First Global Peace Index Ranks 121 Countries (U.S. Comes In at 96)

[Hissyspit]

Source: PR Newswire

First Global Peace Index Ranks 121 Countries
Norway tops list, U.S. comes in at 96

WASHINGTON, May 30 /PRNewswire/ -- The first study to rank countries
around the world according to their peacefulness and the drivers that
create and sustain their peace was launched today. The Global Peace Index
studied 121 countries from Algeria to Zimbabwe and its publication comes
one week before the leaders of the world's richest countries gather for the
G8 summit in Germany to discuss issues of global concern.

The rankings show that even among the G8 countries there are
significant differences in peacefulness: While Japan was the most peaceful
of the G8 countries, at a rank of five in the Index, Russia neared the
bottom at number 118. The Global Peace Index also reveals that countries
which had a turbulent time for parts of the twentieth century, such as
Ireland and Germany, have emerged as peace leaders in the 21st century.

The Economist Intelligence Unit measured countries' peacefulness based
on wide range of indicators - 24 in all - including ease of access to
"weapons of minor destruction" (guns, small explosives), military
expenditure, local corruption, and the level of respect for human rights.

After compiling the Index, the researchers examined it for patterns in
order to identify the "drivers" that make for peaceful societies. They
found that peaceful countries often shared high levels of democracy and
transparency of government, education and material well-being. While the
U.S. possesses many of these characteristics, its ranking was brought down
by its engagement in warfare and external conflict, as well as high levels
of incarceration and homicide. The U.S.'s rank also suffered due to the
large share of military expenditure from its GDP, attributed to its status
as one of the world's military-diplomatic powers.

The main findings of the Global Peace Index are:

Read more: http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/05-30-2007/0004598231&EDATE=

[jeff30997]

1. Woohoo! Canada is #8!

[LeftishBrit]

7. Interesting - I've been to Norway and it's a great place

I disagree with Poland being as high as 27th. They may not be involved in wars, but they are practicing some frighteningly oppressive policies at home.

Not surprised that the UK is down to 49, however.

[OneBlueSky]

2. 96 is way too high . . . right now, the US is at the bottom of the list . . . n/t

.

[Peace Patriot]

3. This is a pretty screwy "index" that ranks Singapore, Qatar, the UAE, Kuwait and

Saudi Arabia as "more peaceful" than Venezuela. Saudi Arabia is an absolute monarchy, for chrissakes, where women are required to be veiled from head to toe, forbidden to drive automobiles, and can be stoned to death for sexual transgressions. Singapore enforces minor lawbreaking with public flogging. Levels of democracy and government transparency are included in the index. Venezuela has the most vibrant democracy in the western hemisphere--with elections that are orders of magnitude more transparent than the U.S.--and it is ranked BELOW the U.S., which not only has the most non-transparent elections since Stalinist Russia, but also invaded and is inflicting horrendous violence, including torture, on another country? Who has Venezuela invaded? Who has Venezuela tortured? Who has Venezuela even merely imprisoned for political dissent? No one!

Perhaps the key to this "peace" index is its association with The Economist, one of the most fascist/corporatist news magazines of them all.


96 United States
of America
97 Iran
98 Honduras
99 South Africa
100 Philippines
101 Azerbaijan
**102 Venezuela**
103 Ethiopia
104 Uganda
105 Thailand
106 Zimbabwe
107 Algeria
108 Myanmar
109 India
110 Uzbekistan
111 Sri Lanka
112 Angola
113 Cote d'Ivoire
114 Lebanon
115 Pakistan
116 Colombia
117 Nigeria
118 Russia
119 Israel
120 Sudan
121 Iraq


Singapore-29. Qatar-30 (try holding a public protest against the G-8 in Qatar!). UAE-38 (slave boys used for horse racing). Kuwait-46. Saudi Arabia-90. ALL higher than Venezuela!

You can have "peace" all right--in a police state.

And how does the U.S. get a ranking of 96, while Iraq, which the U.S. invaded and destroyed, is at the bottom of the list, at 121? The U.S.--which has CAUSED all the violence in Iraq--deserves to be last, the most violent country on earth. Even Uzbekistan--where they boil dissidents in oil--has not equaled the levels of U.S. violence. The U.S. has slaughtered a HALF A MILLION PEOPLE! And it is STILL kicking in doors in the middle of the night and dragging people into indefinite detention and torture, and is wantonly shooting and bombing innocent people, trying to bludgeon Iraqis into signing over their oil rights. How is it fair to rank Iraq last in "peacefulness," and rank the U.S. above it, at 96, when the U.S. is the aggressor?

But it is the ranking of Venezuela that is truly mystifying. This is a country where the government, in response to an overwhelming electoral mandate from the people, is PEACEFULLY and DEMOCRATICALLY trying to achieve social justice, is using its oil revenues to build schools, wipe out illiteracy, provide free university education and medical care to the poor, to build low cost housing, to provide loans and grants to small businesses and coops, and for land reform; a government that is accomplishing these goals while the PRIVATE SECTOR experiences the most growth; a government that has made enormous efforts to increase public participation in government and politics, and to establish and defend Constitutional government and the rule of law; and a government that has done more than any other country in South America to promote regional integration and cooperation, including bailing Argentina out of World Bank debt, and creating the Bank of the South. ("Regional integration" is one of this "peace" index's indicators.)

But, of course, The Economist's notion of "regional integration" is "free trade" (global corporate piracy) and World Bank/IMF loan sharkism (for the profit of 1st world financiers). Perhaps that is why they don't consider Venezuela to be "peaceful"--because it is the leader of a huge movement to kick the World Bank/IMF out of Latin America, and to REGULATE global corporate predators and squeeze them out of the region if they continue to brutally exploit the poor.

This index rightfully ranks Colombia low on the "peacefulness" scale (116). Colombia, where rightwing paramilitaries, with very close ties to the Uribe government (Bush pals), have been chainsawing union leaders, small peasant farmers and political leftists, and throwing their body parts into mass graves. Colombia, recipient of billions of dollars in US/Bush military aid, to prop up a government that has been utilizing and protecting mass murderers and drug traffickers! But to rank Venezuela only 14 notches above Colombia is absurd. Nobody is getting chainsawed in Venezuela. Everybody has the right to speak their mind in Venezuela, to vote, to run for office, to hold public protests, to organize unions, to own and benefit from private property. Venezuela--having got rid of the murderous US "war on drugs"--has one of the best records in S/A for interdicting illegal drugs, most of which are coming from Colombia, and for busting drug cartels and terrorists. And they are doing it PEACEFULLY with scrupulous adherence to the rule of law and to principles of civil and human rights.

So, how does Venezuela merit such a low ranking on "peacefulness"? I can only conclude that this "peace index" is part of the G-8 disinformation campaign against Venezuela, for its leadership of the Bolivarian movement.

[ohio2007]

4. I hope US taxpayer $ wasn't used to put that BS on the web

sombody got paid for that rating system?

[nick303]

9. Economist "fascist"?

Calling one of the most internationally reputable news magazines out there fascist suggests evidence of brainwashing.

Anyway, the breakdown of Venezuela goes like this:

http://www.visionofhumanity.com/rankings/show_country/116

[ohio2007]

5. hey..where's North Korea ?

That list should include ALL countries of the world....ALL countries.
otherwise, a bias can be claimed.
/sarc

[Javaman]

6. LOL we are behind saudi arabia!!! a fucking dictator ship that behead people!!!

I have to laugh, because the mere thought of it makes me want to cry.

:banghead:

on edit: Iraq comes in dead last. nice to see that our brand of democracy is working so well over there.

[ohio2007]

8. Have these people lost their minds with this "index"

Iraq is 121 yet I think the there are 161 nations on this blue marble so I wonder how bad the remainders are ?