I just bought an M10R and a ITP R01 and an RRT2 which I *really* needed, so I feel much better now, and I like to express my opinion in this intense thread... hopefully, without gaining the promised darwinian prize.
It is my opinion that, in the actual economic landscape, it makes no sense to make a rank list by Country.
The living standards in any given Contry is the result of political, economic and sociologic heritage; what is in discussion here is the fact that everybody now, in any Country, feels deprived and without perspective. This is a direct conseguence of the actual economic landscape, which is characterising equally ALL world Countries.
Once upon a time, if you had a dollar and wanted to raise more, you invested it. It means that you produced a good or a service, and in this process you created wealth for other persons.
This was a good thing. Economy grew fast, and people felt happy.
One day, a person sitting in front of a computer without a flashlight, who thought to be smarter than anybody else, said: "I want to make money from money! Building factories and organisation, being under the will of politicians and bankers is tiresome and mind-consuming. Let's do it..."
So, by using powerful computers and high-grade maths he invented CDOs and swap obligations and God knows what else. At the end, he was able to make money from money. Only lately economy scientists have been able to understand where these money come from... few pennies from my pocket, few pennies from your pocket, few pennies from everybody pocket.... they call it stochastic distribution, IIRC.
Eventually, the system failed. Bailout, bailout. Did the bailout money reached your pocket, or mine? No, they finished right before they could have reached the "right" pockets, but they kept the "system" alive. Foreclosed homes remained foreclosed, maxed out credit cards remained maxed out. But the mortgage and credit infrastructure was bailed out, and kept up and running.
What next? Nobody knows. Lobbysts once lobbyed to build factories and infrastructures, now they are forced to lobby to keep the financial status quo. Economy needs a restart, which requires a lot of international coordination and planned efforts lasting years; in the meantime, everybody looks at finance to make quick money, which in turn keeps pennies bleeding from everybody pocket, and money not circulating in a manner which benefits everybody.
I think to have explained why I believe ALL Countries are ranking last.
Regards
Anthony