Economist 'survey' a pile of crap

national | miscellaneous | opinion/analysis Thursday November 18, 2004 21:41 by Paul Kinsella - CPSU An Post Branch Committee paulkinsella53 at yahoo dot com 53 Lorcan Grove, Santry, Dublin 9, Eire 085-14178100

Lies! Damned Lies! And Statistics! This certainly applies to this survey that claims that Ireland is the best country in the world to live in. Ireland the best country in the world to live in! Come on get a grip! Are these people for real? What planet are they living on? Are these economists, businesspeople and their rich friends so detacthed from the stark reality of daily life for most people that they believe such stuff?

For a start I would like to know how many people, and whom did they interview for this 'survey'? How representative is this 'survey'? I would say not very representative! If you really want a survey to give you the results that you want that can be very easily done. Ireland the best country in the world to live in? What about our substandard health service, public transport service and infrastructure, substandard roads, run down education sector, our growing gap between the rich and poor and a huge underclass permanently stuck in grinding poverty with all of the resulting problems of malnourishment, violence and crime, the housing crisis where greedy fat cat speculators no doubt friends of the Economist magazine are driving up house prices putting houses out of the reach of many young and working class people, and our appalling homelessness situation to name but a few the Economist? What do you have to say in reply to that the Economist? I await your reply with interest, although I wouldn't hold my breath! "Well then Paul what do you think is the best country to live in" I hear the people say? From having done research and listened to what other people have said I believe that Canada is the best country in the world to live in. I wonder what do you have to say about that the Economist? Especially as you didn't even mention Canada in your survey. Maybe it's not your preferred ultra free market economic model but the Canadians certainly must be doing something right as most Canadians seem very happy with their lot and I would certainly contend that both the quality and standard of living in Canada is far superior to that of Ireland.