http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/02/greatest-threat-world-peace-country_n_4531824.html
QuoteThere's really no way to sugarcoat it: The rest of world believes that the United States is the country that poses the greatest threat to world peace, beating out all challengers by a wide margin.
This is the conclusion of a massive world opinion poll conducted by Win/Gallup International and released at the close of 2013. The poll, which was first conducted in 1977, asked over 66,000 thousand people across 68 countries this year a variety of questions about the world, including which country they would most like to call home, whether or not the world is becoming a generally better place and which country poses the greatest threat to world peace.
The U.S. was voted the biggest threat by far, garnering 24 percent of the vote. Pakistan was a very distant second with 8 percent, followed by China (6 percent) and Afghanistan (5 percent).
Perhaps not surprisingly, Americans had a slightly different view of the international troublemakers, naming Iran the top threat. Yet while Afghanistan garnered the second-most votes among American respondents, they also voted the U.S. among the most threatening nations -- in an unenviable veritable tie for third place with North Korea.
Interestingly, the U.S. was also the country to which people around the world would most like to move, if given the opportunity. Also, close to 50 percent of respondents expressed optimism about the future, reporting that they are more positive about 2014 than they were for 2013.
"Despite an unstable economic situation, our happiness index is extremely high all over the world except in Europe," Jean-Marc Leger, President of WIN/Gallup International Association, said in a statement. "Moreover people think that 2014 will be better than 2013. Optimism is back in the world."
:showoff:
I've got a red white and blue boner.
Europe should turn that frown upside down.
Well it's true.... That isn't to say whether breaking world peace is justified or not but the US is there country most likely to do it
No doubt that of all the countries in the world, the US is more likely than any other to get into any particular conflict. Kind of goes along with being the world policeman.
The entire question relies on a false premise. That there is such a thing as world peace, that there is a way of breaking it (presumably leading to a world war) and that a country must be the greates threat.
This is a form of begging the question. How the hell can a regional power which willing and capable at best of causing some regional disorder be a threat to law, order and good neighborliness on the far side of the world? It can't. Presuming that there must be a Napoleonic France or Wilhemlite Germany or NAZI Germany or Soviet Union means that whoever tops the poll must be just like the NAZIs.
This poll is stupid.
I read your post three times and I still don't get it Puff.
Yes an entire poll is stupid because it has a question you don't like.
Quote from: garbon on January 04, 2014, 09:47:37 AM
Yes an entire poll is stupid because it has a question you don't like.
Vike was trying to defend you guys; he didn't realize you were proud of being #1.
Quote from: Jacob on January 04, 2014, 11:15:44 AM
Quote from: garbon on January 04, 2014, 09:47:37 AM
Yes an entire poll is stupid because it has a question you don't like.
Vike was trying to defend you guys; he didn't realize you were proud of being #1.
Well I think he's right, of course - that there aren't really many others that could aspire to being a world menace as they don't have the reach...and then of course that bit about peace.
Don't think that means the entire poll with all of its questions is worthless.
Quote from: Admiral Yi on January 04, 2014, 03:38:25 AM
I read your post three times and I still don't get it Puff.
It's like asking which languishite is the most like Hannibal Lecter. The question assumes that at least one of us is like hannibal lecter, the implied result of the poll is that the winner is a serial killier or likely to be one.
Grallon already won that one. :P
A country slaughtering its own citizens = peace. A country intervening to stop the slaughter = breaching the peace. :hmm:
I bet if the question was, "What country does the most to promote international peace?", the US would also finish first.
Quote from: alfred russel on January 04, 2014, 03:41:23 PM
I bet if the question was, "What country does the most to promote international peace?", the US would also finish first.
I'd take that bet. :)
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fdasbut.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2010%2F12%2FTryAndStopUs.jpg&hash=79482a8e8c065f88084b63569c9cf7195588e782)
The world doesn't deserve the US.
Quote from: Admiral Yi on January 04, 2014, 07:13:03 PM
The world doesn't deserve the US.
They sure don't. We should withdraw our affection.
Quote from: Barrister on January 04, 2014, 05:08:26 PM
Quote from: alfred russel on January 04, 2014, 03:41:23 PM
I bet if the question was, "What country does the most to promote international peace?", the US would also finish first.
I'd take that bet. :)
If the question was "which do you agree with more: The US is a threat to world peace or The US promotes world peace" I agree we would probably come up short.
However, there are ~200 countries in the world, and we are the only superpower. There are non trivial pockets of pro Americanism in almost every country. If the question is left open ended regarding promoting peace, I think we take the plurality. There isn't an obvious alternative answer for the anti american majority to coalesce around. :P
I have to say something I would never have thought I could say:
I agree with Viking.
World peace? It's never been.
Quote from: Scipio on January 04, 2014, 09:26:51 PM
I have to say something I would never have thought I could say:
I agree with Viking.
World peace? It's never been.
Having a Beard is awesome.
Quote from: Kleves on January 04, 2014, 01:53:46 PM
A country slaughtering its own citizens = peace. A country intervening to stop the slaughter = breaching the peace. :hmm:
Obviously. I mean when I hear 'world peace' I think about wars between states not necessarily what's going on within those states.
QuoteWorld peace? It's never been.
It's also never been better.
The past twenty years or so have been amazing. Probably over a billion lifted out of poverty, a huge decline in war whether civil or inter-state and still increasing life-expectancy.
Edit: Also isn't this a bit 'man bites dog'? I swear this poll happens every year with the same result.
Nobody has been lifted out of poverty. Nobody can ever be lifted out of poverty. If anyone were ever lifted out of poverty, then the organizations that exist to help the poor would lose funding. Therefore, poverty will always exist and be fairly stable.
Why is Israel not the number 1?
Quote from: Siege on January 05, 2014, 08:07:04 PM
Why is Israel not the number 1?
Because Assad just schooled you in mass murder.
Quote from: Siege on January 05, 2014, 08:07:04 PM
Why is Israel not the number 1?
Because the polling wasn't limited to Muslim countries.