The Impact of IQ on Immigration and the West

 In today’s increasingly complex world of technology, automation, and AI, intelligence is more important than ever, and yet we find critical thinking, logic, reasoning, and language skills, not to mention knowledge of history, geography, the sciences, and mathematics, are in serious decline, especially in the West.  

One is reminded of a Star Trek Next Generation episode, “Samaritan Snare” (Season 2: Episode 17). The plot centers around a race of seemingly advanced humanoid aliens called the “Plakleds” who scavenge, steal, or trade technology without actually understanding any of it. When it ceases to work, they are forced to scrap it or play the sympathy card to get others with the proper expertise to fix it. In this episode, they’ve become adapt at playing off the sympathy of an intellectually arrogant and bemused Enterprise crew while feigning helplessness. In doing so, they manage to kidnap Jordy, the Enterprise’s chief engineer, who had beamed over to fix a seemingly minor technical problem.

As viewers quickly learned, while the Plakleds are excellent intergalactic schemers, they aren’t particularly bright. In fact, by 24th century standards, they would be considered little better than imbeciles with photon torpedoes and phasers (when they work). Modern society faces a very similar problem in that many societies which are highly dependent on technology (especially as it relates to weaponry) lack not just the ability to build or repair their technology, they barely understand it!  At the same time, some of these societies are guilty of threatening the very nations they are dependent on for their own survival.

So, I thought it would be interesting to take a look at the average intelligence (IQ) of various countries around the world, particularly those who are part of the invasion of the West and extrapolate the possible outcome for that country. After all, this is supposedly the "replacement" population, so how does it compare to the native population?

In Western Europe, practically every country has been affected by migrants. Most claim they trying to evade social or economic unrest in the home country (whether such as situation actually exists), seek employment (though economic “sanctuary” is not recognized by international law or the fact they are largely unskilled). As an aside, the majority are single, in excellent health, and are of military age. Hardly the picture of some needy immigrant.

The majority originate from Bangladesh, Egypt, Afghanistan, Sudan, Algeria, Eritrea, Morocco, Senegal, and Somalia. The majority of these migrants tend to settle in the most advanced industrial counties of the UK, France, Germany (where they completely lack either the skills or education to become self-sustaining residents), as well as Spain, Italy, the Lowlands, and Scandinavia with their famous social safety nets

According to the 2026 edition of World Population Review, the average IQ for the UK is 101.12. For Ireland, it’s 98.22. In Germany, it’s 98.32. In France the average IQ is 100.12 while the Spanish IQ is roughly 102. In Sweden and Norway, it’s about 98 and 99 in Finland. In the Lowlands, the average IQ is about 100. The same for Italy and the Balkans. So, let’s see what these migrants contribute intellectually.

For the Bangladeshi, the average IQ score is around 97.32, which is compatible with most European countries.  Egypt is 98.74. Among the Afghanis, it’s 89.31, which hardly fits. The average IQ among the Sudanese is 78.87, which would be considered functionally impaired by the educational standards of most Western nations.

Algeria’s IQ average is 97.53, especially in the northern areas which had the most influence from French colonists. The same came be said of Morocco for the same reason. It’s average IQ is 97.24. Eritrea’s estimated average IQ is just 75. As for Senegal, it’s estimated to be about 80, while Somalia’s average IQ is a mere 83.84, the lowest official score of any nation. Aside from just a couple of nations, the majority of these migrants are intellectually not compatible with European society, not to mention that in addition to their low intelligence, their social (including religious) values and standards do not fit with that of Europe’s.

What about the United States? As expected, the majority of immigrants (legal and illegal) to the U.S. are from Mexico, followed by Central America (Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala). Lastly, the U.S. receives a smaller number of immigrants from the Caribbean nations, South America (notably Venezuela), Asia, the Middle East, and various African countries.  

So, to make our comparison, what’s the average American’s IQ? According to the Review, our average is 101.04 (for Canada, it’s 102.09). How does this compare to that of or immigrants? The average Mexican has an IQ of 93.64. For Honduras and Guatemala, it’s just over 90, while El Salvador, it’s slightly better at 91. As an aside, the average IQ for Costa Rica and Nicaragua, it’s 93.80 and 87.75.

 In Panama, it’s 91.65. Excluding Cuba, the average IQ among the other Caribbean island nations is around 90. (for the record, Cuba, which has a near 100% literacy rate, the average IQ is 96.40. Venezuela’s average is 92.61 and in Columbia it’s 94.62. Interestingly, Peru’s IQ of 100.20, is nearly as high as that of the U.S., and is one of the highest in South America. 

With that said, let’s take a look at some other key nations. First, top six nations with the highest IQs are all Asian. Hong Kong has the highest of any nation with an average of 107.73. South Korea’s is 106.97 while China’s is 106.48, followed closely by Macau with 106.32 and Japan with 106.30. Finally, Taiwan has an average IQ of 105.80. Is it any wonder that the West, especially the U.S., are so heavily dependent of Asian innovation?

Among Middle Eastern nations, Iran has the highest national average with an impressive 104.80 (yes, the same country we recently picked a fight with). In Israel, it’s 98.57. In Yemen, their IQ is 93.43 while in neighboring Oman, it’s 92.18. The average IQ in Saudi Arabia is 94.07 while Iraq has 93.62. Afghanistan’s is 89.31. The average in India is 98.44. In Australia, it’s 104.45, Vietnam’s Average is 102.26. Finally, Russia. The average IQ for a Russian is 103.78. For someone from Belarus, it’s 101.50. In Ukraine, it’s 95.66.

So, what does this all mean? Well, first off, here in America we tend to think of ourselves as being slightly superior intellectually to everyone else. As the intelligence test results reveal, we are far from it. Some could argue that, at least when it comes to intelligence tests, diversity hasn't proven to be our strength.

Secondly, with our national IQ of 101.04, it’s worth noting that among the nations we’ve been to war with lately, their national IQ’s have been similar to or just below ours. In two unsuccessful wars, Vietnam's IQ was significantly higher than ours, although Afghanistan was the opposite. Now we face a similar situation with Iran as we did with the Vietnamese.

In Russia's war with Ukraine, the Russians present the higher IQ, and in Europe, which has a comparable IQ to the U.S., it’s being overrun (many say conquered) by individuals with significantly lower levels of measured intelligence. It also bears mentioning that in addition to Europe’s suicidal immigration policy, the migrants are outbreeding the native populations by a 1 to 8 ratio which also would collapse any country.

Perhaps the lesson here is that accepting large numbers of individuals without the education, skillset, social (and religious) values, intellectual acumen and willingness to adapt will only bring your country down to their level, not raise them up to yours. Such thinking is as illogical as it is naive. Coupling this with suppressing your own citizens is a sure recipe for a societal collapse and an inevitable replacement.

Europe’s only solution at this point appears to totally acquiesce to the invaders and accept complete capitulation (as most of Europe’s so-called “leaders” seem to want) or face a full-on civil war against both the migrants and its governmental collaborators (ideally, it would be nice if those professionals who actually contribute to society could be saved, but at this point, that level of culling seems all but impossible.    

While the United States, given its size and huge amounts of natural resources, is more capable of absorbing incompatible migrants, it’s already found that an open immigration policy can have disastrous results ranging from education, welfare, medical care, employment, crime, the judicial system, and placed as huge burden on taxpayers who are forced to pick up the tab for all this without a second by Washington politicians. It has forced the native population to increasingly adapt to immigrants who refuse to learn English or adapt to American culture and values. We’ve already seen large pockets of the country become virtual foreign islands within the nation.

Immigration, and the exchange of ideas, cultures, and goods, is a good thing. After all, as the saying goes, we all came from somewhere. However, given today’s complexity, unrestricted or unrestrained immigration is national suicide. Nations must choose between selecting those who would be beneficial  or face a mass of locust-like destruction to their society. Eastern Europe and much of Asia seem to have taken the right approach. The question now is whether it’s too late for Europe and if the U.S, Canada, and Latin America can adjust and come up with an equitable solution. 

Immigration, in the final analysis, is about self-interest, be it that of the individual or host country. Those seeking to improve their lives and have something positive to offer the host country should be welcome, while with nothing positive to offer; who refuse to adapt, to abuse, destabilize, or destroy their host country should be aggressively rejected.  

    

World Population Review: Average IQ by Country 2026

 

EU population diversity by citizenship and country of birth

An Analysis of Unauthorized Immigrants in the United Statesby Country and Region of Birth

Average IQ by Country

IQ compared by Country

 

 

Are You Smarter Than You An Eighth Grader? Population Intelligence From Around the World

Have you ever watched a world leader and thought that they were some sort of a buffoon or wondered how on earth they managed to become a head of state? Russia’s Boris Yeltsin is a good example. Not only was he a heavy drinker, but he always acted like he didn’t have a lick of sense as we say in the South. France’s Emmanuel Marcon is another example of someone who seems to be out of his league, but he’s far from the only one. 

Another individual was George “Dubya” Bush. He seemed to mess up nearly everything he did. Bush managed to graduate with a so-called “Gentleman’s C” which typically means a C-/D+. Barack Obama wasn’t exactly stellar either.  Not exactly what you’d expect for a U.S. President.

Congress is full of such individuals, and increasingly, we’re finding judges, governors, mayors, and local officials so lacking in intelligence that they shouldn't be out in public unsupervised or be allowed to hold sharp objects!

Are our euphemistically named “leaders” a reflection of the people they’re supposed to lead? Like me, I’m sure you’ve worked some place where those in charge were dumber than a box of rocks. Unfortunately, however, we are now living in a society where mediocrity is the norm. Anyone who excels or stands out is viewed with suspicion. 

Kids are routinely placed in sub-par schools where conformity is encouraged. Everyone is equally dumbed down so as to not “offend” lower performing students. As in sports, where everyone gets a trophy, so now in academics everyone gets a diploma whether they actually earned one or not. How else do you explain kids graduating high school with an 8^th grade reading and literacy level, a 7th grade knowledge of history, geography, or civics, or that just 37% were academically prepared for entry level college math and science?

At work, we try to do “just enough” and to keep our heads down. We just want to get through the day, collect our paycheck, and go home. If we can somehow slip through without the boss knowing our name, that’s celebrated as a personal victory. Questioning authority is seen as making waves or labeling you as a troublemaker.

Your fellow employees don’t like it because it brings unwanted attention their way and your supervisor doesn’t like it because it means they may  address yet another problem. If the average workplace had a color, it would be dull gray. Is it any wonder then that when we graduate so many underachievers we find ourselves in a milquetoast society?

The Nobel Prize was seen at the epitome of excellence (their prestige was damaged when they started focusing on political correctness over achievement as in the case of President-elect Barack Obama who was awarded the prize for…well…nothing actually). Nevertheless, the United States has the most laureates at 420. The next closest is the United Kingdom with 142 and Germany at 115. India has won 13. China has 8. Russia has 30, and Japan has 31.

The reason for America’s dominance has been well-funded research (mainly by the military and corporations), historic academic freedom, and our emphasis on mathematics and the hard sciences, the very areas where our schools are struggling today. As an aside, do you know which ethnicity has won the most Nobel awards? The answer is Jews. One in ten of all Nobel Prize recipients have been Jewish.

What nation owns the most patents? That honor goes to China according to the World Population Review. They report that China has some 798,347 patent grants. The majority of these are in the areas of digital communications, artificial intelligence, and computer technology (China has 70% of AI patent applications). Two other areas with a high number of patents filed are medical and renewable energy technology.

As for the United States, we have a distant 323,410 of all patents granted. Japan and South Korea are next at 201,420 and 135,180 respectively. India rounds out the top five with 30,490.  It bears mentioning that Asia leads the world with the number of patents filed, accounting for 68.7% of all patents filed globally.  Of that, 70% came from China. It also holds the majority of the world’s trademarks. Not shabby China. Not shabby at all.

In addition, women account for 17.7% of the inventors as indicated on the patent applications, up from 10.9% in 2009. Most of their inventions pertain to the biotechnology and food chemistry industries. It's odd then that some countries view women as third class citizens; as being inferior and therefore makes it criminal for them to be educated or try to reach their maximum potential. 

Given the aging population, especially in the West, another question of interest is which countries have the most number of medical doctors per capita. At first blush, you would think the U.S., China, or India given their population density. Well, you’d be wrong. The nation with the most doctors based on percentage of their population is Cuba which has almost 94 doctors per 10,000 residents. In fact, Cuba is very well known for sending its physicians abroad, especially to poor and developing countries.

Sweden has almost 72 doctors per 10 thousand individuals while Belgium has 64. Greece has just over 63 doctors per 10,000 people. Norway has roughly 52. By comparison, Russia has 38 physicians for every 10 thousand. In India, the world’s largest populous country, its only 7.27. It’s 25 in Canada and just slightly better in Mexico with 25.6. In the United States, the number is 35 physicians for every 10 thousand.  Lastly, in Africa it’s mostly under 10 physicians for every 10 thousand with the majority of countries having under 2 doctors per 10 thousand.

As a side note, the U.S. Northeast has the most number of active doctors with New York producing the most. The majority of doctors in the U.S. are White or Asian. The fewest number are Black. Most of the applicates to medical school are foreign born, with most coming from India, Pakistan, the Caribbean, the Philippines, and Mexico.

Finally, the overwhelming majority of doctors come from upper income families. 75% of doctors comes from families whose incomes are in the top 40%, and of those, 30% are from families in the top 5% income bracket! The high cost of a medical degree (and subsequent debt) make it nearly impossible for applicants coming from poor or working class backgrounds----just 5%---to succeed.  Maybe that explains the “God complex” some seem to have.

All of what we’ve discussed so far presupposes one thing---intelligence. So, what countries tend to have the highest IQs? It’s long been said that education is the key to success. However, that’s just one factor. Opportunity and financial means are also critical. However, none of it matters unless you have the intellectual aptitude.

The average IQ score is 100, be it an individual or a nation. These results are only “best guess” averages, extrapolated from a percentage of the population since, after all, you can’t test everyone in a nation! Secondly, since we’re dealing with entire populations, obviously no country will measure as “genius” or “gifted”, but some are certainly above average.

China has the highest overall IQ of any country with a national average of 107.19, which would be pretty decent for an individual. South Korea was second with 106.43, just beating out Japan with 106.40. Surprisingly, Iran was fourth. It’s average was 106.3. Singapore was fifth with an average national IQ of 105.14.

Russia came in sixth with an estimate national IQ of 103.16. Mongolia, Armenia, and Australia were nearly tied at 102.86, 102.58, and 102.57 respectively. Canada was 101.65 while Thailand’s average IQ was 101.52. Luxembourg had the global average IQ of 100, followed closely by Iceland at 99.99.

Vietnam’s national IQ average was 100.12. Greece was 100.07. The United States came in 30^th place with a national IQ of 99.74, just barely beating out Czechia which had an estimate national IQ of 99.73. The UK’s was 99.68. Germany’s average IQ was 99.64. As an aside, the national IQ for France was 101.42, putting them in 17^th place (yes, we got beat by the French!). Mexico's was 95.52.

The highest estimated IQ in the Middle East belongs to Lebanon with 99.39, putting them in 37^th. Israel was next, in 45^th place, with an average IQ of 99.07, tying Turkey. Other Middle Eastern countries were the UAE with an average of 96.8. India was 99.08. Egypt’s average national IQ was 97.21, Kuwait was 95.02, and Algeria had an estimated IQ of 97.01.

Among the nations of South and Central America, Uruguay’s and Ecuador’s national IQs were near identical at 95.01 and 95.00 respectively. Chile’s was 95.38. Argentina’s IQ was an estimated 94.39 and Brazil’s was 92.92 with an IQ of 93.17 for Columbia. 

In Africa, South Africa had the highest with an estimated national average of 94.11. Kenya ‘s IQ was 91.22. Zimbabwe was 90.21 compared to Ghana with 90.25. The Ivory Coast was 88.42, Senegal’s average national IQ was 88.27 and the Congo was 88.01. Angola’s estimated national IQ was 85.33, and in last place at 126 was Gabon, whose average IQ was 85.08. The average IQ for a sub-Saharan African is 80.

It should be mentioned too that overall, IQ scores worldwide have been on the decline, reversing a trend of rising scores throughout much of the 20^th century thanks to better nutrition and healthcare, more access to schools, quality education (and discipline) better qualified teachers, and generally secure environments needed to foster learning. This decline (known as the “Reverse Flynn Effect”) first started appearing in the late 1970’s and accelerated in the 1990’s.

The most notable regions of decline has been in Scandinavia, which had long been noted for producing a highly intelligent population. The UK, France, and the United States has also seen a decline in IQ scores. Latin America has remained largely stable while Africa has seen some improvements. Asia, on the other hand, has experienced stable IQ scores or in some cases, a significant rise.

Studies have shown that the decline in IQ scores have been most prevalent in the areas of mathematics, logic, and verbal reasoning. The significance of this is that these are the very areas needed for an advanced technological society as well as in medicinal research. Spatial reasoning, however, has actually improved. Could that be from playing so many video games?

It should come as no surprise that Asia’s dominance in academic testing and it’s rising IQ scores correspond to its growing dominance economically, especially in the areas of AI, technology, and communications. If the West is to remain competitive, it must reverse this trend by demanding academic excellence from its schools, including restoring discipline in the classroom and an emphasis on academic rigor. Excuses will no longer cut it. Additionally, we must accept that not every job requires a college degree. Most only need individuals who had 12 years to master the basics. Trades schools are another area seriously lacking our attention despite high demand, good pay, and low debt.  

Countries like South Africa and Iran have made serious social blunders while Europe is caught in an ever tightening spiral downward thanks to political weakness (that can be said of Canada as well). Africa has the resources but it lacks the infrastructure and leadership thanks to petty graft and prejudices.  Latin America has the potential, but does it have the will? That remains to be seen. In the interim, it appears that the Sun is rising ever higher in the East.  

 

 Thank you for reading "Another Opinion", the Op/Ed blog page for the "militant middle".  Here at "A/O" we truly value our readers. At A/O we seek the facts as they exist, not partisan talking points.  We hope you find our articles informative and engaging. Comments are welcome, provided they are not vulgar, insulting or demeaning.  Another Opinion is offered without charge and is directed toward all independent and free-thinking individuals. We ask, however, that you "like" us on whatever platform you found us on in order to keep our articles available for free to others. Lastly, in order to keep costs down, we depend on passive marketing, and therefore, depend on our readers to please forward our posts along. Below you will find links to the sources we used in writing this article. Thank you. 

 

Nobel Prize by Country 2025

https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/nobel-prizes-by-country

 

Patents by Country 2025

https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/patents-by-country

 

 

Here’s the top 10 countries who filed the most patents globally

https://www.patentrenewal.com/post/herere-the-top-10-countries-who-filed-the-most-patents-globally

 

 

AI Patents by Country Revealed: The Top 15 Countries Dominating the 2025 Landscape

https://arapackelaw.com/patents/ai-patents-by-country/

 

Doctors per Capita by Country 2025

https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/doctors-per-capita-by-country

 

 

Average IQ by Country (2025 Update)

https://www.thecaliforniacourier.com/average-iq-by-country-2025-update/

 

 

American IQ Scores Have Rapidly Dropped, Proving the ‘Reverse Flynn Effect’

https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/a43469569/american-iq-scores-decline-reverse-flynn-effect/

 

American IQs rose 30 points in the last century.  Now they may be falling

https://thehill.com/policy/technology/3922608-american-iqs-rose-30-points-in-the-last-century-now-they-may-be-falling/

Education in America: Sowing the Winds of Our Future

Here in the United States, Labor Day marks the “official” end of summer, although you’d hardly notice. The public pools are closed. The leaves on trees gradually turn their vibrant reds, yellows, and oranges. There’s the faint crunch of the few which have already fallen; soon to be a chorus in just a few more months. The nights are becoming a little cooler and rain is becoming a little more frequent than before. You occasionally have to pause to decide whether you need a jacket, but the warmth summer’s days remains, at least for now.

Labor Day is when states, especially in the South, have their state capstone fairs with venders hawking their wares and rides from practically everywhere. You can sign up to get your blood pressure tested, a mammogram, buy shoe inserts, and buy new gutters all within just a few feet of each other.

 It’s where you’ll find an abundance of friendly (mostly) competition for the best porch whistlers, dancers, cake bakers, quiltmakers, best quality livestock, and where hundreds will come out to watch the well-heeled bid phenomenal amounts of money for best cured ham…all for charity of course (the top ham sold for $10 million dollars this year).  Communities have the first of their local craft and art fairs. But for many Labor Day weekend means just one thing---the end of summer vacation and the start of a new school year which is the subject of this week’s article.  

Education is typically the best barometer to measure a nation’s future potential, after all, the students they graduate are the nation’s economic, technological, political, and cultural future. They are the ones who will develop the newest medicines, the next generation in technology, our new engineers, and will be the makers and enforcers of laws. Many say this represents the new battleground for global domination. So, how does America rank?

When determining where a country ranks, be in education, military spending, medical care, and so forth, they are measure against a bar  or standard. This “standard” is the average of 38 members of  the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (aka the “OECD”). The OCED, which is comprised of developed or “first tier” nations, who work together to promote economic growth and cooperation, sustainability, establish standards, and common policies.

According to OCED, Luxembourg, Norway, and the United States spend the most money per student of any nation (in that order) along with South Korea and Switzerland (especially at the secondary school level).  In terms of percentage of their Gross National Product (“GDP”), top honors go to the Marshall Islands and the nations of Oceania, followed by the U.S., France, and Austria.

U.S. protectorate of American Samoa for instance spends 14.7% of its GDP on education.  Compare that to Cuba, which is one of the few countries with a near 100% literacy rate, which spends about 9.4% of its GDP on education or Sweden, which ranks near to top in nearly every positive measure. It spends approximately 7.6% (the same as Bolivia) while the nation of Batswana spends roughly 8.1%.

As an aside, the World Population Review, which uses a slightly different set of metrics, have some different, albeit similar numbers. According to the WPR, the United States spends 5.4% on education in general while it’s neighbors, Canada and Mexico, spend 4.1% and 4.2% respectively. America’s top economic competitor, China, spends 4% while Russia invests 4.1% on education. Germany spends 4.5% while France does a bit better at 5.4%.

Who then spends the most on the nation’s education? The African nation of Namibia spends a whooping 9% of its GDP on education. Neighboring Botswana invests 8.!%. Bolivia and Sweden both spend 7.6% on education. Iran only spend 2.9% on education, but then again, they only educate half of their population. India invests 4.1% on its future. The tiny nation of Bhutan spends 5.8%. Turkey invests just 2.9% in its future compared to 3.2% for Japan and 5.8 for the mini-nation of Tajikistan.

Pew Research posted a report in April of 2024 which showed that the U.S. was 28^th out the 37 OCED countries. Japan was the highest along with several other Asian countries placing near the top along with Finland. The lowest score went to Columbia. In science, the U.S. place 12^th out of the 37 OCED nations tested. Again, Japan ranked first while Mexico was last.

However, a more recent study from May 2025 conducted by Data Panda, indicates that the Iceland has the best educational system in the world. It’s followed by Germany, Norway, and the United Kingdom. Next in line was Denmark in fifth place. New Zealand and Finland were tied for sixth. Then came Switzerland, Sweden and Australia were tied. The U.S. was 15^th,  just behind the island nation of Palau and ahead of Canada. Hong Kong was 18^th.  Ireland was 22^nd. Singapore and Austria were tied for 30^th while Japan was 35^th.

Another test from 2025, based on OCED scores, showed that in terms of literacy, the U.S. far outperformed the OCED average, 504 to 476. While that’s impressive, drilling a little deeper in the scoring indicated that while 14% of those tested outperformed the average, they were a majority of White students while the balance, mostly minority students, significantly underperformed with strong indications that they may require remedial instruction.

In terms of math and science, which are essential for medical and technological innovation and advancement (part of the “STEM” or science, technology, engineering, and mathematics curriculum), the U.S. seriously underperformed. 465 to the OCED average of 472, with several Asian and European nations far out scoring the American students. Once again, the scores reveled major failures among 15^th years, especially minorities with over 1/3 being underperformers and just 7% representing top scorers.

 Once again, Asia had the top academic performers. It was noted that this may be indictive of a potential decline in America’s leadership in the area of technology and related fields unless immediate and significant improvements in the educational system aren’t made.

In terms of science, the U.S. did a bit better. The U.S. was 16^th of the 37 national participants, scoring 499 against the OCED average of 485. Asia nations, including Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Macau, made up the majority of those outperforming nations. However, while the U.S. did well, it was due primarily to just 11% of its top scoring students while 22% did poorly.

It's also worth nothing that in terms of the best educated populations, Ireland has the highest number of individuals was a bachelor’s degree based on percentage of population at 54.4%. Switzerland and Singapore are next with 45.6% and 45% respectively. Belgium and the UK complete the top five with 44.1% and 43.5%. The United States is 12^th with 40% and just beating out Australia with 39.8%.  

Of the Middle East, Israel ranks the highest with 39.7%. Argentina, Chile, and Brazil are the top three in South America with 23.7%, 22.9%, and 21.5% respectively. China and India are among the lowest with 6.9% and 14.2%. There were no African countries out of the top 36 nations.

What does all this mean? The United States ranks third globally in what it spends per student, however, we’re toward the middle of the pack when it comes what we spend on education in general based on our GDP. In terms of what we are getting for our money is definitely no bargain. In terms of math scores, are well below average. Our collective science scores are good, but not great. With regards to literacy (reading and comprehension), we are doing well.

The problem, however, is that our achievements overall aren’t evenly distributed. It seems that where we we’re doing well is reliant on primarily private schools and a white student population. Meanwhile, public schools are generally underperforming, especially in schools where the majority student population are comprised of minorities.   

This is particularly a problem in terms of the future as the high achieving White student population continues to shrink and America heads for “majority minority” status. Our current immigration is only making matters worse more quickly with new immigrates coming from countries with a history of underperforming academics. 46% of arriving adults have no education beyond high school---if that! Only around 41% have a bachelor’s degree while few are certified in the trades.

Additionally, those from Latin America and Africa are less likely to possess a high school degree or equivalent whereas those from Europe, Asia, and Oceania are more likely to possess at least a bachelor’s degree. Those entering with a technical or trade certification face stringent hurdles to get their credentials approved which, given the critical shortage of plumbers, electricians, and so forth, needs to change.

Lastly, unless something is done now, such as changing our focus on immigration and focus our school curriculums more on STEM courses and less on “sports” and low/no demand degrees, we are likely to lose our lead in the sciences, medicine, and technology, making increasingly dependent on other nations, particularly in Asia, or to put it another way, we will reap what we’ve sown.

 

Thank you for reading "Another Opinion", the Op/Ed blog page for the "militant middle".  Here at "A/O" we truly value our readers. At A/O we seek the facts as they exist, not partisan talking points.  We hope you find our articles informative and engaging. Comments are welcome, provided they are not vulgar, insulting or demeaning.  Another Opinion is offered without charge and is directed toward all independent and free-thinking individuals. We ask, however, that you "like" us on whatever platform you found us on in order to keep our articles available for free to others. Lastly, in order to keep costs down, we depend on passive marketing, and therefore, depend on our readers to please forward our posts along. Below you will find links to the sources we used in writing this article. Thank you. 

 

OCED

WPR: Education Spending By Country 2025

Data Panda: Education Rankings By Country

U.S. Education Rankings: Global Comparison Performance

 

Charted: The World’s Educated Countries

 

 

 

Freedom and Democracy: How Do They Stack Up Globally?

We’ve all heard that America is the home of democracy. The land of free and home of the brave. We hear it every time our National Anthem is sung. There’s few things which make us feel more secure and proud than watching Old Glory gently blowing in the breeze on a sunny day or watching a military parade rolls down the street. While there’s no questioning our military strength or the dedication of our men and women in uniform, have you ever wondered just how free we really are?

America was founded on the concept of individual freedom. We took on the world’s greatest superpower of the time over freedom and the notion of issues like taxation without proper representation, and yet here we are, some 250 years, and our Founding Fathers wouldn’t recognize the nation they fought to hard to create.

Most of our freedoms, even the most basic ones likes speech, expression, or right to bear arms are challenged on a daily basis And what about taxation without representation, the core reason we fought the British? How often do you get to vote on a tax or rate increase? Many of these are decided by some appointed committee, not by anyone you voted for. Some have built-in increases that don’t even require public debate.

 Partisan political primaries are taxpayer funded by state legislation. But what if you don’t belong to one of the two corporate owned and controlled political parties? Well, too bad.  Independents, who are the nation’s largest political bloc, and people who’ve joined a third party for whatever reason, are still required to pay for the Democratic and Republican primaries, and it gets worse.

While they are involuntarily taxed, they are legally prohibited from participating in their primaries (as an aside third party primaries are strictly self-funded. No taxpayer support)  Fair? No. Legal? Questionable. Democratic? Hardly. In keeping with the founding tradition of “no taxation without representation”? Hell no! So, I can almost hear you ask “well, if you don’t like it, why don’t you just vote them out?”. That’s a great question. Very logical, but the answer is, sadly, not quite so clear cut.

The reason is that both parties, in the spirit of bipartisanship (some might call it “collusion”) have made it nearly impossible for them to be voted out of office. Briefly, the 2010 Citizens United and the 2014 McCutcheon rulings, declared that corporations, which are actually artificial legal fictions, are now “people” with the same rights as ordinary flesh and blood humans, with one key exception, and that concerns “free speech”.

According to the (un)Supreme Court, declared that money is now the same as “free speech”.  And while we are free to voice our opinions via donations to political campaigns, we are capped in what we can give. Corporations, on the other hand, are not. Apparently they have more “free speech” than you or me, and that means more influence.  They can give essentially as much as they want (not that we have a spare $10 million laying around to give to some candidate). As a result, they finance not just campaigns and political parties but also fund so-called “leadership funds” (which are basically political “slush funds”), and through various legal loopholes run commercials and ads on behalf of a candidate or issue supported by that candidate. Independents and third parties typically don’t get a dime.

Through state legislation, unequal ballot access is the norm. That means there are one set of rules and requirements for Independents and third parties and another set for the two corporate owned parties. They don’t even have their own election representative to protect their interests! As a rule, they are lumped in with whichever party has the smallest voter numbers and forgotten.

Other issues, such a partisan gerrymandering all but guarantees control of a district by the majority party. It allows districts to be drawn to ensure they retain control of it. It’s a case of a party choosing the voters instead of voters choosing their representatives. This is why gerrymandered districts have reelection rates in the high 90% range.

Also, despite approval ratings in the upper 20% or low 30% range (and occasionally as low as 9%), Congress has a reelection rate of 97%. Do you think that’s by coincidence?  Corporate lobbyists help write (or write altogether) legislation as well as review bills, provide summaries, and so forth. Do you think any of this is for our benefit? Don’t bet on it.  So, I will again ask you, do you think we are free? How do compare with the rest of the world?

According to the 2024 “Freedom Index”, published by the CATO Institute, the freest country in the world in terms of personal and economic freedom, is Switzerland, followed by New Zealand and Denmark. The next three are Luxembourg, Ireland, and Finland. Seventh place is a three way tie between Australia, Iceland, and Sweden. Then comes Estonia, Canada, and Japan. Rounding out the top 15 economically and personally freest nations are Norway, Germany, and the Czech Republic.

Did you notice anything particular here? Who is missing? That’s right, the United States. We are not only not in the top five, we’re not in the top ten or even the top 15! What the hell? If we’re supposed to be the “home of the free”, why is nobody at home? Where are we?

Before getting to the U.S., I’d like to mention that according to the Freedom Index, of the top 15 freest country, the index points out that 13 of those 15 countries have seen a decline in their ratings. Just two saw improvements. The nation which has seen the greatest loss of personal and economic freedom was the Czech Republic with Finland and Canada close behind. Only Japan and Denmark have both experienced slight improvements at 0.07 and 0.02 respectively in personal and economic freedom.

As for the United States, we ranked 17^th of the 165 countries on the Freedom Index. For the record, Mexico was 94^th overall. India was 110^th. Russia was 139^th. Taiwan was 19^th. Brazil was 70^th, South Korea was 32^nd, and China was 150^th. The freest regions were North America, Western Europe, and Oceania. The least freest was the Middle East, Northern and Sub Saharan Africa, and South Asia. In terms of freedom for women, the top regions were North America, Western Europe, and East Asia. The worst areas for women were the Middle East, Northern and Sub Saharan  Africa, and South Asia.

When it comes to democracy, representative governments, political participation, civil liberties, and electoral pluralism, we need to turn to the Democracy Index compiled by the Economic Intelligence Unit of The Economist publication. They looked at various factors, such as to those just mentioned,  to determine just how effective the political system is in a given country. Countries were ranked as “Full Democracies” (10.00 – 8.99), “Flawed Democracies” (7.99 – 6.99), “Mixed” (5.99 – 4.99) and “Authoritarian” (3.99 - .99).

The chart rates each of the 165 countries surveyed on a scale of 0 to 10 with zero being the most authoritarian and ten being the most democratic. At the top of the list are Norway (9.81), New Zealand (9.61), Sweden (9.39), Iceland (9.38). and Switzerland (9.32) rounding out the top five democratic countries in the world.

These were followed by Finland (9.3), Ireland (9.19), Netherlands (9.0), Luxembourg (8.98), and Australia (8.85) finishing the top ten. Honorable mention goes to Taiwan (8.78), Germany (8.73), Canada (8.69), and finally Uruguay (8.67).  

As for the United States, we are ranked 28^th of the 165 surveyed with a democracy rating 7.85. Again, not a real good selling point as the “home of the free”. In fact, the U.S. is actually listed as a “flawed democracy” and may be teetering on becoming a failing democracy.  Some of the main reasons for why are mentioned at the beginning of this article.

In fact, countries like Costa Rica (8.29), Mauritius (8.23), Estonia (8.13), and Malta (7.93) are more democratic than the United States. As if that’s not bad enough, we barely beat out Chile (7.83) and Slovenia (7.82). That’s not good people. Of course, there’s nothing wrong or negative about these countries. In fact, good on them for doing a great job representing their people. However, the United States can and should be doing a much better job serving the people and not on Wall Street executives.

Out of curiosity, I wanted to know what the least democratic nations on the planet were so that I could go ahead and mark them off any future itineraries should the occasion arise. Liberia was 5.57. Mexico was 5.32.  Palestine (West Bank) has a rating of 3.44, while Nepal was 4.6 (so much for Buddhist enlightenment). The North African nations of Morocco,  Tunisia, and Algeria  were 4.97, 4.71, and 3.55 respectively. Egypt was 2.79. The Democratic Republic of the Congo was 1.78, making it sound neither democratic or a republic.  

Saudi Arabia, a Sunni monarchy, was only 2.08. Yemen, home of the Houthi which keeps attacking Israel amid its claims of Israeli brutality in Gaza, has a 1.95 on the Democracy Index. Syria, which is still dealing with a civil war, was 1.32. Iran, an Islamic theocracy, was 1.96. Iraq was only a little better at 2.8. Jordan, another Sunni kingdom, was 3.28. Kuwait, also a Sunni monarchy, where we fought a war to liberate Kuwaiti oil under the guise of “restoring democracy”, has democracy rating of 2.78. South Africa was 7.16 and India was 7.29.

 Turkey, whose government is secular despite a 98% majority Muslim population, was a notable 4.6. The highest rated nation in the region was, not unexpectedly, Israel, the only parliamentarian democracy in the region. It’s democracy rating was 7.8 (remember, America’s was just 7.85). Russia was 2.03 while China was 2.11. Ukraine was 4.9 and Belarus was 1.99.  However, the worst places to be if you’re looking a democratic government were the Central African Republic (1.18), North Korea (1.08), Myanmar (0.96) and Afghanistan (0.25).

Finally, in terms of regions, Africa was 3.92 overall. Asia was 4.06. North America was 5.64. South America was 6.01. Europe was 7.41 and Oceania was rated 7.46. The Middle East as a region wasn’t specifically mentioned, but averaging the numbers would be approximately 2.11 (excluding Israel) on the Democracy Index.

Additionally, did you know that there are only 25 “full democracies” in the world today? There are 46 “flawed democracies” (of which the U.S. is one), 36 so-called “hybrid” governments or that global democracy had been declining for 19 years straight?  Just 20% of the world lives in a “free country”. 42% live in a “partly free” nation, and 38% live under some form of authoritarianism, all according to the Freedom House.

It’s bears mentioning that most of the nations facing the worse influx from migration from countries with little or no tradition of freedom or democratic governments are the ones highest on both the Freedom Index and the Democracy Index lists. This begs the question of what happens when a country or region with a history of personal liberty and economic freedom is overrun by peoples with a history and culture based on oppression?

Well, historically speaking, the latter will almost always win out unless the former has the will to either enforce assimilation through regulation and legislation or expels the latte by whatever means necessary. If you’re looking to create a society of compliance and blind obedience, then you do exactly what the West is doing now. There is no middle ground.

Thank you for reading "Another Opinion", the Op/Ed blog page for the "militant middle".  Here at "A/O" we truly value our readers. At A/O we seek the facts as they exist, not partisan talking points.  We hope you find our articles informative and engaging. Comments are welcome, provided they are not vulgar, insulting or demeaning.  Another Opinion is offered without charge and is directed toward all independent and free-thinking individuals. We ask, however, that you "like" us on whatever platform you found us on in order to keep our articles available for free to others. Lastly, in order to keep costs down, we depend on passive marketing, and therefore, depend on our readers to please forward our posts along. Below you will find links to the sources we used in writing this article. Thank you. 

 

Human Freedom Index

Democracy Index

Freedom House: Marking 50 Years in the Struggle ForDemocracy

Never Trumpers? Not Quite: What the World Thinks About America and Trump

 In 2016, the liberal left governments of the world were stunned as Hillary Clinton, the Democratic heir apparent to Barack Obama, was forced to conceded her candidacy for president. How was this possible, that a brash businessman and political outsider had denied Hillary her long awaited “coronation”  that the Left believed was all but inevitable?

For the next four years, Donald Trump proceed to dismantle the Status Quo. Nothing and no one was safe. Even the “Deep State’s” hold on government was threatened. Few of Americas allies and trading partners felt safe. Even military alliances felt threatened as Trump began demanding that allies start picking up more of the costs for their own defense.

Up to then, the burden fell largely on the United States while they redirected money to their economies. Then came the 2020 election, and the Status Quo was back in power, and their nightmare was over.  It was time to restore order. But that wasn’t all that happened, the 2020 election displayed for the world to see just how deeply divided Americans were.

To make matters worse, it showed the extent the Status Quo was willing to go to retain its power by propping up a man in obvious mental decline and expecting everyone to play along. This was “The emperor has no clothes” writ large for all the world to see. Confidence in American was now in a freefall.

 President Biden’s approval rating  averaged just 42%. His Vice President, Kamala Harris, was polled as the worse VP in U.S. history (and then the Democratic Party had audacity to put her up as their presidential nominee!). By the time Biden and Harris left office, America’s allies and trading partners had serious concerns. It seemed that nearly everyone was talking about America’s power in the past tense.

We left Afghanistan, after 20 years of war, worse off than when we arrived. Iraq wasn’t doing so great either, and our regional “arch-nemesis”, Iran and all its “baby vipers” like Hamas, Al Qaeda, ISIS, and Hezbollah, were feeling more emboldened than ever. China was now viewed as the new world economic superpower, and it wasn’t being shy backing it up. Not since WWII has nations in the Pacific felt so endangered.

We found ourselves butt deep in the shenanigans that triggered the war between Ukraine and Russia and even threatened the integrity of NATO over promises and deals which should never had been made.  Illegal immigration was out of control and our politicians lacked the will to stop it. But, as the expression goes, “history doesn’t often repeat, but it does rhyme”.

On November 7, 2024, Donald Trump accomplished what few---here at home or overseas--- thought was possible. He defeated the “swamp”, despite years of attempts to financially break him, attacking him and his supporters criminally, and constant political propaganda by the “impartial” mainstream media (cue sinical laughter). They even literally tried to assassinate him.  In Europe as well as Asia, Latin America, and Africa, friend and foe alike did their best to villainize  or humiliate him or anyone who openly supported “The Donald”.

It’s been written by biblical scholars that God would often consigned his chosen prophets to the desert wilderness, to be scourged by the blistering hot winds and sand, the blazing sun, the barren landscape, and constant thirst in order to prepare them for their chosen task ahead.

While no one (especially me) is claiming that Trump has been chosen by any other deity for anything, there’s no question that he has been purged of any doubts or illusions about who he is up against or what it will take to defeat an oligarchy which has destroyed the Republic and substituted in its place, a neo-fascist corporatocracy.  Perhaps more importantly, it has shown who has Trump’s back, both individually and globally.  So, where does the world stand?

Let’s start with Europe, which has traditionally been the focus of our interests for over 200 years. We were settled by Europeans and our country was founded on the ideals of the European Enlightenment and on the model of ancient Rome and Greece.  

Twice now we’ve bailed Europe out of two devastating world wars. We left some of our bravest behind, buried in European soil. Through the Marshall Plan, we invested billions to help raise the continent up from the ashes in which it found itself. We were also instrumental in saving western Europe from the clutches of communist tyranny. We’ve been there ever since, forging close partnerships politically, economically, and militarily.

According to a Visual Capitalist survey from January 2025,  40% Europeans generally are undecided about Trump’s second bite at the presidential apple (a Pew poll shows a 31% approval rating for Trump). While 38% see Trump’s presidency as a potential disaster of global proportions and 22% believe that it may herald in a new American “golden age” which could affect the world. Compare those numbers with that of President Obama where 53% had a positive opinion about him.

The UK is among those with a low opinion of Trump. Despite being our closest ally, 54% disapprove President Trump. 31% are on the fence and just 15% support Trump. As an aside, approval for Trump in Canada is a chilly 28% while the Aussie’s 35% positive rating.

In Germany, Trump’s confidence level is just 13% with 85% having low or no confidence in him. In Sweden it’s 81% no confidence. France and Spain both give Trump a thumb’s down with a negative 78% each. The Dutch and Greeks have only 25% approval rating for Trump. Among the Swiss, 44% are undecided while 23% like Trump, but 34% don’t.

The only place in Europe where Trump actually received positive numbers was in Poland with a 51% confidence level and Ukraine (which is heavily dependent on the U.S. for aid) which gave Trump an approval rating of 44%.  Still, 37% of Ukrainians had no confidence in Trump. As for Russia, 67% had a negative opinion about Trump with only 20% having a positive view of him.

Turning to Asia, only India and the Philippines had a positive impression on “The Donald”. In India it was 56% while in the Philippines that number was 77%. In South Korea, which is heavily dependent on U.S. military support, Trump’s confidence level was 46% with 52% have a negative opinion. In Japan, another country which depends heavily on the U.S., just 36% are confident in Trump and 61% aren’t. Lastly, in Indonesia, polling shows a 30% positive confidence level for Trump and a 40% negative.

In looking at Africa and the Middle East, our main ally, Israel has 71% approval rating of Trump. Israel’s neighbor, Lebanon, things were different. 67% voiced no confidence in Trump.  Nigeria, and Kenya do as well with a  58% and 65% positive approval respectively, whereas Turkey, a key NATO and EU ally, has an 84% negative level of confidence in President Trump. In Tunisia, just 12% said they had trust in Trump (75% didn’t).

In looking at three of the largest economies in Latin America, 89% of Mexicans reported no confidence in Trump (much of that, no doubt, coming from his crackdown on illegal immigration). Only 8% said they could trust Trump. In Brazil, President Trump’s positive confidence level was only 28%. 60% said “no”. Meanwhile, in Argentina, it was worse. 69% turned down Trump. 28% said “si”. It bears mentioning, that of the last five U.S. Presidents, Obama has had the highest global approval rating. First term Trump was the lowest.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone that those on the political Right had the highest levels of confidence in President Trump. In Israel it was 86%. 55% in Australia and 50% in Italy. In Hungary, Trump polled a 57% positive rating. It was 58% among conservatives in South Korea. Among the Poles, it was a plus 61% for Trump.

Interestingly, however, among the Dutch and Spanish Rightwing parties, Trump’s numbers weren’t that high. Just 35% of conservative Dutch approved of Trump while 31% of the Spanish conservatives did. Conservative Germans had only a 21% positive opinion of him while it was just 21% among conservative Argentinians.

Looking at another poll, this one done by the European Council on Foreign Affairs, the question was posed as to whether Trump was a good thing for the American People, 69% of those surveyed in Saudi Arabia said “yes”. So did 50% in China, 59% in Russia, and 85% in India. Ukraine and Indonesia weren’t so sure. Just 37% of Ukrainians said “yes: as did 38% of those in Indonesia.

Interestingly, when it came to Europe in general, only 34% of those polled thought that President Trump would be a good thing for Americans in general. England polled the lowest with only 24%.

The same poll also showed that 75% of Indians felt that Trump’s reelection was going to be good for the world in general. However, from there the numbers quickly drop. Just 49% of those surveyed in Saudi Arabia agreed as did only 35% of Russians. In China it was 34% and 29% in Turkey.

Once again, Europeans displayed their low opinion of “The Donald”. 22% saw Trump’s second term as positive for the world. 15% of the English agreed with 50% a hard “no”. However, a paltry 13% of South Koreans were looking forward to Trump 2.0. It bears mentioning that 48% weren’t sure. 15% were sure…that Trump needs to go.

In a related poll, this one from June 2024 by Pew, respondents in 34 countries were asked their overall opinion of the United States. In general, 54% had a positive view of U.S. while 31% held a negative opinion. In looking at those with the highest opinions of the U.S., Poland had the highest with 86%. Ghana and Kenya were tied with 78%. They were closely followed with Israel, South Korea, and Thailand with 77% each.

In looking at the countries with the highest negative opinion of America, we have Tunisia with 87%. Our NATO partner, Turkey, was second with a 77% negative view of the U.S. Malaysia had a 65% negative opinion of the U.S. followed by Australia at 60% and Singapore showing a 50% negative opinion of the United States.  As an aside, just one in five Europeans regard America as an ally.

There’s no question that Donald Trump is a polarizing figure. Most people, whether here in the U.S. or abroad, either like him or hate him. There are very few in the middle or with no opinion. With America’s influence waning, confidence in the American Presidency could have a serious impact on global relations no matter how much saber rattling there is. In the high stakes game of global politics, the only thing worse than being disliked is being ignored like Trump's predecessor was. 

Trump has proven to be an excellent business negotiator despite (or because of) his bravado and unpredictability. That’s good for America. But in our highly integrated world, success has to be viewed from a position of a mutual win for all concerned. Furthermore, we have to accept that we are no longer the “big dog” on the block. Might alone doesn't make right. We sometimes have to allow others their time in the sun. Is Trump capable of that? I don’t know. Only time will tell.

 

Thank you for reading "Another Opinion", the Op/Ed blog page for the "militant middle".  Here at "A/O" we truly value our readers. At A/O we seek the facts as they exist, not partisan talking points.  We hope you find our articles informative and engaging. Comments are welcome, provided they are not vulgar, insulting or demeaning.  Another Opinion is offered without charge and is directed toward all independent and free-thinking individuals. We ask, however, that you "like" us on whatever platform you found us on in order to keep our articles available for free to others. Lastly, in order to keep costs down, we depend on passive marketing, and therefore, depend on our readers to please forward our posts along. Below you will find links to the sources we used in writing this article. Thank you. 

 

Europe’s Concern Over Trump Isn’t a Universal Opinion

What People Around the World Like and Dislike --- About theAmerican Society and Politics

In a new poll, Europeans express little faith in America’sfuture influence

Why is the World Betting Against American Democracy?

Alone in a Trumpian World: The EU and global public opinionafter the US elections

Pew: Views of the U.S.

 

Finding Happiness in a "Brave New World"

Are you happy?  Most people would shrug their shoulders and say something like "I guess so" which isn't really much of an answer.  But for most people, the question needs to be qualified in order to give you a more honest answer. For instance, are you talking about my finances, my work situation, my home life, and so forth?

It would also be relative as to your situation at the particular moment.  As an example, you could say you're not real happy with your work situation, but then you suddenly get a promotion with more pay, and suddenly you're one contended clam. You could have cancer and feeling pretty depressed. Then, out of the blue, you get some news that reports a potential cure and your depression almost instantly goes to euphoria.

Nevertheless, to answer properly someone question about happiness, we need to take into consideration the topic and timing. Well, the World Happiness Report is published in partnership with Gallup, The UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, Oxford Wellbeing Research Centre, and the WHR Editorial Board, decided they were going to poll the globe to find out.

The report, which is published annually, looks at number of wide ranging factors including age demographics, opportunities, health, population, GDP, political satisfaction, degree of freedom, and environment. So, without further adieu, let's see who's the happiest in the world and who isn't!

Starting with the overall score, Norway came in the fifth spot. In fourth place was Sweden. Third place went to Iceland while second went to Denmark. As for the top spot, that went to Finland...again! In case you didn't notice, but all five overall are Nordic, which isn't unusual. Scandinavia is typically ranked in the top ten when it comes to the best educated, best healthcare system, and best government (strictly based on personal opinion obviously).

When the list is expanded, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Switzerland, New Zealand  and Australia round out the top ten. Notice who's missing? Yelp. The United States didn't fare to well. In fact, for the first time ever, the U.S. fell from the top tier and landed in the 23rd spot, just ahead of Germany in 24th.  The countries just ahead of included Czechia (18th), Lithuania (19th), the UK (20th) and Slovenia holding down the 21st spot.

It's worth noting the bottom third worst countries to live in are mostly in Africa, although Afghanistan is dead last in the 143rd position (Lebanon is just above it at 142),  With the bottom third being the worst places to live in terms of happiness (not to mention economics and opportunities), it's no wonder that Europe is overrun with "migrants"  mostly from Africa. Unfortunately, most appear to be looking for four star rated accommodations and other freebies rather than a job.

In examining our drop, the report says that among those 30 and under, the U.S. ranked a pitiful 62 place. But for those over 60, the survey said the tenth place was all ours (as an aside, the 30 and under crowd are the Millennials and Gen Z while those 60 and up are mostly Babyboomers and some Gen X.  It also includes those of the Silent Generation and the Greatest Generation).  

Before going any further, I need to break up these groups by date. The Greatest Generation (WWII) comprises anyone born before 1927. The Silent Generation is 1928 - 1945. Babyboomers are 1946 - 1964. Gen X is 1965 - 1980. Gen Y/Millennials 1981 - 1996 . Gen Z is 1997 - 2012 and Gen Alpha is 2013 - ?.

It should be mentioned that among Millennials and Gen Z, political party registration is its lowest and dropping.  Among Millennials, Republicans make up barely 21% of registered voters. Democrats are 27% while Independents are a whopping 52% and growing. Among Gen Z, it's not much different. Republicans are only 17%. Democrats are 31%, and Independents are again 52% and continuing to grow.

When we look at Gen X, Republicans make up 30% compared to Democrats at 27%. However, Independents are 44%. Among Boomers (that's me), Republicans are 35%, Independents are 33%, and Democrats are a close 32%. The Silent Generation is the Republicans core voter group. The GOP makes up 39% while Democrats take up 35% and Independents are 26%. As an aside.

The "World Happiness Report" would seem to back this up as it says those under 30 are increasingly unhappy about pretty much everything, but especially the economy, the environment, and corporate control of politics.

Another way to look at how the percentages by generation will affect voting and the economy is based on generational preference for capitalism (our current system) and some form of socialism (likely similar to the top ranking happy Scandinavians).  The Silent Generation overwhelmingly back capitalism with 77% in favor. The balance is equally split between socialism and no preference.

Baby Boomers like their capitalism too (despite their Che posters). 60% back capitalism. 16% like socialism, while 10% are too high to care. When it comes to Gen X, we start to see a shift. While capitalism still wins out 39%, 14% want socialism. Significantly 22% don't care. When we get into Millennials, the shift becomes a little more noticeable.

Among Millennials, 34% like our current capitalist model, although 20% prefer socialism of some type yet 21% are open. Lastly, let's look at Gen Z. Although mostly in their 20's, only 29% support capitalism while a close 28% back socialism and 19% are willing to go either way. So what does that means?

From my take on the numbers, as the Silent and Boomer generations age out, the new power players will be the Millennials and Gen Z. Given the present situation of the United States (such as need to stay on an artificial war economy to get economy going, growth of illegal immigration, slide as a world power, failing infrastructure, etc), I would expect a change away from our current predatory form of capitalism.

In its place, a more managed economy which may include more regulation, especially of critical resources or industries. The biggest change may be the political system. In place to a corporate controlled duopoly, we may find open primaries, easier entry for third party and Independent candidates into election, real campaign finance reform, and term limits. 

While I question whether our southern border will ever again be secure, I expect Spanish to become our second defacto "national" language. (its essentially that already)  The U.S. will start showing concrete signs of balkanizing into racial and ethnic zones. Maybe the "Reconquista" will happen yet.

Gen Z and Gen Alpha may be the last wholly American generation. The U.S. economy may show short lived signs of the dominance it once had, but we will be in stiff competition with countries like India, China, Mexico, and Brazil (all, incidentally, members of the BRICs union). Other similar economic and military unions will form out of necessity in order to compete and defend trade lanes.

For those of us of the Silent, Baby Boomer, and older Gen X generations, the America we grew up in with all its idyllic collective memories  are gone, never to return expect on late night reruns. The Oligarchs are working hard to build a bulwark against what's coming, not for our sake, but for theirs. Their aim is to minimize choices while making it appear choices are abundant; to create a managed political and economic system.

That also entails more surveillance. For instance, while we'll have more electronic goodies than we can imagine, but ultimately you have to wonder who do they serve---us or someone else. Siri and Alexa have already proven they passively listen and store damn near everything. At what point does the illusion of convenience trump  our right to privacy? 

Will our electronic cars take us only to where we're authorized to go based on our credit rating?  We'll also interact less and less with our fellow human beings. We will start replacing flesh and blood relationships with cyber ones. Even our sex partners may come with off/on switches!  

 Our definition of "happiness" will surely have to change to meet changing technology and global demographics. Even "happy" Scandinavia is rapidly changing.  The so-called "migrants" pouring into the country and demanding to be given their free share of prosperity without contributing. I guess when you import the third world, you get the world.  I bet even Aldous Huxley couldn't have predicted this  "Brave New World".

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World's Happiness Report 2024

These are the world's happiest countries in 2024

Finland named the world's happiest country (again) but young people are struggling

Party identification in the United States in 2022, by generation

Millennials,Gen Z Clinging to Independent Party ID

Which U.S.Generation Holds The Most Political Power?

Gen Z willchange capitalism as we know it