Who IS the "best" Country on Earth?

My beautiful wife, Paula, reads my previous post about the best country on earth.  I purposely wrote it vaguely and ambiguously because my point was not about who is or is not the best country.  I was simply making the point that, by definition, the term “Best” is a matter of opinion.  Just like I say about wine, the best wine is the wine you like best.  It doesn't matter what the price is or whether some wine snob critic gave it 80 points or 99 points.

That being said…

Her comment has compelled me to drill down on the statistics.  So now it has become an exercise in determining “who is the BEST country”.  First thing I had to do is determine which categories I would use to score each country.  In her comment she proposed using the items in the “not #1” column.  So I selected the majority of those and a couple from the other columns.  Then I researched the latest statistics and listed the top 10 countries in each category. Finally I assigned a grading system giving first place 100 points, second place 90 points and so on down to tenth place getting 10 points.

 
So the Categories;

Obesity

Crime
Debt
Reading
Math
Science
College graduation rate
Infrastructure condition
Quality of Life
Life Expectancy
Diabetes
Infant Mortality
Healthcare
Leisure time
Workers rights
Happiness
Fewest overtime hours
Income equality
Lowest Child poverty

 And the Gold Medal goes too… With 760 total points, we have a tie!

 #1) NORWAY AND JAPAN

 The Silver goes too… With 720 total points;

 #2) FINLAND

 The Bronze… With 680 points

 #3) UNITED KINGDOM  ( yeah, I was suprised too)

 The remaining top scores go too;

 #4) South Korea and Switzerland… both with 470 points

#5) France…………………………………….420 points
#6) New Zealand……………………………...390 points
#7) Netherlands……..………………………...370 points
#8) Australia…………………………………..340 points
#9) Belgium…………………………………...330 points
#8) Denmark and Sweden …………both with 320 points
#9) Canada…………………………………….300 points
#10) Iceland…………………………..……….270 points
#11) Germany…………………………..……..250 points

 Again, this is based on the latest statistical data I could find online.  I’m just say’in.

 So how many points did the great ol’ USA get?  Well we weren’t skunked.  We scored a whopping

60 points! 

Maybe these issues should be the talking points in the upcoming elections. 

I’m just say’in.