po-porri: an impoverished town in France.
American Eminence Checkup
I recently heard Senator John McCain repeat one of the most ingrained godterms in our national psyche ---America is The Greatest Country in The World.. As I recall, that assessment became de rigueur in the 1950s, although it may have been much earlier. In a period where, at least in some sectors, our level of confidence in our greatness seems to be wavering, perhaps it would be good for us to take a measure of the many elements that play a role in our state of the union. To help us do that in a systematic way, I created a little handy dandy comparative accounting of attributes. Keep in mind the "highest" ranking may be the lowest number, for example the most desirable infant mortality rate would be the fewest deaths, while the most desirable life expectancy at birth would be the highest number of years. As usual, I have copied these facts from what I took to be credible Internet sources (many of them came from the CIA world facts book, so help yourself to the salt). I have no idea of their accuracy, and of course the few rankings I list are not intended as proof of anything other than the fact that "greatness" is not an entity unto itself, but is composed of many specific elements. Your role is to grade each relative attribute in terms of how our ranking contributes to or detracts from our greatness. Perhaps just a simple plus or minus, although you may prefer to devise a more complex measure.
I recently heard Senator John McCain repeat one of the most ingrained godterms in our national psyche ---America is The Greatest Country in The World.. As I recall, that assessment became de rigueur in the 1950s, although it may have been much earlier. In a period where, at least in some sectors, our level of confidence in our greatness seems to be wavering, perhaps it would be good for us to take a measure of the many elements that play a role in our state of the union. To help us do that in a systematic way, I created a little handy dandy comparative accounting of attributes. Keep in mind the "highest" ranking may be the lowest number, for example the most desirable infant mortality rate would be the fewest deaths, while the most desirable life expectancy at birth would be the highest number of years. As usual, I have copied these facts from what I took to be credible Internet sources (many of them came from the CIA world facts book, so help yourself to the salt). I have no idea of their accuracy, and of course the few rankings I list are not intended as proof of anything other than the fact that "greatness" is not an entity unto itself, but is composed of many specific elements. Your role is to grade each relative attribute in terms of how our ranking contributes to or detracts from our greatness. Perhaps just a simple plus or minus, although you may prefer to devise a more complex measure.
November 28 '06 Pot Poury
Attribute Measured
Best Ranking
United States Ranking
Who'd Thunk It
Best Ranking
United States Ranking
Who'd Thunk It
Debt - external
#197 Greenland $25,000,000
# 1 US $ 8,837,000,000,000
#20 China $ 252,800,000,000
#197 Greenland $25,000,000
# 1 US $ 8,837,000,000,000
#20 China $ 252,800,000,000
GDP - per capita (PPP)
#1 Bermuda $69,900
#7 United States $41,600
#3 Equatorial Guinea $50,200
#1 Bermuda $69,900
#7 United States $41,600
#3 Equatorial Guinea $50,200
Unemployment rate(%)
#1 Andorra 0.0
#52 United States 5.10
#21 Viet Nam 2.40
#1 Andorra 0.0
#52 United States 5.10
#21 Viet Nam 2.40
Attribute Measured
Best Ranking
United States Ranking
Who'd Thunk It
Best Ranking
United States Ranking
Who'd Thunk It
Attribute Measured
Best Ranking
United States Ranking
Who'd Thunk It
Best Ranking
United States Ranking
Who'd Thunk It
Inflation rate (consumer prices) (%)
#7 Japan -0.30
#99 United States 3.20
#13 Singapore 0.40
#7 Japan -0.30
#99 United States 3.20
#13 Singapore 0.40
Attribute Measured
Best Ranking
United States Ranking
Who'd Thunk It
Best Ranking
United States Ranking
Who'd Thunk It
Attribute Measured
Best Ranking
United States Ranking
Who'd Thunk It
Best Ranking
United States Ranking
Who'd Thunk It
Public debt(% of GDP)
#113 Libya 8.2
#37 US 64.7
#107 Russia 12.9
#113 Libya 8.2
#37 US 64.7
#107 Russia 12.9
Attribute Measured
Best Ranking
United States Ranking
Who'd Thunk It
Best Ranking
United States Ranking
Who'd Thunk It
Current account balance
#1 Japan $165,600,000,000
#163 US $-829,100,000,000
#5 Russia $84,250,000,000
#1 Japan $165,600,000,000
#163 US $-829,100,000,000
#5 Russia $84,250,000,000
First, check out a few things about our people.
Infant mortality rate(deaths/1,000 live births)
#225 Singapore 2.29
#183 US 6.43
#185 Cuba 6.22
#225 Singapore 2.29
#183 US 6.43
#185 Cuba 6.22
Attribute Measured
Best Ranking
United States Ranking
Who'd Thunk It
Best Ranking
United States Ranking
Who'd Thunk It
Life expectancy at birth (years)
#1 Andorra 83.51
#48 US 77.85
#5 Hong Kong 81.59
#1 Andorra 83.51
#48 US 77.85
#5 Hong Kong 81.59
Healthy life expectancy at birth (years)
#1 Japan 74.5
#24 United States 70.0
#17 Austria 71.6
#1 Japan 74.5
#24 United States 70.0
#17 Austria 71.6
Literacy rate (% of population)
#1 Greenland 100.0
#31 United States 99.0
#7 Poland 99.8
#1 Greenland 100.0
#31 United States 99.0
#7 Poland 99.8
Attribute Measured
Best Ranking
United States Ranking
Who'd Thunk It
Best Ranking
United States Ranking
Who'd Thunk It
Attribute Measured
Best Ranking
United States Ranking
Who'd Thunk It
Best Ranking
United States Ranking
Who'd Thunk It
Attribute Measured
Best Ranking
United States Ranking
Who'd Thunk It
Best Ranking
United States Ranking
Who'd Thunk It
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And of course check out how our growing economy has increased our wealth.
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Once again, my "what am I trying to accomplish genes" have intervened in the course of my blogette. It soon became clear that the Internet is loaded with data giving comparative information about countries along multifarious lines. But my purpose is not to select some representative body of data that will establish a definitive measure of our greatness, but rather to strip away some of the divinity granted to this particular godterm. To say "America is the greatest country in the world" is to set a trap. Any attempt to disagree or question the term automatically labels one at least unpatriotic; perilously close to being considered a traitor. So we have to kinda sneak up on it by asking what exactly constitutes a case of being great. When Muhammad Ali boasted "I am the greatest" we knew exactly at what he was the greatest . So if a country is the greatest, it is fair to ask what is it the greatest at. [That thing about not ending a sentence with a preposition no longer applies, does it?] That makes the issue a little more subjective. What attributes do you think about when you consider greatness? Write them down, get on the google train and check out how we stack up in terms of that attribute. When you get done, add them up.
When I think of my country, I am reminded of a movie star growing old. There is no denying the once great beauty, but now the makeup is applied a little heavier to cover up the wrinkles, and plastic surgery lifts up the sagging parts, but she ain't what she used to be. See for yourself.
When I think of my country, I am reminded of a movie star growing old. There is no denying the once great beauty, but now the makeup is applied a little heavier to cover up the wrinkles, and plastic surgery lifts up the sagging parts, but she ain't what she used to be. See for yourself.
My turn again.
Take any word in the dictionary, change a single letter, double, switch, remove, turn upside down, whatever, to make a new word. Then make up a definition for the new word.
Take any word in the dictionary, change a single letter, double, switch, remove, turn upside down, whatever, to make a new word. Then make up a definition for the new word.
OK so I am whittling away at my blurb on terrorism, which will arrive shortly after my absolute last deadline for getting it done. Meanwhile, a few personal tidbits. I wrote some time ago about the tragic number of domestic murders here, but I just recently read that Myrtle Beach and vicinity is ranked well up in the top ten areas for violent crime. Thirty years in the Colorado mountains and I never worried about the public paranoia regarding danger from bears and mountain lions. So I didn't waste my time looking around for some vicious critter sneaking up on me, even while hiking in the dark. It's just a way overblown concern. But here, there is some valid data to caution one about being aware of one's surroundings. Especially since I frequently walk along the beach in the dark, I am trying to teach myself to pay attention to who might be out there with me. I have never lived among mean folks before. Say levve.
Once I got my medicare card and started collecting social security, I think I accepted the fact that I was no longer middle-aged, but that was as far as I would concede. Once again, reality came crashing through my fantasy. As I was waiting for the elevator, a couple of kids on tricycles came whizzing down the hallway. As the first kid turned the corner and saw me, he yelled back at his friend "watch out, there's an old man". Sigh.
Once I got my medicare card and started collecting social security, I think I accepted the fact that I was no longer middle-aged, but that was as far as I would concede. Once again, reality came crashing through my fantasy. As I was waiting for the elevator, a couple of kids on tricycles came whizzing down the hallway. As the first kid turned the corner and saw me, he yelled back at his friend "watch out, there's an old man". Sigh.
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