PRESS RELEASE

The Don Jones Index (as opposed to the Dow, which tracks the progress and performance of corporations and investments, treats the week-to-week ups and downs of the average American in not only the economic but social spheres) has completed its survey of over nearly 200 nations to determine which is the best country in the world.

Our criteria were borrowed from those of Benjamin Franklin (being Poor Richard’s “Health”, “Wealth” and “Wisdom”) and Thomas Jefferson (in the Declaration of Independence’s call to “Life”, “Liberty” and the pursuit of “Happiness”).

We used an assortment of surveys and rankings of components of the six listed above, broken down into sub-categories compiled, for the most part, by large private and public bodies ranging from the World Bank and United Nations to America’s Central Intelligence Agency.

So – which country (which did not rank first in any of the six categories) come out on top with an average score almost twice that of the runner up? Which was the worst? How did the United States fare in comparison to an increasingly hostile world? (And in what sub-category were Iraq, Iran and Syria ranked one, two, three… and it was not even “religiosity”!)

Those nations considered for inclusion had to have been ranked in at least half of the six criteria; such placement being dependent upon placement in at least half of the sub-criteria.

For example, the sub-criteria of “Pursuit of Happiness”, the last of the criteria to be studied, included the World Happiness Index, as compiled by the United Nations, but also such other indicators of well-bring such as the national rate of Consumption (the average accumulation of “stuff” ranging from food to rents to finger-spinners… production, as measured by the Gross Domestic Product… GDP… was included in the “Wealth” lesson), the incidence of Corruption and its remedy, Transparency as measured by the nonprofit transparency.org, the percentage of its workforce enrolled in Unions and/or syndicates (a category perhaps offensive to business interests but mitigated by the per capita rates of Taxation, Religiosity (another controversial sector dominated by countries most amenable to terrorism, but balanced by Save the Children’s rankings of those nations most amenable to “Girls” and women), a rather curious compilation of the “Friendliest” (and unfriendliest) places offered up by the World Economic Forum and, finally, two measures of optimism as hold out the prospects of better living conditions for youth, “Growth” (in a national GDP survey by the World Bank) and “Hope” for the future, measured by private investigators Suzy Moat and Tobias Preis of Preis, Moat, Stanley and Bishop.

Similar sub-categories were used to calculate the national rankings in the other five categories.

Not surprisingly, the winners tended to be small, cold, white and wealthy places… particularly the Scandanavians and Northern Europeans. The worst were largely African, plus a few conflict zones in other parts of the world (e.g. Afghanistan).

Viable criticisms of our process besides, of course, the selection of which criteria best measured national “greatness” or its opposite (some of the countries not ranked due to the discretion of the ranking agency – often on account of physical danger to survey takers – would have scored poorly on the category, dragging down their overall scores) included the age of some of the surveys taken… data from as far back as 1961 were to be found in the GDP growth sub-category of “Happiness”, meaning that places like Syria were shielded from the collapse of its economic, political and civility sectors. The more recent destruction of many of the small island-nations of the Caribbean by the hurricanes of the past month is likely to alter the reality behind the results. The potential bias of bodies like the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which measured only the richest and most “powerful” nations was also a factor, as might have been the globalist inclinations of the survey-takers… especially to those suspicious of elites ranging from the Bilderberger gang and such to hangers-out in Davos, Geneva and The Hague - even the Illuminati.

A total of 188 countries qualified for inclusion on our list.

The winners were… And the losers were…

1) Sweden 184) Sierra Leone

2) Switzerland 185) Zimbabwe

3) Iceland 186) Mali

4) Germany 187) Eritrea

5) Norway 188) Afghanistan

The United States ranked 28th, trailing Israel, Slovakia and Slovenia but finished ahead of Poland and South Korea. We performed best in Mr. Franklin’s Wealthiness, worst (no doubt due to the horrific expense) in Health.

There were a few surprises and anomalies for the public to consider. The people scoring best in the “Health” category were the otherwise-bankrupt and belittled Greeks (perhaps their affordable medical care is a consequence of too many impoverished locals forcing doctors to lower their fees… or maybe it was just the yogurt) and the happiest, by our accounting, were highly-religious, rich and oily denizens of the United Arab Emirates. (As noted above, they were among those primarily Mideast places as did not cooperate with Save the Children on assessing the status of women… not to mention other racial, sexual and religious minorities. Had they done so, they would certainly lost status.)

So the results were what they were and the rankings what they are. For the complete rankings, see Attachment One to the current DJI lesson here. For more detailed information on performance at the categorical level, see…

Health: Best¹: Greece Worst: Somalia

Wealth: Best: Switzerland Worst: Gambia

Wisdom: Best: Norway Worst: Niger²

Life: Best: Iceland Worst: Lesotho

Liberty: Best: New Zealand Worst: North Korea

Pursuit of Happiness: Best: United Arab Emirates³ Worst: South Sudan

¹ Per Ben’s advice, the best sleepers in the world were, according to the Fitbit Corporation, the Slovakians. The Romanians clocked out earliest at 11:09 PM (perhaps due to a dearth of late night talkshows?); the earliest risers in the world, according to Fitbit, were South Africans, up with (or sometimes before) the sun at 6:24 AM.

² The international PISA scores, compiled by the Paris-based OECD, exhibit some of the problems inherent to that institution. Their rankings of student performance on math, science and reading covered 72 countries (at most, often less) and leaving Africa, most of the (otherwise high-performing) former Soviet republics (except Russia itself) and large swaths of Latin America and South Asia in the lurch.

³ We have already mentioned the problems with Save the Children’s survey on the status of girls, which left out most of the Islamic republics (probably because the mullahs deemed that nosy foreigners could not even speak to women) without being subjected to the kind attention of the Morality Police. There was another howler-monkey in that tree; the World Bank’s assessment of Syria as the third-best place in the world to do business, based on its survey taken in… get this!... 1961! The bankers may be excused for not visiting that place while the bombs are still falling and the snipers still sniping, but what are we to make of the contention that first and second place (based on GDP growth statistics for 2016) went to… Iraq and Iran! Could it be that armaments dealers were slightly overrepresented in their study?

THE WHOLE CHART…

Don Jones Index Best (and worst) Countries’ Ranking - 2017

		From FRANKLIN			From JEFFERSON
Rank		Health	Wealth	Wisdom	Life	Liberty	Happiness	Average
1	Sweden	10	4	11	7	3	4	6.5
2	Switzerland	4	1	23	11	8	7	9.0
3	Iceland	5	23	22	1	2	2	9.2
4t	Germany	14	2	10	6	12	19	10.5
4t	Norway	43	6	1	2	6	5	10.5
6	Finland	15	14	2	18	4	16	11.5
7	Netherlands	13	12	6	12	17	18	13.0
8	Australia	8	9	12	31	16	12	14.7
9	Ireland	33	10	18	8	7	13	15.2
10	Belgium	11	17	13	13	15	23	15.3
11	Canada	28	15	19	26	9	11	16.3
12	Denmark	23	5	21	4	5	24	16.7
13	Austria	18	11	34	19	13	14	18.2
14	France	16	20	14	5	21	35	18.5
15	New Zealand	36	39	4	15	1	22	19.5
16	Luxembourg	22	3	27	24	35	8	19.8
17	United Kingdom	20	21	24	20	28	17	21.7
18	Japan	30	18	26	16	18	33	23.5
19	Czech Rep.	7	34	15	17	25	49	24.5
20	Spain	9	27	43	27	24	31	26.8
21	Slovenia	44	33	5	21	30	36	27.0
22	Taiwan		22	38	36	43	3	28.4
23	Italy	17	30	31	10	31	52	28.5
24	Cyprus	2	44	50	22	19	37	29.0
25	Slovak Rep.	6	41	29	29	41	40	31.0
26	Portugal	12	37	49	23	20	53	32.3
27	Israel	19	26	39	34	53	34	34.2
28	United States	50	16	30	40	34	29	34.8
29	Singapore	3	24	46	33	84	25	35.8
30	Estonia	24	35	3	46	22	88	36.3
31	Poland	41	53	8	58	39	28	37.8
32	Qatar	34	7	74	41	52	20	38.0
33	Korea, South	57	13	36	35	23	68	38.7
34	Unit. Arab Emir.	39	8	81	48	120	1	39.5
35	Croatia	45	32	40	30	46	46	39.8
36	Chile	55	51	56	56	27	6	40.2
37	Malta	27	25	60	3	72	15	40.3
38	Latvia	42	43	32	44	37	47	40.8
39	Lithuania	48	91	9	52	10	41	41.8
40	Grenada	104	121	59	97			45.25
41	Samoa	114	132	57	86			46.75
42	Romania	40	29	53	45	38	77	47.0
43	Hungary	54	54	28	28	64	60	48.0
44	Uruguay	35	82	55	39	40	44	49.2
45	Kuwait	47	28	80	54	78	21	51.3
46	Greece	1	58	71	25	48	109	52.0
47	Mexico	37	45	82	61	42	48	53.0
48	Bulgaria	70	48	48	43	57	81	57.8
49	Palau		42	76				59.0
50	Montenegro	53	64	51	49	103	42	60.3
51	Costa Rica	77	101	75	51	26	32	62.0
52	Malaysia	60	56	95	83	91	10	65.8
53	St. Kitts/Nevis		19	67	120			66.0
54	Mauritius	68	68	94	69	74	26	66.5
55	Brunei	38	38	64	14	125	128	67.8
56	Ukraine	25	108	20	57	101	99	68.3
57	St. Lucia	26	87		68	66	96	68.5
58	Tonga	101	59	41	82	60		68.6
59	Georgia	71	109	37	66	56	73	68.7
60t	Russia	69	61	17	60	143	62	68.7
60t	Armenia	29	114	33	76	63	101	69.3
62	Bosnia/Herzegov.	86		35	38	86	102	69.5
63	Macedonia		103	72	77	14	83	69.8
64	Bahrain	74	36	68	55	163	27	70.5
65	Barbados	78	105	42	96		38	71.8
66	Panama	80	78	90	50	113	30	73.5
67	Serbia	85	115	61	32	70	75	73.0
68	Argentina	21	112	52	67	61	135	74.7
69	Azerbaijan	63	77	25	74	109	105	75.5
70	Antigua/Barbuda	89	50	58	108			76.25
71	Saudi Arabia	84	57	104	75	129	9	76.3
72	Kazakhstan	56	47	16	100	148	86	76.5
73	China	52	52	77	102	136	50	77.0
74	Belarus	76	136	7	47	141	56	77.2
75	Peru	61	62	101	93	83	65	77.5
76	Bahamas	91	74	65	113		45	77.6
77	Oman	72	66	115	62	92	71	79.7
78	Ethiopia	157	167	175	182	162	147	79.8
79	Albania	49	73	70	101	76	112	80.2
80	Seychelles	50	75	102	95		91	82.6
81	Turkey	65	71	83	79	119	84	83.5
82	Indonesia	97	79	97	116	55	67	85.2
83	Tajikistan	108	83	47	105	155	115	85.5
84	Colombia	66	93	108	90	58	69	85.7
85	Thailand	95	49	88	73	108	43	86.0
86	Maldives	102	104	84	78	69		87.4
87	Uzbekistan	59	92	44	98	173	61	87.8
88	Trinidad/Tobago	110	60	62	151	71	76	88.3
89	Moldova	93	55	54	87	123	119	88.5
90	Dominican Rep.	64	85	106	118	99	59	88.5
91	Brazil	81	120	92	70	112	58	88.8
92	Lebanon	58	110	123	59	133	57	90.0
93	Sri Lanka	75	31	85	89	114	64	91.3
94t	Jordan	67	124	87	88	126	63	92.5
94t	Turkmen	32	63	69	122	175	94	92.5
96	Cuba	46	34		42	171	78	92.75
97	Jamaica	62	102	111	142	32	117	94.3
98	El Salvador	103	80	125	84	96	85	94.8
99	Philippines	96	86	109	135	95	51	95.3
100	Fiji	133	123	78	65	81		95.8
101	St.Vincent/Gren.	106	144	86	123	75	54	96.0
102	Venezuela	73	127	73	37	140	127	96.2
103	Cabo Verde	112	69	114	138	73	72	96.3
104	India	100	84	132	111	65	98	98.3
105	Paraguay	121	98	91	92	107	90	99.8
106	Tunisia	98	118	99	80	117	97	101.5
107	Vietnam	82	107	79	104	172	70	102
108	Bolivia	115	142	103	63	132	79	104.0
109	Vanuatu	128	72	118	106			106.0
110	Botswana	145	138	112	53	51	139	106.3
111	South Africa	132	122	96	132	47	111	106.7
112	Nicaragua	124	67	141	107	115	87	106.8
113	Mongolia	94	117	63	130	88	150	107.7
114t	Dominica	90	135	100	109		106	108.0
114t	Kyrgyz Rep.	83	125	45	150	122	123	108.0
116	Ecuador	88	106	113	94	144	104	108.1
117	Iran	119	97	66	112	166	93	108.8
118	Senegal	107	137		145	49	108	109.2
119	Morocco	113	81	142	72	146	103	109.5
120	Guatemala	79	89	131	71	100	80	110.0
121	Myanmar	120	46	135	103	150	55	111.5
122	Bhutan	127	96	174	117	105	66	114.2
123	Suriname	122	126	98	119	98	129	115.3
124	Honduras	123	94	128	85	147	116	115.5
125	Micronesia	129	140	116	99	97		116.2
126	Bangladesh	118	116	151	115	110	92	117
127	Korea, North	66			110	177		117.7
128	Belize	111	131	110	126	85	148	118.5
129	Marshall Is.	146	174		127	29		119.0
130	Libya	109	153	107	81	157	110	119.5
131	Guyana	125	100	137	139	102	118	120.2
132	Algeria	139	129	105	91	161	95	120.8
133	Gabon	137	65	119	114	142	149	121.0
134	Namibia	152	152	121	131	44	134	122.3
135	Iraq	131	143	136	170	77	74	123.5
136	Cambodia	135	88	140	141	130	113	124.5
137	Egypt	126	130	117	64	135	82	125.7
138	Kiribati	138	119	93	154			126.0
139	Pakistan	130	70	166	168	118	137	126.5
140	Syria	105				156	120	127.0
141	Burkina Faso	134	145	178	148	36	131	128.7
142	Laos	116	90	143	155	164	107	129.2
143	Togo	165	111	146	124	87	144	129.5
144	Solomon Is.	99		139	121		162	130.25
145	Papua New Gui.	143	134	157	125	68	156	130.5
146	Nigeria	153	133	159	156	89	100	131.7
147	Ghana	140	139	129	136	128	121	132.2
148	Benin	159	149	162	147	50	140	136.1
149	Comoros	117	157	133	181	45	166	136.5
150	Cote d’Ivoire	173	128	163	162	54	132	137.0
151	Nepal	142	166	153	137	93	141	138.7
152	Guinea	161	175	89	153	106	160	140.7
153	Timor-Leste	92	155	149	164	149		141.8
154	Equat. Guinea	163	99	122	160	167		142.8
155	Tanzania	171	163	158	169	62	138	143.5
156	Djibouti	169	95	164	134	168	145	144.1
157	Cameroon	156	146	138	144	152	130	144.3
158	Madagascar	136	177	152	143	90	169	144.5
159	Zambia	155	162	144	157	127	126	145.2
160	Kenya	158	171	124	146	124	151	145.7
161	Congo, Rep.	151	160	134	152	134	133	146.0
162	Sao Tome/Princ.	144	147	145	149		146	146.2
163	Uganda	177	164	126	128	116	161	148.0
164	Congo, DR.	164	148	154	158	121	155	150.0
165	Yemen	148	180	156	129	153	143	151.5
166	Niger	176	156	181	179	79	152	152.2
167	Rwanda	175	165	148	172	158	89	152.8
168	Lesotho	183	176	127	185	80	173	154.0
169	Malawi	182	181	150	184	67	163	154.5
170	South Sudan	141	170			138	174	155.75
171	Guinea-Bisseau	162	141	172	165	170	125	155.8
172t	Cent Afric. Rep.	167	168	173	140	131	158	156.2
172t	Swaziland	149	154	120	178	165	171	156.2
174	Haiti	154	178	165	171	111	165	157.3
175	Mozambique	181	158	170	173	104	159	157.5
176	Mauritania	150	172	168	133		157	158.0
177	Liberia	174	183	161	183	94	154	158.2
178	Sudan	166	173	155	159	159	142	159.0
179t	Burundi	160	151	160	167	154	170	160.3
179t	Somalia	185				174	122	160.3
181	Gambia	168	185	171	161	139	153	162.8
182	Chad	172	150	179	175	137	167	163.2
183	Angola	170	169	147	176	151	168	163.5
184	Sierra Leone	184	161	176	174		124	163.75
185	Zimbabwe	178	179	130	166	160	172	164.2
186	Mali	180	159	180	163	169	136	164.5
187	Eritrea	147	182	167	177	176		169.8
188	Afghanistan	179	184	177	180	145	164	171.5

FYI: While the Dow continues to set daily records, the Don was also UP a near-record 59.32 points this week, based on the release of positive statistical results pertaining to employment, workforce participation, wages and trade balance.