Michael Evans, London Times, March 25, 2008
The United Kingdom has been ranked as one of the most stable and prosperous countries in the world, beating the United States, France and even Switzerland in a global assessment of every nation’s achievements and standards.
A one-year investigation and analysis of 235 countries and dependent territories has put the UK joint seventh in the premier league of nations. The top ten comprise also the Vatican, Sweden, Luxembourg, Monaco, Gibraltar, San Marino, Liechtenstein, the Netherlands and the Irish Republic.
The US lies 22nd and Switzerland, normally associated with wealth and untouchable stability, is rated 17th, losing points in the assessment of its social achievements.
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The bottom ten, surprisingly, do not include Iraq. They are listed as Gaza and the West Bank, Somalia, Sudan, Afghanistan, Ivory Coast, Haiti, Zimbabwe, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic.
The UK received high marks despite the deployment of combat troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, the suicide bombings in London on July 7, 2005, the continuing threat from home-grown terrorists and the collapse of the Northern Rock bank.
The global check on every country recognised as an individual state or territory by the United Nations was carried out by Jane’s Information Group and is published today.
Christian Le Mière, managing editor of Jane’s Country Risk, which compiled the ratings, said: “The UK is a very stable country. But the top 20 or 30 countries are all stable. There are terrorist groups in the UK but there are effective security forces to deal with them. We took the July 7 bombings into account but the UK still came out very well.”
He acknowledged that it was a little unfair to put the Vatican at the top because it did not face the sort of threats and economic pressures of other countries. But under the rating system, which took into account each nation’s political structures, social and economic trends, military and security risks and external relations, the Vatican state scored an average of 99 out of 100. Sweden and Luxembourg were also rated 99, with the UK not far off, with an average of 97, but scoring 100 for its politics, economics and external relations.
Mr Le Mière said that the US had fallen down the scale, although it still scored an average of 93 out of 100, partly because of the proliferation of small arms owned by Americans and the threat to the population posed by the flow of drugs from across the Mexican border.
He explained that Iraq had managed to escape the ignominy of being in the bottom ten because, despite “extremely high levels of violence”, it had a “relatively stable Government” that controlled a significant area of the country and had good economic prospects. “Unlike Afghanistan, where – despite the presence of more than 40,000 foreign troops – the Government exercises poor control over large parts of the country and where 50 per cent of the economy is dependent on the opium trade,” he said.
Mr Le Mière gave warning of worrying trends in Africa where, he said, there was likely to be a struggle for resources. He added that it was the first time that a rating system for countries had been carried out on such a grand scale. The Jane’s system differed from government assessments of country risk because it was based entirely on objective analysis, “with no politicisation of the intelligence”, he said.
Most stable:
Every country has been given a risk rating out of 100 for all-round stablilty
1. Vatican 99
2. Sweden 99
3. Luxembourg 99
4. Monaco 98
5. Gibraltar 98
6. San Marino 98
7. Liechtenstein 97
8. United Kingdom 97
9. The Netherlands 97
10. Irish Republic 97
US: 22nd equal 93
Most unstable:
Central African Republic 39
Democratic Congo 38
Chad 38
Zimbabwe 38
Haiti 38
Ivory Coast 36
Afghanistan 36
Sudan 35
Somalia 29
Gaza and West Bank 27
Iraq: 10th equal from bottom, with 44 points.
Original article
(Posted on March 26, 2008)
London Times, March 25, 2008
A one-year investigation and analysis of 235 countries by Jane's Information Services has put the UK joint seventh in the premier league of nations with the US at 22nd and Switzerland, normally associated with wealth and untouchable stability, is rated 17th.
Here is the full list:
1 Vatican
2 Sweden
3 Luxembourg
4 Monaco
5 Gibraltar
6 San Marino
7 Liechtenstein
8 UK
9 Netherlands
10 Ireland
11 New Zealand
12 Denmark
13 Austria
14 Andorra
15 Germany
16 Iceland
17 Switzerland
18 Portugal
19 Australia
20 Norway
21 Malta
22 France
23 Canada
24 USA
25 Belgium
26 Spain
27 Italy
28 Japan
29 Finland
30 Czech Rep
31 Samoa
32 Falkland Islands
33 Singapore
34 Guam
35 Slovakia
36 Anguilla
37 Cyprus
38 Qatar
39 Montserrat
40 Costa Rica
41 Greece
42 St Pierre and Miq
43 UAE
44 Cayman Islands
45 American Samoa
46 Virgin Islands (UK)
47 Poland
48 St Lucia
49 Oman
50 Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
(from Jane's Information Services)
Original article
Comments
Here we go again — another liberal UN-type globaloney study, with the same results. White countries are on top, black ones at the bottom, Oriental and Amerindian ones in between, and white countries that are becoming regressively more non-white with time are slipping.
The study blames American handguns for its relative (e.g. to the Vatican and Sweden) instability, but that’s actually one reason why we’re not more unstable. It does cite drugs from across the southern border, but I think the accurate reason is people from across the southern border.
Posted by Question Diversity at 6:16 PM on March 26
Then shouldn’t the rest of the world look to the 23 countries ahead of the US for some ‘help’?
Posted by at 6:23 PM on March 26
I’m surprised the UK is so much higher on the “stable” list than Japan, since the UK has taken so many immigrants in, while Japan has assiduously kept them out.
Posted by Tim in Indiana at 6:27 PM on March 26
Not so different in America, when look at the stats of the most dangerous US cities, the demographics are the same.
Posted by at 7:09 PM on March 26
I LOVE it! USA would have made it in top ten but, we allow our citizens to purchase, (Gasp!) small arms! That’s rifles, pistols, and shotguns to those of you in Rio Linda.
Don’t worry, they wacked the Swiss for the same “fault”!
Posted by Gun Runner at 7:32 PM on March 26
I wouldn’t take such rankings too seriously. It’s a known fact that the U.K. manipulates its crime statistics to paint a far rosier picture than actual reality. The bias of those who create such rankings is obvious: “because of the proliferation of small arms owned by Americans”. So they’re against private ownership of guns. “the Government exercises poor control over large parts of the country”. So, in their eyes, government control is a good thing. “which took into account each nation’s political structures”. So they clearly consider some “political structures” to be better than others.
Posted by jewamongyou at 8:14 PM on March 26
This is ridiculous. Japan is the most stable country on earth, with an unbroken Imperial reign of a single royal family dating back to prehistoric times. 28? And if you think the UK is stable, with blacks, muslims, sikhs, hindus, scots, welsh, and english in one giant diversity powder keg, then I have a bridge to sell you…
Posted by Diamed at 8:54 PM on March 26
Well, good for Britain—economically. But is that prosperity going to do it or any other nation any good if all hell breaks out socially?
Posted by Bobby at 9:37 PM on March 26
After all the racial turmoil in the UK, riots by blacks and Muslims, and bombings and attempted bombings and the present revelation of jihadists plotting in the mosques, in addition to the fact that citizens there could be bomb victims on any given day, the UK is considered stable?
Considering a nation stable that is constantly “on the brink,” just reveals how the West has degenerated so badly after years of multiculturalism.
I’m surprised they didn’t have Bosnia or Iraq in the top ten.
Posted by Ranger at 9:49 PM on March 26
After all the racial turmoil in the UK, riots by blacks and Muslims, and bombings and attempted bombings and the present revelation of jihadists plotting in the mosques, in addition to the fact that citizens there could be bomb victims on any given day, the UK is considered stable?
Considering a nation stable that is constantly “on the brink,” just reveals how the West has degenerated so badly after years of multiculturalism.
I’m surprised they didn’t have Bosnia or Iraq in the top ten.
Posted by Ranger at 9:50 PM on March 26
I was listening to WLS-AM “Don Wade & Roma” show and Roma said that one of the things that detracted from the USA according to the Brits (“Janes”) was that we could have guns!
So, yeah, we should laugh at the list when “Top 10” conform to the EU’s “New World Order” of gun control for the masses!
The EU revels in their gun control while the Elites hide behind their gated communities.
And of course, their news media, like ours, celebrates their vulnerability to the assaults of the Third-world invasion force.
Posted by at 9:57 PM on March 26
What about Muslim immigration in Sweden, and the ensuing crime rate rise?
Posted by at 10:47 PM on March 26
This can not be true, we know that Sweden and the UK have serious immigration problems. But radical liberal institutions turn a blind eye on those.
This survey just serves to further delude the “masses” that the countries with mass immigration are still doing fine.
Posted by at 10:59 PM on March 26
The Vatican may be officially listed as a country, but it is only a few acres in size. Not a place you can emigrate to, as far as I know. Sweden should be considered the real “winner.”
Posted by Reader-1 at 11:25 PM on March 26
More citizens owning guns makes the country rank lower in stability. I don’t think so. This part of the rating system is ideological.
Posted by at 12:41 AM on March 27
What people need to realize is that the U.K. is not so far gone yet in terms of social instability and unrest. With time she will be. She is an expanding balloon that will pop once enough undesirables are there in overwhelming numbers. AS A WHOLE, the U.K. is still mostly homogeneous. So coming in 7th (though I believe they should be a bit lower) doesn’t surprise me. Japan should be in the top five at least. Historically Japan is renowned for her stability. I was very surpised to see them at #28.
Posted by at 6:13 AM on March 27
I sure hope the U.N. can help me. I own guns (which I’m too stupid to realize are dangerous for me) and live in a country that’s not in the top 20 of great Nations of the World Order. I also can’t stop drugs from walking themselves across the southern border (I am too enlightened now to suggest that illegal immi….err, excuse me, “undocumented migrators” are bringing them in).
Please have Vatican, Luxembourg, Monaco, and the other leading countries of greatness send my aid check to BRIGAND in PENNSYLVANIA.
Posted by at 6:47 AM on March 27
Why is the Vatican included in this?? It is a city/state the size of a Wall Mart Super Store parking area, with a police force which is the size of the population of new Jersey, and has the most discriminatory hiring practices of anywhere on earth. Has anyone ever read the requisites for being a Vatican guard??
Posted by Skip at 9:47 AM on March 27
“I was very surpised to see them at #28.”
I agree. Japan is at least more stable than the US. I’m also very surprised to see Finland down there as well.
Posted by at 10:14 AM on March 27
The people behind this are probably doing every thing they can to promote instability in every country they don’t like.
Posted by at 10:33 AM on March 27
That’s the result of a year of “investigation and analysis” ? Here are a couple of things that must have been overlooked : the GDP of Sweden is roughly equivalent to that of North Carolina.
Here is a very interesting map that puts the wealth of the United States into perspective by placing the name of 50 other countries on states whose GDP are about the same: http://asecondhandconjecture.com/index.php/2008/01/18/other-countries-gdps-as-us-states/
As for “stability”, the rising tide of crime against Swedes, including violent gang-beatings, gang-rapes as well as theft & riots- described by the perpetrators themselves as a “war on the Swedes”, must also have been overlooked.
Please look at it here: http://gatesofvienna.blogspot.com/2006/03/war-against-swedes.html
and here:http://www.brusselsjournal.com/node/2065
so that we might wake up enough people in order that we will not have to look at it here- in the United States.
Then again, perhaps the state our Union was taken into consideration: violent crime, political stability and national sovereignty- may render all comparisons between these countries nothing more than a sick joke about the comparative “health & vitality” of two entities which are both terribly sick & near death.
Posted by W.D. at 11:18 AM on March 27
This “analysis” is one of the dumbest things I have ever read. It ranks the Netherlands ahead of Japan in peacefulness and stability! At least in Japan, one can walk down city streets at night without being robbed and stabbed by gangs of Muslims.
Posted by Michael C. Scott at 2:16 PM on March 27
The UK is where the US was in 1965. It’s still 90% white.
They still make big deal about things that are considered routine here. When a teenage gang murder happens in London, it’s a national news story. That happens thousands of times a year in the US and no one cares.
Posted by Joe at 5:19 AM on March 28
“I’m also very surprised to see Finland down there as well.”
These rankings are usually ideologically designed to keep the US position below liberal European states. They’ve probably included something like the size of the military (it’s big, see the neighbourhood for the reason) or gun ownership rates - things that actually make a country more stable - which also hurt Finland a lot.
Neither of those explains Japan, though, so they may have included something even nuttier.
Posted by finn at 10:41 PM on March 28
The UK the most prosperous and stable nation? Maybe it was in the 1950s but now? Ha ha ha
The 1st place spots should clearly be occupied by either Iceland, Finland or Japan.
Posted by Whitesambo at 12:22 AM on March 29
When I saw that this was tripe from the UN I knew I should disregard it’s findings. When I saw the statement about the “proliforation of small arms” I am always happy the USA has the 2nd Amenment.
Posted by Burr Hamilton at 3:31 PM on March 31
