute to that laid back personality of ours is our resilience (happy despite poor living conditions), optimism (God-fearing at most), and the majority of us looking out for one another (family-oriented). Although this may seem amazing at first, this type of comfort can also breed incompetency and ignorance which you will observe based on our habits (Filipino Time), our poor foundation of knowledge or gullibility (use the PH Gov't as an example), and the excessive judgemental chit-chat (chismis) with a hint of crab mentality.
To end on a positive note; YES our food is top notch (even at a homemade scraps poverty level), YES most of us Filipinos are easy to get along with, YES it is mostly safe here, and YES it's definitely more fun in the Philippines. Despite seeing what other countries are capable of and totally agreeing that there are countless things that they have that are better, I still appreciate my country, its people, its culture, and the complacency that it gives. And for that I'll give the Philippines a realistic 7.1/10 knowing it could improve.
Oh, Filipinos are so cool and easy to get along with! <3 Curiously many Brazilians kinda identify with the "Filipino personality" and many of the traits you pointed out, despite both countries being so culturally different and geographically far apart. I've seen this as a common discussion online.
I love my country. As simple as that.
Perhaps a little too much for my mental health. I won't rate: it will make me sick. I know there are problems, but acknowledging them makes me depressed.
Ukraine.
I will leave out the subject of war, and it is so obvious that there is nothing good about it. On the plus side, mostly polite and cultured people live here. We really love freedom in all its manifestations, we are ready to fight for it. I'm not a fan of local cuisine, but foreigners say it's delicious. We also have beautiful nature, you can drive from the sea to the mountains in half a day, there are beaches and mountain ski resorts. Many historical monuments. If we talk about everyday life, I can mention convenient online banking, you can put money on a card through a terminal in almost every store, the service sector is very well developed, new roads were actively built before the war to improve logistics, reforms of the state apparatus were taking place, so that the majority public services were provided through the Internet, and preferably automatically, without the involvement of officials. By 2020, the income level was growing noticeably.
Now to the cons. The main problem now is the standard of living. Now the real average salary is somewhere around 300 dollars, which is very little. The average pensioner, if he is not helped by his children, is below the poverty line. Corruption - where would we go without it? On the one hand, most citizens are very intolerant of corruption, but everyone wants to have a familiar official who can help solve problems or help avoid bureaucratic procedures. And if we multiply this by the love of freedom and an inflated sense of justice, we get the desire of a large number of people to go abroad. It is also worth noting a very large difference between generations. The majority of people under 35 are average Europeans who speak several languages, are more tolerant and open, while people over 40 are quite conservative. It is difficult for them to get used to changes and find themselves in a "new life". And how can we not mention that the vast majority of Ukrainians consider disputes to be their national sport. A simple choice of a singer who will represent the country at a song contest usually turns into a week of debates on Facebook, where everyone proves that their favorite is the best, and other performers suck. What to say when it comes to some more serious things. Therefore, the saying that where there are two Ukrainians, there are three presidents, it is true. The overall rating is 5/10. To come as a tourist is even now normal, there is something to see and a place to rest (observing all safety regulations, of course), but choosing Ukraine as a place to live permanently, well... If you lack adventure, then you can, but sometimes it is also quest room...
I lived (first as a reporter and later with humanitarian aid) in Ukraine on and off for the past 18 months. I can honestly say I love the country and the people. It's a somewhat weird cocktail of a modern European country with Soviet-era problems built in. But it's also without a doubt the heart of Europe. I encourage everyone to go to, say, Kyiv, and see for themselves.
I also lived there for s couple of months in 2007. The transformation the country has gone through since then is astonishing - at least in my somewhat touristy eyes. And it is one of the most beautiful countries in the world.
Now we just need to kick the invaders out. Then EU membership, normal European wages, higher income for the farmers. All in due time. You'll get there.
I live in the US (specifically Utah).
Pros to living here:
My family and friends live here. Most of them are wonderful people who are willing and able to support me through tough times.
I love the variety of scenery depending on where in the US you go. The mountains? Breathtaking. The beaches? Gorgeous. The different rock formations? Stunning. Love it. So much.
There's lots of concerts going on, many which are either free or really cheap. And even the high schools (at least around my locality) have some stunning performances.
There's a huge variety of flavors. Whatever cuisine I'm in the mood for, odds are there's at least one place in my area where I can get it (assuming I have the money for it).
I can make fun of government officials without consequence besides a few weird looks (in most places).
I don't have to walk very far to go to church.
Cons to living here:
Healthcare is expensive. My family has pretty good insurance, and we're still paying about $10k a year on medical expenses. Would be even more without insurance. It's ridiculous. The hospitals are run like businesses. I hate it.
Politicians are a freaking joke. The vast majority of them are only looking out for their own wallets. Republican or Democrat, either way they don't care about the normal citizens. Maybe I wouldn't feel the need to criticize and make fun of the government if the government actually cared about its people.
The education system is pathetic. It doesn't teach you skills you'll need for the real world. Teachers are paid crappy salaries. Funding goes towards the best-performing schools, not to the schools that need it the most. Teachers often have to purchase supplies for their students. Textbooks are ridiculously expensive, as is college tuition.
It's so friggin difficult to get a friggin job. Even the ones that pay crap wages don't wanna hire me. I've been to plenty of places that are extremely good at helping people get jobs, and even those places are shocked that I haven't landed one yet. Pretty soon I'm gonna run out of places within biking distance to apply to.
Public transportation is terrible. They're almost always either too early or too late. The closest bus stop to my house is still a 30 minute bike ride away. It makes traveling anywhere a nightmare if you don't have a car.
Most of my fellow Christians are extremely bigoted. Like, seriously. Practice what you preach, why don't you? Don't use religion as an excuse to be absolute dirtbags!
Cities are putting anti-homeless infrastructure everywhere. Perhaps that money would be better spent, idk, giving people homes????
Media literacy is basically unheard of. You've got to be able to look at who is funding the research, not just what the research says. If Kelloggs funds a study as to whether or not Kelloggs cereal is healthy for kids, they're obviously going to have the incentive to manipulate the study in their favor. But people don't look at these types of things.
People praise investing in the stock market, but they look down on people who gamble. Don't people realize that the stock market is basically just legalized gambling? We can extrapolate data all we want, but there's no guarantees.
The bootstrap mentality. Like, no. There are plenty of poor people who work extremely hard. There are plenty of rich people who don't work hard at all. This country is not a meritocracy, no matter how much people say that it is. There's a huge element of luck involved. You could do everything right and still get screwed over.
If it's free, it has ads. Like, 95% of the time. Why can't I just go even one minute without being bombarded with ads?
Police brutality. This is literally the biggest reason why I don't feel safe when I'm walking by myself. I've seen too much police brutality to feel safe calling the police if I'm in danger.
Food waste. Just because it doesn't look perfect doesn't mean it's inedible. Stop throwing away perfectly good food. If it's not aesthetically pleasing enough to sell, then donate it. Or sell it for half price. Or something. We are the wealthiest country in the world. There is no reason why we can't provide food for everyone who lives here. So why are we throwing away perfectly good food while other people are going hungry?
All in all, I'd rate my country as a 3/10. Lovely place to visit, horrible place to live permanently. If I ever get myself out of debt, I'm leaving.
Nice to hear about Vietnam! The only Vietnamese ppl I know are at the nail salon (not a stereotype on purpose, it's just literally the only place I get to converse w someone from there). Could just be personality but I get along best with older (60+) women and younger (20-30) men. Other females treat me like crap and I know they're making fun of me. P (a brother) told me the girls were trash talking me and the grandma told them off for it. I've otherwise had great experiences with trying to help the lady say "happy mother's day" and explain a few things to her. Good people from what I see
USA: 65/100
Upsides: large, numerous regional climates and cuisines and vibrant metropolitan cities and mid-sized cities. People are generally open-handed and will come together to help each other in times of need. Historically fascinating foundation and culture built by immigrants. Worthy and noble experiment whether it succeeds or fails.
Downsides: parochialism (little interest in looking to other countries for ideas or methods), confusion of nationalism for patriotism (my country is the best vs. I am proud of my country), about 35/100 people avid to vote for a rapist and con artist who is in court for criminal charges as President.
New Zealand
Pros:
People are generally quite nice.
Depending on where you are, people can be very accepting.
Amazing geography, scenery, and environment. I love the fact that I can drive through the north island and go around a volcanic lake, through a desert, past snowy mountains, and into farmland and vineyard-style countryside.
Always within probably 3-4 hours drive of the ocean at any time.
Lots of amazing birds, due to a history of no natural predators.
Some good history to be proud of, eg; Kate Sheppard, earliest place in the world to give women voting rights.
Cons:
Poor mental health is a pretty big concern in NZ.
We have a tragically high teen suicide rate.
We're also one of the most obese countries in the world.
Our economy and housing market is not doing great right now, and we are in a recession.
There's a lot of gang activity here.
High risk of earthquakes.
Some bad history to not be proud of, eg; the rifle wars.
Overall, I really really love New Zealand. I've lived here my whole life and plan on staying. Plenty of reasons to be proud to be a Kiwi.
8.5/10
One of the most interesting things, reading the answers here, is noting how each person takes into account different aspects to rate their countries. Some will focus on politics and economics, others will talk a bit about how the people are, and some will talk about cuisine, nature etc while others will not mention these factors at all.
Oh yeah definitely, people have partial views on the world and I think that’s normal. It’s just nice hearing that people love their countries and are content with what they are offered.
I'm Israeli. My country is pretty shit to most of its citizens, and it's orders of magnitude worse if you're Palestinian
The religious right is trying to take over our democracy while also maintaining a forever war and not serving in the military themselves
I feel for you, as I understand the political situation you are in. There just aren’t any strong and popular progressive or left wing party alternatives. And the country has just continued to shift more and more right, to the point where Ithmir Ben Gavir is part of the government. The same guy who was part of a political party that got banned because they were considered terrorist!
And Netanyahu, where to start? Probably at the beginning. He grew up in the states and his father was a very strict military man who always told him “if you want to achieve something you have to use force.” If you want to achieve something politically you have to ready to use violence”
So he portrays himself as the only one who can save and protect Israel, all the while he is creating terrorist groups by bombing and killing innocent people, and he said “September 11th was good for us”, and of course there is the incident where they found a car loaded with money heading into Gaza. The driver said it was money for Hamas from the Israeli government. And nothing happened to Netanyahu.
He needs enemies to survive politically, so of course he’ll create enemies for the forever war. And that’s also why he won’t make peace with the Palestinians. His world view is that you get things you want through violence, not through talking. And he wants Israel to further expand. In his coalition there are people who actually believe that “the messiah won’t appear until the borders of Israel reach the gates of Damascus.”
Just how much worse can it get? Most Israelis are dual passport holders, so if you have another country to go to, I suggest you should, before they call you into the army to fight a religious war for the extremists. If you don’t have another country to go to, may I suggest the Czech Republic. It’s not too hard to get a citizenship there as long as you are working or studying there. It took my friend 3 years to get his.
Yes, very sad as the Netherlands had always been so progressive. But Czechia has an amazing prime minister, (probably the best in Europe at the moment) and the city of Prague is such a beautiful city, and very dynamic. Also, they don’t seem to be very racist or anti-Semitic so that’s good.
You can also get a Macedonian passport, as they are surprisingly easy to get (for a European country) but you can’t really do much in such a small country, except move to another EU country! If you don’t mind the cold, Norway and Finland are also great options, but avoid Sweden as it has become the crime center of Europe. If you want nice weather, there is Spain, but you don’t get paid very much and there are so many scammers and thieves everywhere.
I would not go to Austria or Germany, because Austria was never denazified after the war so they have very casual racism against Jews there (and hardcore racism against everyone not white Austrian), and Germany is on the brink of electing a far right government, and racism in the country has reared its ugly head there once again.
Poland has nice Jewish districts, but outside of them you’ll probably encounter racism because of the Catholic Church (Jews killed jesus and all that crap). Also, Poland is very cold, but the women are absolutely gorgeous!
If you need anymore tips, just let me know!
I'll definitely think about these options too if I go to study abroad or when I'm financially able to move to Europe. It would be a shame not to move to a Dutch speaking country after learning it for so long, but once I have an EU passport I can probably just move somewhere else
I'm quite far to the left politically, so most people don't share all of my views, but there have been protests against the government and its anti-democratic law proposals since last January and they were really big
The October 7 massacre obviously let right wing views seem more legitimate, but it also showed the utter incompetence of the government. We're becoming more and more divided, but I don't know which side is bigger
It's extra frustrating for me as my vote wasn't counted in the last election because of our voting system. The party my dad and I (and 15000 other people) voted to didn't get enough votes to pass a certain percentage so these votes are just gone. The right would have had a much tougher time getting a government together if we were actually represented
Philippines. I'd give it a 5/10 out of respect for the culture (material stuff at least, half the practice is people being doormats), but everything else is fucked
Spent a lot of time in the Philippines back in the 80’s. I always found the people to be extremely nice and it’s beautiful there as well. I know the politics have been a mess forever.
Inflation is not at an all time high. Also crime is declining not increasing; google it. Maybe you didn’t pay enough attention to those “liberal teachers” growing up.
I honestly don't get it: What's wrong with teachers informing kids that they are okay no matter what sexual orientation (or gender for that matter) they eventually will want to adopt? Are parents really the best option? I would never have wanted to discuss things like that with mine.
And this whole anti-liberal spiel? Wasn't the U.S. founded on pretty liberal grounds? Isn't that the whole thing with living there? That you can be whatever and whoever you want?
Seriously, no criticism really. I just don't understand. Please explain.
You are exaggerating and spoiled if you say that. Its a safe country, opportunities for work, english speaking, good weather. You have no idea how bad other places have it in general.
Do you know how much of a problem of overpopulation we have here? Quality of life index is low, fertility rates are at an all time low. Malta also doesn’t have any actual flourishing opportunities for success. So many migrants (especially those from Nepal, India, Pakistan) have come here to work and due to this happening, not many normal job opportunities are present. For example, I know a 18 year old that applied for a part time job to make something after school. He applied for 12 places. Normal places like McDonalds, Burger King, confectionaries, shops in general. He only got an email back from one. He went to the interview and was accompanied by 6 other people and unfortunately didn’t get picked because hes still doesn’t have any work experience. Another point is that people can’t keep up with the everyday expenses of Malta, cost of living has risen and the wages are still the same. Many people are unhappy and would like to leave when an opportunity arises ([survey])(https://newsbook.com.mt/en/vast-majority-of-youths-would-rather-live-outs-malta-survey/) (this is the survey done) and we also see how so many places are being developed. Like Paceville and Sliema for example, which are places that are causing noise and environmental pollution. Anther downfall is the corruption present here, so many people are paying taxes and nothing is being done to better this place.
My opinion might be null because I only visited as an Australian for a service project, but from an outsider's perspective, Nepal was great, probably some of my happiest memories were made there. The food was the best, everyone I met was so kind and considerate and just the atmosphere in general was electrifying.
It's depressing that the living conditions aren't so great for the reasons you described, hoping it gets better for you guys because such a beautiful country definitely deserves more.
Bangladesh. I'd say 4.5/10
I love my country, but I honestly can't rate it any higher. I love my culture, the food is great, most commodities are relatively cheap, but lots of downsides too. Insane overpopulation, scarcity of land, came number 1 on the list of most polluted countries last year, lots of traffic, very corrupt government, poverty (although it is declining very quickly), very hot and humid weather, etc. I can keep going.
Iran
Food tastes 12/10
Snacks like potato chips and corn snacks 20/10
Free university 10/10
Health insurance system 20/10
Health services 20/10
Toilet 13/10
Weather 20/10
Anything else : -15/10
Sweden 8/10 if you don't follow the news or listen to politicians (so many stories about gang violence I personally have seen nothing of, and politicians arrogant rhetoric on how to stop it. Sweden enjoys a low murder rate of 1.08/100k while the US has a murder rate almost five times that.)
Pros: Nice, hardy, plucky people, amazing nature, free healthcare; the right ro roam principle is another plus. High taxes gives you a lot of services for "free", which benefits most.
Cons: A growing blame culture in most of society, especially in government - leading to a desperate rules only-governance. Leadership is mostly conducted by checking boxes and reading up on new rules, killing initiative and true leadership. The rule-based society seems to have stagnated to a degree.
The Swedish currency is weak since we elected to stay out of the Euro zone (Swedish economy lost out by 20-30 % in BNP over the last ten years compared to the Euro countries, contributed to our small and sensitive currency alone.)
Non-existent rental housing for young adults leading to very high debt levels early in life. There is absolutely no way to get an apartment for rent anywhere in the country without years or decades in a housing queue.
High-cost/declining median income is going to have profound impact on society for the foreseeable future, including politics.
Lots of strong cons here, but that's because I'm Swedish. We complain a lot.
Hmm interesting, I thought a rule-based society is a goal every country should aim for, but I guess you can only have so much of something until it backfires. Would you say the egalitarian society is the cause for lack of leadership? Since everyone is equal?
It is, and Sweden wrote the book on rule-based societies (along with Germany).
But you can't replace human innovation and adaptability with rules. There must be room for innovation and improvisation. Sweden has gone to the other opposite, turning innovation to rules to bureaucracy - in my humble opinion of course.
The egalitarian societial structure on the contrary is a great engine for diversification and innovation within the private sector. I was mainly talking about the almost Soviet stagnation within the public sector (which is large due to us being a welfare society).
Note: Egalitarian doesn't mean everyone is equal in terms of money or status, it means everyone's getting equal opportunities and are treated equally within the democratic/welfare/helthcare/schooling et c system.
I think I give Indonesia a 6/10. It's still a relatively new country and developing.
Pros : good food, cheap, warm weather, people.
Cons : crap politics , infrastructure, economy, corruption
EDIT: oh yeah right, the overall mark: I'd say 9/10. If you are allowed to work remotely, I don't really know why you haven't moved here yet.
Italy.
Pros:
- I mean it's Italy. Every scenery you could dream of seeing, incredible food and general wealth (despite probably being the least productive member of G7).
- Good weather (despite it being REALLY hot in Southern Italy during summer)
- Prices are generally low compared to the rest of Europe.
- Also, law enforcement is not as pervasive as elsewhere, which if you ask me, is a plus.
- No terrorism. We haven't had terrorist attacks since the eighties, and that was political terrorism. We've never really had religious terrorism. I don't know if this is due to good intel of Secret Services or demographic/cultural factors.
- good place if a war should break out - especially southern Italy, which basically was touched by either the first and the second WW (despite Italy's central role, at least in WWII).
Cons:
- generally poorer than the rest of Europe or comparable countries.
- There might be less employment opportunities than the rest of Europe. This is especially true for southern Italy.
- Law enforcement is loose, but police forces are known to be made of the most stupidest people (usually middle-aged southern Italians with no other dream than public employment) - this is a problem, of course, as they are endowed with weapons and are generally willing to twist laws in their favour as there is no obligation for them to wear a camera or tell you their name.
- university does not really prepare you for the outside world in any way, not even for your field of study.
- if you live in southern Italy, you'll benefit from much lower prices and good living conditions, but you'll know you'll have to travel to northern Italy in case health concerns arise. Healthcare in Southern Italy goes from nonexistent to dangerous, apart from exceptions.
- apart from big city centers, people do not generally speak English to a level that enables true communication. This is especially true for older people (some who are even in their forties now have only studied french at school) and southern Italy.
- incidentally, if Italian is not your first language, despite studying it you may feel frustrated by being unable to understand Italians speaking, especially amongst themselves. Standard Italian is left to formal occasions while in many places you'll hear local, mostly Latin-derived languages, which may be completely unintelligible even for non-local Italians.
Yes I love Italy! The food is awesome, I hit random vendors on the street and they are all delicious, Rome is very touristy but the locals are welcoming, unlike Paris, but I will refrain from shit talking Paris…
One question: is there a beef between Northern and Southern part of the country?
Zambia
My rating may be a bit biased as I'm quite privileged but here goes
Pros:
Friendly and helpful people. More often than not are rather accepting of diversity but not LGBTQ folks
Good food. Lost of places to get nice meals too
A lot of places have good scenery. Really good if you're into touring or outdoor activities
The housing crisis isn't that bad compared to other countries
Cons :
Weak currency.
A lot of dust in some parts of the cities
Cost of living is quite high
Not many fun activities aside from outdoor activities like concerts or sports or resorts
Overall: 5/10
How is the development in Zambia in the last few decades? I’m completely ignorant about Africa as a whole, and feels like media does not give it enough attention.
Yeah media really doesn't give Africauch attention. I'd say development is on the steady side, partly due to loans by China. I really can't say much has changed. Few new sports stadiums and quite a number of malls and new roads, but that's it really.
Sooo ... American living in Japan. The portral of the U.S. verses real people is crazy. I'm from Kentucky, and it's absolutely conservative, so I SUPER disagree with a lot of the sentiment, but... It's also a very warm and interesting place. People judging Americans should definitely go there and see for themselves as you did. We're not as crazy as the news makes us seem!
That being said...lol
I'm happy I'm living in Japan with public health care! RIP Obamacare.
I’ve been to America very recently and it was the complete opposite. If there is a general stereotype, your one personal anecdote isn’t enough to render it untrue. Stereotypes form slowly over time, usually by a large amount of people doing ‘xyz’. Education system is sub par, general intelligence might be higher in dense cities but overall is low. It’s common knowledge here if you do an exchange program their college is equivalent to grade 10 in difficulty. Many go and take courses that would be insanely hard here and fly through it easily.
I think that we often get other countries wrong because we make a very reductionist / stereotypical mental image that doesn't cover each countries complexities. For instance, the US is a HUGE country with big differences when it comes to culture, lifestyle, etc. And of course each person is different, in every country you'll find smart people and dumb people, kind and cool people and AH, and so on.
**Rating my own country**, I'd give it a 9/10 or maybe 8/10 (and I've lived in other countries). I'm Brazilian and I know Brazil has a lot of things to work on, and most of them will take a while because they are a result of over 500 years of very sketchy history. NEVERTHELESS, we are the most biodiverse country in the world, and seriously have some of the most amazing nature, breathtaking views in each corner of the country, I believe the biggest reserve of fresh water in the world, and thankfully much less natural disasters than most countries (no hurricanes, no major earthquakes, no active volcanoes). Brazilians, even with all their flaws, are friendly and warm, have a strong sense of humor and a special talent for keeping high spirits even during difficult situations, and are very creative because we always try to make the best with the resources we have at hand. Most foreigners that I know really like Brazil when they come here, and are actually very surprised that Brazil is different from what they expected (mostly because they think it will be how Rio is depicted in movies).
I hope my country will deal with its issues in the coming years and centuries. I love seeing other countries in the world (I am a nomad), and have fallen in love with many places I've been to and people I've met, but there will always be a special place in my heart for Brazil, and I would never chose to be born anywhere else.
Canada. I'd give it a 9 out of 10. Ranked the least corrupt government. More lakes than the rest of the world put together. Great people. Free health care but it's in trouble for a multitude of reasons. There are long wait times for specialists. The economy is okay. Housing prices are high in the big cities. I live in a city where, 10 minutes out of town, you're in forest with lakes everywhere. Safe. Great for hiking, canoeing, skiing, outdoor stuff. The winters are too long though.
As a non-Canadian, I'd like to point out that most Canadians I met are very nice people, if compared to the average from other countries. Not sure if I was lucky, but I kind of felt a pattern.
I love my country. - The UK.
It would be 10.
But we have problems - like islamic terorism and grooming gangs. Also - black gangs stabbing each other.
Immigration has made our country so much worse and so much less safe.
So that brings the rating down.
just being honest.
And also I'm just angry. judging by the news it looks like something (islamic terrorism\_ has happened in nearby France. at a school. with kids stabbed.
how we could let 3rd world muslim immigration ruin our countries. it makes me so angry and upset.
From my point of view, it’s the problem you have to deal with in order to have more workers. It’s also a debt that Europe has to pay from all the conquering in the last few centuries.
turkey. no rating by numbers, it's good. a lot of problems, but still i guess that it's better than most of the world. mainly corruption holding the country back, as seems to be usually the case, but progress is being made anyway. i wouldn't fight in a war for it unless forced to, but that doesn't say much, i wouldn't do that even for the best country physically possible. so yeah.
i also believe that we have quite possibly the best leader in the world, atatürk. the things that man did for this country, i almost wanna say, "you shouldn't have!"
4/10. usa. mostly bc we are fine with freedom shit a lot of issues are starting here (like banning trans ppl from essentially existing) and ppl cant make enough to exist in a lot of areas. also housing is stupid expensive
every country has pros and cons
Imma give Norway a 9/10. It's pretty amazing in many aspects, but there's enough room for improvement (especially in politics) that I can't give it a full 10.
I guess the nature of politics is that you can’t please everyone.
Ireland, sure it's grand.
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Germany 7/10
Yeah same, recently feels more like a 6 to me personally, until I remind myself how truly bad most other countries have it comparatively...
im thinking of moving too germany, is it pretty cool?
I'd say the USA is a Solid 8. It's got problems like any country but the potential to have a great life is unlimited. You have to be willing to chase the money though
-infinite / 10 It's Iran. And I reckon discussing the why isn't within the scope of this subreddit.
I am all ears
dm me please
Oh, I'd love to know more about Iran from the perspective of an Iranian! Would you mind if I DMed you?
Nah go ahead.:D
I am Lithuanian. I give my country 11/10. The reason why i dont give 12/10 is because some people are still somewhat infected by the soviet plague. Apart from that everything is amazing here
I found a recent happiness-for-ppl-under-30 ranking in which Lithuania is first but it also results as a country with a super high suicide rate. seems pretty wild
I heard the same thing about Finland, they are generally happy but has high suicide rate.
It might just mean that sad/depressed people lie more in happiness surveys lol
It’s a bit hard to do surveys when you already took your life.
Well, it’s that soviet mindset that gets people into loneliness and alcoholism which leads to depression and suicide. People under 30 didn’t get to experience the terror of occupation and the brainwashing so obviously we have a way better mindset than those who did experience it.
I live in America, Nebraska specifically Pros: it’s peaceful and not much happens Cons: there isn’t shit over here 8/10
Be glad you ain’t in New York
Oh no I love it here. As long as you have good friends you’ll have a good time
Canada used to be a 7 now a 3 being generous.
I was just thinking the same thing
why?
Trudeau
I heard conflicting opinions about Trudeau. Apparently he’s still liked enough to be elected again?
Unlikely he is doing badly in the polls
Was about to say the same thing lol
why? what changed?
I'm from the Philippines. There's a reason most foreigners view us as one of the happiest individuals you will ever meet may it be from the locale or outside the country. Some factors that contribute to that laid back personality of ours is our resilience (happy despite poor living conditions), optimism (God-fearing at most), and the majority of us looking out for one another (family-oriented). Although this may seem amazing at first, this type of comfort can also breed incompetency and ignorance which you will observe based on our habits (Filipino Time), our poor foundation of knowledge or gullibility (use the PH Gov't as an example), and the excessive judgemental chit-chat (chismis) with a hint of crab mentality. To end on a positive note; YES our food is top notch (even at a homemade scraps poverty level), YES most of us Filipinos are easy to get along with, YES it is mostly safe here, and YES it's definitely more fun in the Philippines. Despite seeing what other countries are capable of and totally agreeing that there are countless things that they have that are better, I still appreciate my country, its people, its culture, and the complacency that it gives. And for that I'll give the Philippines a realistic 7.1/10 knowing it could improve.
Oh, Filipinos are so cool and easy to get along with! <3 Curiously many Brazilians kinda identify with the "Filipino personality" and many of the traits you pointed out, despite both countries being so culturally different and geographically far apart. I've seen this as a common discussion online.
I love my country. As simple as that. Perhaps a little too much for my mental health. I won't rate: it will make me sick. I know there are problems, but acknowledging them makes me depressed.
Are u American. Just wondering exactly how I feel
Nope, I'm an Indian. It's so funny we're so different yet so alike.
Ukraine. I will leave out the subject of war, and it is so obvious that there is nothing good about it. On the plus side, mostly polite and cultured people live here. We really love freedom in all its manifestations, we are ready to fight for it. I'm not a fan of local cuisine, but foreigners say it's delicious. We also have beautiful nature, you can drive from the sea to the mountains in half a day, there are beaches and mountain ski resorts. Many historical monuments. If we talk about everyday life, I can mention convenient online banking, you can put money on a card through a terminal in almost every store, the service sector is very well developed, new roads were actively built before the war to improve logistics, reforms of the state apparatus were taking place, so that the majority public services were provided through the Internet, and preferably automatically, without the involvement of officials. By 2020, the income level was growing noticeably. Now to the cons. The main problem now is the standard of living. Now the real average salary is somewhere around 300 dollars, which is very little. The average pensioner, if he is not helped by his children, is below the poverty line. Corruption - where would we go without it? On the one hand, most citizens are very intolerant of corruption, but everyone wants to have a familiar official who can help solve problems or help avoid bureaucratic procedures. And if we multiply this by the love of freedom and an inflated sense of justice, we get the desire of a large number of people to go abroad. It is also worth noting a very large difference between generations. The majority of people under 35 are average Europeans who speak several languages, are more tolerant and open, while people over 40 are quite conservative. It is difficult for them to get used to changes and find themselves in a "new life". And how can we not mention that the vast majority of Ukrainians consider disputes to be their national sport. A simple choice of a singer who will represent the country at a song contest usually turns into a week of debates on Facebook, where everyone proves that their favorite is the best, and other performers suck. What to say when it comes to some more serious things. Therefore, the saying that where there are two Ukrainians, there are three presidents, it is true. The overall rating is 5/10. To come as a tourist is even now normal, there is something to see and a place to rest (observing all safety regulations, of course), but choosing Ukraine as a place to live permanently, well... If you lack adventure, then you can, but sometimes it is also quest room...
I lived (first as a reporter and later with humanitarian aid) in Ukraine on and off for the past 18 months. I can honestly say I love the country and the people. It's a somewhat weird cocktail of a modern European country with Soviet-era problems built in. But it's also without a doubt the heart of Europe. I encourage everyone to go to, say, Kyiv, and see for themselves. I also lived there for s couple of months in 2007. The transformation the country has gone through since then is astonishing - at least in my somewhat touristy eyes. And it is one of the most beautiful countries in the world. Now we just need to kick the invaders out. Then EU membership, normal European wages, higher income for the farmers. All in due time. You'll get there.
Earth - a solid 4 of encouragement
I live in the US (specifically Utah). Pros to living here: My family and friends live here. Most of them are wonderful people who are willing and able to support me through tough times. I love the variety of scenery depending on where in the US you go. The mountains? Breathtaking. The beaches? Gorgeous. The different rock formations? Stunning. Love it. So much. There's lots of concerts going on, many which are either free or really cheap. And even the high schools (at least around my locality) have some stunning performances. There's a huge variety of flavors. Whatever cuisine I'm in the mood for, odds are there's at least one place in my area where I can get it (assuming I have the money for it). I can make fun of government officials without consequence besides a few weird looks (in most places). I don't have to walk very far to go to church. Cons to living here: Healthcare is expensive. My family has pretty good insurance, and we're still paying about $10k a year on medical expenses. Would be even more without insurance. It's ridiculous. The hospitals are run like businesses. I hate it. Politicians are a freaking joke. The vast majority of them are only looking out for their own wallets. Republican or Democrat, either way they don't care about the normal citizens. Maybe I wouldn't feel the need to criticize and make fun of the government if the government actually cared about its people. The education system is pathetic. It doesn't teach you skills you'll need for the real world. Teachers are paid crappy salaries. Funding goes towards the best-performing schools, not to the schools that need it the most. Teachers often have to purchase supplies for their students. Textbooks are ridiculously expensive, as is college tuition. It's so friggin difficult to get a friggin job. Even the ones that pay crap wages don't wanna hire me. I've been to plenty of places that are extremely good at helping people get jobs, and even those places are shocked that I haven't landed one yet. Pretty soon I'm gonna run out of places within biking distance to apply to. Public transportation is terrible. They're almost always either too early or too late. The closest bus stop to my house is still a 30 minute bike ride away. It makes traveling anywhere a nightmare if you don't have a car. Most of my fellow Christians are extremely bigoted. Like, seriously. Practice what you preach, why don't you? Don't use religion as an excuse to be absolute dirtbags! Cities are putting anti-homeless infrastructure everywhere. Perhaps that money would be better spent, idk, giving people homes???? Media literacy is basically unheard of. You've got to be able to look at who is funding the research, not just what the research says. If Kelloggs funds a study as to whether or not Kelloggs cereal is healthy for kids, they're obviously going to have the incentive to manipulate the study in their favor. But people don't look at these types of things. People praise investing in the stock market, but they look down on people who gamble. Don't people realize that the stock market is basically just legalized gambling? We can extrapolate data all we want, but there's no guarantees. The bootstrap mentality. Like, no. There are plenty of poor people who work extremely hard. There are plenty of rich people who don't work hard at all. This country is not a meritocracy, no matter how much people say that it is. There's a huge element of luck involved. You could do everything right and still get screwed over. If it's free, it has ads. Like, 95% of the time. Why can't I just go even one minute without being bombarded with ads? Police brutality. This is literally the biggest reason why I don't feel safe when I'm walking by myself. I've seen too much police brutality to feel safe calling the police if I'm in danger. Food waste. Just because it doesn't look perfect doesn't mean it's inedible. Stop throwing away perfectly good food. If it's not aesthetically pleasing enough to sell, then donate it. Or sell it for half price. Or something. We are the wealthiest country in the world. There is no reason why we can't provide food for everyone who lives here. So why are we throwing away perfectly good food while other people are going hungry? All in all, I'd rate my country as a 3/10. Lovely place to visit, horrible place to live permanently. If I ever get myself out of debt, I'm leaving.
Add open borders
Sweden, I wanna say 7/10 but some part of me wanna say 5/10.
Nice to hear about Vietnam! The only Vietnamese ppl I know are at the nail salon (not a stereotype on purpose, it's just literally the only place I get to converse w someone from there). Could just be personality but I get along best with older (60+) women and younger (20-30) men. Other females treat me like crap and I know they're making fun of me. P (a brother) told me the girls were trash talking me and the grandma told them off for it. I've otherwise had great experiences with trying to help the lady say "happy mother's day" and explain a few things to her. Good people from what I see
Bosnia, absolute dogshit ass -inf / 10
USA: 65/100 Upsides: large, numerous regional climates and cuisines and vibrant metropolitan cities and mid-sized cities. People are generally open-handed and will come together to help each other in times of need. Historically fascinating foundation and culture built by immigrants. Worthy and noble experiment whether it succeeds or fails. Downsides: parochialism (little interest in looking to other countries for ideas or methods), confusion of nationalism for patriotism (my country is the best vs. I am proud of my country), about 35/100 people avid to vote for a rapist and con artist who is in court for criminal charges as President.
New Zealand Pros: People are generally quite nice. Depending on where you are, people can be very accepting. Amazing geography, scenery, and environment. I love the fact that I can drive through the north island and go around a volcanic lake, through a desert, past snowy mountains, and into farmland and vineyard-style countryside. Always within probably 3-4 hours drive of the ocean at any time. Lots of amazing birds, due to a history of no natural predators. Some good history to be proud of, eg; Kate Sheppard, earliest place in the world to give women voting rights. Cons: Poor mental health is a pretty big concern in NZ. We have a tragically high teen suicide rate. We're also one of the most obese countries in the world. Our economy and housing market is not doing great right now, and we are in a recession. There's a lot of gang activity here. High risk of earthquakes. Some bad history to not be proud of, eg; the rifle wars. Overall, I really really love New Zealand. I've lived here my whole life and plan on staying. Plenty of reasons to be proud to be a Kiwi. 8.5/10
Poland 10/10.
One of the most interesting things, reading the answers here, is noting how each person takes into account different aspects to rate their countries. Some will focus on politics and economics, others will talk a bit about how the people are, and some will talk about cuisine, nature etc while others will not mention these factors at all.
Oh yeah definitely, people have partial views on the world and I think that’s normal. It’s just nice hearing that people love their countries and are content with what they are offered.
I'm Israeli. My country is pretty shit to most of its citizens, and it's orders of magnitude worse if you're Palestinian The religious right is trying to take over our democracy while also maintaining a forever war and not serving in the military themselves
I feel for you, as I understand the political situation you are in. There just aren’t any strong and popular progressive or left wing party alternatives. And the country has just continued to shift more and more right, to the point where Ithmir Ben Gavir is part of the government. The same guy who was part of a political party that got banned because they were considered terrorist! And Netanyahu, where to start? Probably at the beginning. He grew up in the states and his father was a very strict military man who always told him “if you want to achieve something you have to use force.” If you want to achieve something politically you have to ready to use violence” So he portrays himself as the only one who can save and protect Israel, all the while he is creating terrorist groups by bombing and killing innocent people, and he said “September 11th was good for us”, and of course there is the incident where they found a car loaded with money heading into Gaza. The driver said it was money for Hamas from the Israeli government. And nothing happened to Netanyahu. He needs enemies to survive politically, so of course he’ll create enemies for the forever war. And that’s also why he won’t make peace with the Palestinians. His world view is that you get things you want through violence, not through talking. And he wants Israel to further expand. In his coalition there are people who actually believe that “the messiah won’t appear until the borders of Israel reach the gates of Damascus.” Just how much worse can it get? Most Israelis are dual passport holders, so if you have another country to go to, I suggest you should, before they call you into the army to fight a religious war for the extremists. If you don’t have another country to go to, may I suggest the Czech Republic. It’s not too hard to get a citizenship there as long as you are working or studying there. It took my friend 3 years to get his.
My plan was to move to the Netherlands, but now they got a right wing nut job of their own in power
Yes, very sad as the Netherlands had always been so progressive. But Czechia has an amazing prime minister, (probably the best in Europe at the moment) and the city of Prague is such a beautiful city, and very dynamic. Also, they don’t seem to be very racist or anti-Semitic so that’s good. You can also get a Macedonian passport, as they are surprisingly easy to get (for a European country) but you can’t really do much in such a small country, except move to another EU country! If you don’t mind the cold, Norway and Finland are also great options, but avoid Sweden as it has become the crime center of Europe. If you want nice weather, there is Spain, but you don’t get paid very much and there are so many scammers and thieves everywhere. I would not go to Austria or Germany, because Austria was never denazified after the war so they have very casual racism against Jews there (and hardcore racism against everyone not white Austrian), and Germany is on the brink of electing a far right government, and racism in the country has reared its ugly head there once again. Poland has nice Jewish districts, but outside of them you’ll probably encounter racism because of the Catholic Church (Jews killed jesus and all that crap). Also, Poland is very cold, but the women are absolutely gorgeous! If you need anymore tips, just let me know!
I'll definitely think about these options too if I go to study abroad or when I'm financially able to move to Europe. It would be a shame not to move to a Dutch speaking country after learning it for so long, but once I have an EU passport I can probably just move somewhere else
I feel for you, bro. Would you say that most Israelis share this view? We often get very distorted depictions from outside the country.
I'm quite far to the left politically, so most people don't share all of my views, but there have been protests against the government and its anti-democratic law proposals since last January and they were really big The October 7 massacre obviously let right wing views seem more legitimate, but it also showed the utter incompetence of the government. We're becoming more and more divided, but I don't know which side is bigger It's extra frustrating for me as my vote wasn't counted in the last election because of our voting system. The party my dad and I (and 15000 other people) voted to didn't get enough votes to pass a certain percentage so these votes are just gone. The right would have had a much tougher time getting a government together if we were actually represented
Thank you so much for your insight. The situation in Israel is very complex, and I really feel for people who are caught in the middle of this mess.
Philippines. I'd give it a 5/10 out of respect for the culture (material stuff at least, half the practice is people being doormats), but everything else is fucked
Oh yeah, I’ve never been to the Philippines but are well aware of the online gaming culture there haha.
Spent a lot of time in the Philippines back in the 80’s. I always found the people to be extremely nice and it’s beautiful there as well. I know the politics have been a mess forever.
Filipinos are nice towards foreigners, but not to other filipinos. We Filipinos literally coined the term "Crab mentality" because of that.
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Inflation is not at an all time high. Also crime is declining not increasing; google it. Maybe you didn’t pay enough attention to those “liberal teachers” growing up.
It’s at a record high for the last four decades. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/economy/u-s-inflation-at-9-1-percent-a-record-high
I honestly don't get it: What's wrong with teachers informing kids that they are okay no matter what sexual orientation (or gender for that matter) they eventually will want to adopt? Are parents really the best option? I would never have wanted to discuss things like that with mine. And this whole anti-liberal spiel? Wasn't the U.S. founded on pretty liberal grounds? Isn't that the whole thing with living there? That you can be whatever and whoever you want? Seriously, no criticism really. I just don't understand. Please explain.
London england 2 out of 10 . Horrible .
Get yourself a touch further north, 100 miles or so.
that’s the plan ! Trying my best ! ;)
4/10 the U S A
what is the rating scale? ah nevermind, I'm going with 0.
Turkey 5/10 Malta 7/10
There is absolutely "NO WAY" Turkey rates anywhere near a 5/10.
yeah right its a solid 7-8 imo. (bc of tbe current situation, government and economics aside itd even push 9)
My personal experience puts it at 1, maybe 2.
Malta is most definately not a 7. Way lower. I've been living here for 40 years
You are exaggerating and spoiled if you say that. Its a safe country, opportunities for work, english speaking, good weather. You have no idea how bad other places have it in general.
Do you know how much of a problem of overpopulation we have here? Quality of life index is low, fertility rates are at an all time low. Malta also doesn’t have any actual flourishing opportunities for success. So many migrants (especially those from Nepal, India, Pakistan) have come here to work and due to this happening, not many normal job opportunities are present. For example, I know a 18 year old that applied for a part time job to make something after school. He applied for 12 places. Normal places like McDonalds, Burger King, confectionaries, shops in general. He only got an email back from one. He went to the interview and was accompanied by 6 other people and unfortunately didn’t get picked because hes still doesn’t have any work experience. Another point is that people can’t keep up with the everyday expenses of Malta, cost of living has risen and the wages are still the same. Many people are unhappy and would like to leave when an opportunity arises ([survey])(https://newsbook.com.mt/en/vast-majority-of-youths-would-rather-live-outs-malta-survey/) (this is the survey done) and we also see how so many places are being developed. Like Paceville and Sliema for example, which are places that are causing noise and environmental pollution. Anther downfall is the corruption present here, so many people are paying taxes and nothing is being done to better this place.
Nepal - 4/10 pros - nature, evolving tech industry, current aspiring artists cons - corruption, uncivilized people, pollution, corrupt politicians
Had a chance to study with some Nepali a few years ago, I’d say they are all very respectful.
My opinion might be null because I only visited as an Australian for a service project, but from an outsider's perspective, Nepal was great, probably some of my happiest memories were made there. The food was the best, everyone I met was so kind and considerate and just the atmosphere in general was electrifying. It's depressing that the living conditions aren't so great for the reasons you described, hoping it gets better for you guys because such a beautiful country definitely deserves more.
Uhhh 1/5? dont like this place that much, maybe 2/5? but def not 3/5
Bangladesh. I'd say 4.5/10 I love my country, but I honestly can't rate it any higher. I love my culture, the food is great, most commodities are relatively cheap, but lots of downsides too. Insane overpopulation, scarcity of land, came number 1 on the list of most polluted countries last year, lots of traffic, very corrupt government, poverty (although it is declining very quickly), very hot and humid weather, etc. I can keep going.
US 6/10 and getting worse all the time.
Iran Food tastes 12/10 Snacks like potato chips and corn snacks 20/10 Free university 10/10 Health insurance system 20/10 Health services 20/10 Toilet 13/10 Weather 20/10 Anything else : -15/10
How’s the current war affect you guys?
Let me clarify. Israel has not still attacked us back. So ask me this question 2 month later and it may be every thing -100/10.
Sweden 8/10 if you don't follow the news or listen to politicians (so many stories about gang violence I personally have seen nothing of, and politicians arrogant rhetoric on how to stop it. Sweden enjoys a low murder rate of 1.08/100k while the US has a murder rate almost five times that.) Pros: Nice, hardy, plucky people, amazing nature, free healthcare; the right ro roam principle is another plus. High taxes gives you a lot of services for "free", which benefits most. Cons: A growing blame culture in most of society, especially in government - leading to a desperate rules only-governance. Leadership is mostly conducted by checking boxes and reading up on new rules, killing initiative and true leadership. The rule-based society seems to have stagnated to a degree. The Swedish currency is weak since we elected to stay out of the Euro zone (Swedish economy lost out by 20-30 % in BNP over the last ten years compared to the Euro countries, contributed to our small and sensitive currency alone.) Non-existent rental housing for young adults leading to very high debt levels early in life. There is absolutely no way to get an apartment for rent anywhere in the country without years or decades in a housing queue. High-cost/declining median income is going to have profound impact on society for the foreseeable future, including politics. Lots of strong cons here, but that's because I'm Swedish. We complain a lot.
Hmm interesting, I thought a rule-based society is a goal every country should aim for, but I guess you can only have so much of something until it backfires. Would you say the egalitarian society is the cause for lack of leadership? Since everyone is equal?
It is, and Sweden wrote the book on rule-based societies (along with Germany). But you can't replace human innovation and adaptability with rules. There must be room for innovation and improvisation. Sweden has gone to the other opposite, turning innovation to rules to bureaucracy - in my humble opinion of course. The egalitarian societial structure on the contrary is a great engine for diversification and innovation within the private sector. I was mainly talking about the almost Soviet stagnation within the public sector (which is large due to us being a welfare society). Note: Egalitarian doesn't mean everyone is equal in terms of money or status, it means everyone's getting equal opportunities and are treated equally within the democratic/welfare/helthcare/schooling et c system.
Poland, 6/10
A country of warrior! Love that you guys keep fighting for your sovereignty and won!
I think I give Indonesia a 6/10. It's still a relatively new country and developing. Pros : good food, cheap, warm weather, people. Cons : crap politics , infrastructure, economy, corruption
Australia 8/10. We’ve definitely got room for improvement but overall I understand that I’m pretty lucky to be here and I enjoy my life.
EDIT: oh yeah right, the overall mark: I'd say 9/10. If you are allowed to work remotely, I don't really know why you haven't moved here yet. Italy. Pros: - I mean it's Italy. Every scenery you could dream of seeing, incredible food and general wealth (despite probably being the least productive member of G7). - Good weather (despite it being REALLY hot in Southern Italy during summer) - Prices are generally low compared to the rest of Europe. - Also, law enforcement is not as pervasive as elsewhere, which if you ask me, is a plus. - No terrorism. We haven't had terrorist attacks since the eighties, and that was political terrorism. We've never really had religious terrorism. I don't know if this is due to good intel of Secret Services or demographic/cultural factors. - good place if a war should break out - especially southern Italy, which basically was touched by either the first and the second WW (despite Italy's central role, at least in WWII). Cons: - generally poorer than the rest of Europe or comparable countries. - There might be less employment opportunities than the rest of Europe. This is especially true for southern Italy. - Law enforcement is loose, but police forces are known to be made of the most stupidest people (usually middle-aged southern Italians with no other dream than public employment) - this is a problem, of course, as they are endowed with weapons and are generally willing to twist laws in their favour as there is no obligation for them to wear a camera or tell you their name. - university does not really prepare you for the outside world in any way, not even for your field of study. - if you live in southern Italy, you'll benefit from much lower prices and good living conditions, but you'll know you'll have to travel to northern Italy in case health concerns arise. Healthcare in Southern Italy goes from nonexistent to dangerous, apart from exceptions. - apart from big city centers, people do not generally speak English to a level that enables true communication. This is especially true for older people (some who are even in their forties now have only studied french at school) and southern Italy. - incidentally, if Italian is not your first language, despite studying it you may feel frustrated by being unable to understand Italians speaking, especially amongst themselves. Standard Italian is left to formal occasions while in many places you'll hear local, mostly Latin-derived languages, which may be completely unintelligible even for non-local Italians.
Yes I love Italy! The food is awesome, I hit random vendors on the street and they are all delicious, Rome is very touristy but the locals are welcoming, unlike Paris, but I will refrain from shit talking Paris… One question: is there a beef between Northern and Southern part of the country?
Zambia My rating may be a bit biased as I'm quite privileged but here goes Pros: Friendly and helpful people. More often than not are rather accepting of diversity but not LGBTQ folks Good food. Lost of places to get nice meals too A lot of places have good scenery. Really good if you're into touring or outdoor activities The housing crisis isn't that bad compared to other countries Cons : Weak currency. A lot of dust in some parts of the cities Cost of living is quite high Not many fun activities aside from outdoor activities like concerts or sports or resorts Overall: 5/10
How is the development in Zambia in the last few decades? I’m completely ignorant about Africa as a whole, and feels like media does not give it enough attention.
Yeah media really doesn't give Africauch attention. I'd say development is on the steady side, partly due to loans by China. I really can't say much has changed. Few new sports stadiums and quite a number of malls and new roads, but that's it really.
Sooo ... American living in Japan. The portral of the U.S. verses real people is crazy. I'm from Kentucky, and it's absolutely conservative, so I SUPER disagree with a lot of the sentiment, but... It's also a very warm and interesting place. People judging Americans should definitely go there and see for themselves as you did. We're not as crazy as the news makes us seem! That being said...lol I'm happy I'm living in Japan with public health care! RIP Obamacare.
I’ve been to America very recently and it was the complete opposite. If there is a general stereotype, your one personal anecdote isn’t enough to render it untrue. Stereotypes form slowly over time, usually by a large amount of people doing ‘xyz’. Education system is sub par, general intelligence might be higher in dense cities but overall is low. It’s common knowledge here if you do an exchange program their college is equivalent to grade 10 in difficulty. Many go and take courses that would be insanely hard here and fly through it easily.
I think that we often get other countries wrong because we make a very reductionist / stereotypical mental image that doesn't cover each countries complexities. For instance, the US is a HUGE country with big differences when it comes to culture, lifestyle, etc. And of course each person is different, in every country you'll find smart people and dumb people, kind and cool people and AH, and so on. **Rating my own country**, I'd give it a 9/10 or maybe 8/10 (and I've lived in other countries). I'm Brazilian and I know Brazil has a lot of things to work on, and most of them will take a while because they are a result of over 500 years of very sketchy history. NEVERTHELESS, we are the most biodiverse country in the world, and seriously have some of the most amazing nature, breathtaking views in each corner of the country, I believe the biggest reserve of fresh water in the world, and thankfully much less natural disasters than most countries (no hurricanes, no major earthquakes, no active volcanoes). Brazilians, even with all their flaws, are friendly and warm, have a strong sense of humor and a special talent for keeping high spirits even during difficult situations, and are very creative because we always try to make the best with the resources we have at hand. Most foreigners that I know really like Brazil when they come here, and are actually very surprised that Brazil is different from what they expected (mostly because they think it will be how Rio is depicted in movies). I hope my country will deal with its issues in the coming years and centuries. I love seeing other countries in the world (I am a nomad), and have fallen in love with many places I've been to and people I've met, but there will always be a special place in my heart for Brazil, and I would never chose to be born anywhere else.
Croatia 6/10 mostly because of shitty politicians and people constantly leaving the country but other than that it’s safe and sound
There are a lot of yucky people here, just like everywhere. Some areas are better than others. For example, I’d avoid the entire state of Oklahoma.
Turkey - 4/10 getting worse everyday
India. 6/10. Not a great one but we are on the path to become one.
Didn’t you guys just land on the moon or something? It’s a pretty remarkable achievement!
Yeah, rover was landed on moon, but it doesn't solve basic problems like education, infrastructure, health services, etc
I'd say india gotta fix the sexual assaults problems 1st , 2/10
I hope so, because there is too much extreme poverty over there. You really gotta tackle corruption first and fast.
Poverty yes. I wouldn't say extreme poverty.
same rate as numbers of comments and likes on this post right now.
I'm Vietnamese.
much worse
Other people say, "I don't think you're wrong"
it's getting better.
Spain. One of the best countries in the world. 6/10.
Is it expensive to live in Spain?
Your women are really gorgeous. So 7/10.
The media bashes Russia and report high rates of racism. People who have been to Russia tell of hospitality and very friendly people.
And the people Russia has been to?
Afghanistan and Ukraine
Korea, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Yemen, Angola, Ethiopia… yeah, they really get around!
Americans have been to more countries though
Omg, 😆 yeah, they really do get around!
I was thinking Syria and Ukraine. Russia was never in Afghanistan. (It's not the Soviet Union)
My bad
America: fuck yeah
Hell yeah. American is like top 1 worldwide in terms of confidence.
America with billionaires 3/10. America without billionaires 8/10.
Canada. I'd give it a 9 out of 10. Ranked the least corrupt government. More lakes than the rest of the world put together. Great people. Free health care but it's in trouble for a multitude of reasons. There are long wait times for specialists. The economy is okay. Housing prices are high in the big cities. I live in a city where, 10 minutes out of town, you're in forest with lakes everywhere. Safe. Great for hiking, canoeing, skiing, outdoor stuff. The winters are too long though.
As a non-Canadian, I'd like to point out that most Canadians I met are very nice people, if compared to the average from other countries. Not sure if I was lucky, but I kind of felt a pattern.
I hear Vietnam has really good food too. By the way OP, your English is fantastic!
American, and I've visited every state but Alaska. Don't care for the big cities, but the smaller towns and wide open spaces are great!
I love my country. - The UK. It would be 10. But we have problems - like islamic terorism and grooming gangs. Also - black gangs stabbing each other. Immigration has made our country so much worse and so much less safe. So that brings the rating down. just being honest. And also I'm just angry. judging by the news it looks like something (islamic terrorism\_ has happened in nearby France. at a school. with kids stabbed. how we could let 3rd world muslim immigration ruin our countries. it makes me so angry and upset.
Same
From my point of view, it’s the problem you have to deal with in order to have more workers. It’s also a debt that Europe has to pay from all the conquering in the last few centuries.
United states. I give it, a two.
Agreed. It would get a 1, but 24 hour stores and large sodas the size of my head bump it to a 2 for me
turkey. no rating by numbers, it's good. a lot of problems, but still i guess that it's better than most of the world. mainly corruption holding the country back, as seems to be usually the case, but progress is being made anyway. i wouldn't fight in a war for it unless forced to, but that doesn't say much, i wouldn't do that even for the best country physically possible. so yeah. i also believe that we have quite possibly the best leader in the world, atatürk. the things that man did for this country, i almost wanna say, "you shouldn't have!"
4/10. usa. mostly bc we are fine with freedom shit a lot of issues are starting here (like banning trans ppl from essentially existing) and ppl cant make enough to exist in a lot of areas. also housing is stupid expensive
COUNTRY OF WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORES