U.S. fails to make top 10 of Happiest Countries

Bernie Sanders often mentions Denmark as the exemplar of the successful democratic socialist country.  He has said that the U.S. could learn a lot from their country.   He cited social policy in areas like health care, child care, education, protecting the unemployed, and promoting healthy living for all.     It's what the Danes call their "'solidarity system' that makes sure that almost no one falls into economic despair," Sanders wrote.

Now the United Nations has released the "World Happiness Report" for 2016.  Guess which country is rated #1 in terms of happiness?   Denmark.    One key they found in Denmark was the importance of "equality of happiness."  In addition to the usual measures, such as income, social support, freedom to make life choices, healthy life expectancy, these experts now regard equality in sharing these factors as a factor in itself.  "People are happier living in societies where there is less inequality of happiness."

Here are the top 10.   All are closer to the democratic socialist model than we are.  The U.S. came in at #13.

1.  Denmark
2.  Switzerland
3.  Iceland
4.  Norway
5.  Finland
6.  Canada
7.  Netherlands
8.  New Zealand
9.  Australia
10.  Sweden

This should be a sobering fact that we think about.   The United States may still be the wealthiest country and the most powerful country.   But we are not the healthiest, or the happiest, or the best educated . . . nor, I would add, the most rational in our political system . . . by far.

Ralph