Why Israel is the world's happiest country.... Spengler

**megimoo** · 06-16-2008, 04:10 PM

Envy surrounds no country on Earth like the state of Israel, and with good reason: by objective measures, Israel is the happiest nation on Earth at the 60th anniversary of its founding.

It is one of the wealthiest, freest and best-educated; and it enjoys a higher life expectancy than Germany or the Netherlands. But most remarkable is that Israelis appear to love life and hate death more than any other nation.

If history is made not by rational design but by the demands of the human heart, as I argued last week , the light heart of the Israelis in face of continuous danger is a singularity worthy of a closer look.

Can it be a coincidence that this most ancient of nations [1], and the only nation persuaded that it was summoned into history for God's service, consists of individuals who appear to love life more than any other people?

As a simple index of life-preference, I plot the fertility rate versus the suicide rate of 35 industrial countries, that is, the proportion of people who choose to create new life against the proportion who choose to destroy their own. Israel stands alone, positioned in the upper-left-hand-quadrant, or life-loving, portion of the chart . Those who believe in Israel's divine election might see a special grace reflected in its love of life.

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/JE13Ak01.html

**LogansPapa** · 06-16-2008, 04:44 PM

Hell, if my tax dollars for employing and supplying the local police, the national guard and my nation’s entire spectrum of military defense were covered by another wealthy country - I’d be happy too.

**megimoo** · 06-16-2008, 04:49 PM

Originally Posted by LogansPapa

Hell, if my tax dollars for employing and supplying the local police, the national guard and my nation’s entire spectrum of military defense were covered by another wealthy country - I’d be happy too.

You would just waste it on motor oil of chrome for your scooter !

**LogansPapa** · 06-16-2008, 04:55 PM

Originally Posted by megimoo

You would just waste it on motor oil of chrome for your scooter !

:p Buaahaaahaa. Okay - you win. I stand corrected. :D

**Odysseus** · 06-16-2008, 05:10 PM

Originally Posted by megimoo

Envy surrounds no country on Earth like the state of Israel, and with good reason: by objective measures, Israel is the happiest nation on Earth at the 60th anniversary of its founding.

It is one of the wealthiest, freest and best-educated; and it enjoys a higher life expectancy than Germany or the Netherlands. But most remarkable is that Israelis appear to love life and hate death more than any other nation.

If history is made not by rational design but by the demands of the human heart, as I argued last week , the light heart of the Israelis in face of continuous danger is a singularity worthy of a closer look.

Can it be a coincidence that this most ancient of nations [1], and the only nation persuaded that it was summoned into history for God's service, consists of individuals who appear to love life more than any other people?

As a simple index of life-preference, I plot the fertility rate versus the suicide rate of 35 industrial countries, that is, the proportion of people who choose to create new life against the proportion who choose to destroy their own. Israel stands alone, positioned in the upper-left-hand-quadrant, or life-loving, portion of the chart . Those who believe in Israel's divine election might see a special grace reflected in its love of life.

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/JE13Ak01.html

Can't wait to see Gator and LogansPapa go off on this. ;)