Homestead mailing list

[SJC <indexer AT localnet.com>]

On Thu, Nov 6, 2008 at 10:59 AM,  <DSanner106 AT aol.com> wrote:
>   

> >> I had seen that, but since all 4 countries are in the top ten in suicide
> >> rates,
> >> the ultimate measure of personal happiness. I have to question the source.
> >> Most of the
> >> top ten are socialist or communist nations actually.
> >>
> >> 1 Lithuania
> >> 2 Russian Federation
> >> 3 Finland
> >> 4 Ukraine
> >> 5 France
> >> 6 Denmark....
>   
Actually, now that I look closely at that list....it doesn't gel...

Lithuania and Ukraine are both republics, that I remember because we had 
several exchangees from each country both before and after the fall of 
the Soviet Union
The Russian Federation at least claims to have a representative 
democracy, IIRC
Finland is the Republic of Finland
France's official name is Republic of France and and it always seems to 
me that they have a sort of hybrid jumble for government.  the CIA 
Factbook says France has a republic government.
As to Denmark, I had to look it up.  From their official website:  
"Denmark has a long history of democratic rule and is today high on the 
list of countries in the world where democracy is most successful."  
Garrison Keillor didn't stick it out there long. :-)

So while some of them have some socialist programs and some have 
communist-rule history, they ain't claimin' the titles.

SJ, in Maine