In the midst of the Great Recession, the United States is suffering through nearly 10% unemployment, rising inequality and poverty, 47 million people without health insurance, declining retirement prospects for the middle class and a general increase in economic insecurity. The global marketplace has become tumultuous, so when we find a bright spot, one would think it deserves a mention.
How then should we regard a country that has 5% unemployment, the lowest income inequality, healthcare for all its people and is one of the world's leading exporters? On top of that, this country scores high on life expectancy, low on infant mortality, is at the top in math and literacy, and is low on crime, incarceration, homicides, mental illness and drug abuse, according to British researchers Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett in their seminal book, "The Spirit Level." It also has a low per capita rate of carbon emissions, doing its part to reduce global warming. In all these categories, this particular country beats the United States by a country mile.
Read Full Article »