Why Israel is the world's happiest country

Asia Times ^ | May 13, 2008 | Spengler

[forkinsocket]

Envy surrounds no country on Earth like the state of Israel, and with good reason: by objective measures, Israel is the happiest nation on Earth at the 60th anniversary of its founding. It is one of the wealthiest, freest and best-educated; and it enjoys a higher life expectancy than Germany or the Netherlands. But most remarkable is that Israelis appear to love life and hate death more than any other nation. If history is made not by rational design but by the demands of the human heart, as I argued last week , the light heart of the Israelis in face of continuous danger is a singularity worthy of a closer look.

Can it be a coincidence that this most ancient of nations [1], and the only nation persuaded that it was summoned into history for God's service, consists of individuals who appear to love life more than any other people? As a simple index of life-preference, I plot the fertility rate versus the suicide rate of 35 industrial countries, that is, the proportion of people who choose to create new life against the proportion who choose to destroy their own. Israel stands alone, positioned in the upper-left-hand-quadrant, or life-loving, portion of the chart [2]. Those who believe in Israel's divine election might see a special grace reflected in its love of life.

In a world given over to morbidity, the state of Israel still teaches the world love of life, not in the trivial sense of joie de vivre, but rather as a solemn celebration of life. In another location, I argued, "It's easy for the Jews to talk about delighting in life. They are quite sure that they are eternal, while other peoples tremble at the prospect impending extinction.

[forkinsocket]

.

[massgopguy]

What’s not to like?

[Jeremiah Jr]

L'Chaim - To Life?

[lormand]

I was a bit agnostic about Israel before 911, but not anymore. May God Bless Israel and the IDF.

[SJackson]

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High Volume. Articles on Israel can also be found by clicking on the Topic or Keyword Israel. or WOT [War on Terror]

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[elcid1970]

May God bless the Jewish state and the Jewish people!

Happy 60th and Mazel Tov!

:^)

[DesertSapper]

Having lived in 5 countries and visited many, many more, I have a very short list of countries I would choose to live in after my beloved USA. Israel is on this short list.

I'm sure you're all shocked, but it is the only nation outside the continents of North America, Europe, and Australia that I would choose to live in. Unfortunately, the Army chose otherwise for me in the past. haha

[tbw2]

I donated to Magden Adom (Jewish red cross) in honor of its anniversary.

[RoadTest]

There’s a hymn that goes, “The joy of The Lord is my strength - - - “. Joy is the inheritance of the people of God.

[fightinJAG]

Yes!

[prophetic]

I really loved this part:

The contrast of Israeli happiness and Arab despondency is what makes peace an elusive goal in the region. It cannot be attributed to material conditions of life. Oil-rich Saudi Arabia ranks 171st on an international quality of life index, below Rwanda. Israel is tied with Singapore on this index, although it should be observed that Israel ranks a runaway first on my life-preference index, whereas Singapore comes in dead last.

So even Saudi Arabia who earned US$164 Billion last year in oil revenues feel crappy for their existence even with all the money & stuff in the world!!

[prophetic]

and so the heart of the matter why the muslims hate Israel:

The military, economic and cultural failures of Islamic societies are intolerable in Muslim eyes; Jewish success is an abomination, for in the view of Muslims it is the due of the faithful, to be coveted and seized from the usurpers at the first opportunity. It is not to much of a stretch to assert that Israel's love of live, its happiness in faith, is precisely the characteristic that makes a regional peace impossible to achieve. The usurpation of the happiness that Muslims believe is due to them is sufficient cause to kill one's self in order to take happiness away from the Jewish enemy. If Israel's opponents fail to ruin Israel's happiness, there is at least a spark of hope that they may decide to choose happiness for themselves.

[Convert from ECUSA]

"it [Israel] is the only nation outside the continents of North America, Europe, and Australia"

No shock here. I feel the same way, except that I narrow it to the only nation outside the USA, Canada, Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Bermuda, and probably Portugal.

[Uncle Chip]

So even Saudi Arabia who earned US$164 Billion last year in oil revenues feel crappy for their existence even with all the money & stuff in the world!!

Amen. They know their days are numbered.