For the US and your posting skills.

The majority of those countries in the top 10 are the size of Renton. Not really a very meaningful comparison.

I guess an apples to apples would be to compare them to Renton?

Interstingly, Sweden has about the same GDP and population as Washington State plus not a few cultural similarities. But with social democrats running the show, there's health care, vacations galore, second homes, little crime etc.

In fact, I'd bet the common denominator of all the nations at the top of the list is:

1. socialized health care.

and

2. gun control.
and then let's not forget no. 3:

3. not starting multi $$$ trillion wars for no reason.

Oh, and Gibraltar isn't even an independent country, it's a British crown posession.

They're participating in Eurovision this year too. Unlike actual Italy, who haven't since 1996.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_suicide_rate

What I want to know is this:how come the Vatican, Monaco, San Marino and Liechtenstein rank so highly as city-states, but not as cities?

Let's not forget that it is easy to devote your resources at everything else when another country is doing your guard duty.

Including "gun control" as a valid reason for one country being more successful than another reeks of political correctness gone wild.

It's sad such a promising poll had to go that route, as it throws the results into question.

Ignorant fools that conduct research with a bias are the worst kind of scientists.

I can't feel my face...

The US is #20, just below Belgium and above Chile. Danes, Finns, Swedes and Kiwis are the top five along with Singapore. Important city-states deserve rankings (Hong Kong: 14 Luxembourg: 12), relics like San Marino don't.

As for this story, it seems sort of tortured to try to roll all of these things into a single metric. It did remind me of one of my favorite arguments against pro-lifers, though, which is that the United States ranks about #40 in infant mortality rates. The lifers could probably accomplish their goal if they worked on lowering infant mortality rates rather than stopping people from getting abortions, but I guess once the fetus is out, fuck em? This was pointed out to me by a NUN on Democracy Now.

Thats why its topped by small sovereign cities, or nations with smaller populations: smaller size would naturally equal easier manageability, therefore STABILITY. Thats one specific aspect of a nation.

Chill out.

And have you ever been to the South Side of Liechtenstein?

The suicide rate is higher, but there are more factors involved than relative prosperity, like religiosity and such. And a lot of people are depressed during the cold, dark winters.

Immigration. Not to brag, but something like ten percent of Sweden's population was born outside of its borders (including, though, cross pollination with neighbouring... nations) and Södertälje municipality had, in some stretch of time, taken more Iraqi refugees than all of the US. On the other hand, it takes some money to get here (neighbouring countries do well too), so we don't get that many broke people.

And, as some have said, I think the US is too big. It gets too much power and influence, wastes too much and is too divided.

In the end, it's not a horse race, and it would be nice if you did well. Less with the Jesus, the warring and the consumption, though, please...

The reason for the high suicide rate for Sweden is because a lot of psychiatrists will just give you pills, as opposed to trying to actually helping you deal with your problems. At least that's what my family told me.

*= Sweden, if anyone cares.