[quote]New Zealanders have the most freedom in the world, according to an international index that ranks 123 countries.
The report, which was released today by the Fraser Institute, Canada's leading public policy think-tank, and Germany's Liberales Institut, examines the characteristics of freedom and how it can best be measured and compared between different nations.
New Zealand was ranked number one for offering the highest level of freedom worldwide, followed by the Netherlands then Hong Kong.
Australia, Canada and Ireland tied for fourth spot, with the United States and Denmark tied for seventh.
The lowest-ranked countries were Zimbabwe, Myanmar, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Syria.
The index was featured in the first publication of the Human Freedom project - Towards a Worldwide Index of Human Freedom.
The author of the book, Fred McMahon, said: "Our intention is to measure the degree to which people are free to enjoy classic civil liberties-freedom of speech, religion, individual economic choice, and association and assembly-in each country surveyed."
"We also look at indicators of crime and violence, freedom of movement, legal discrimination against homosexuals, and women's freedoms," he said.[/quote]
[url]http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/nz-leads-worldwide-in-human-freedom-5314956[/url]
They're stealing mah freedums!
I'm surprised Pakistan is below North Korea.
Damn hobbits.
[QUOTE=Boba_Fett;39204410]I'm surprised Pakistan is below North Korea.[/QUOTE]
They didn't count North Korea because it's too closed to study
[url=http://www.fraserinstitute.org/uploadedFiles/fraser-ca/Content/research-news/research/publications/towards-a-worldwide-index-of-human-freedom.pdf]Here's the full report (PDF)[/url]
still wouldn't want to live there
New Zealand's free as, bro.
Does New Zealand have as much censorship as Australia?
I love New Zealand.
Meh Netherlands gets second place.
Well NZ you deserve it after all the stuff you went trough to keep the shire safe from Sauron.
welp, finally found a country to dump Finland for
I'll definitely go there on vacation sometime.
wheres the list?
I would do a 'THANKS OBAMA', but I don't know if the joke's tired or not yet.
Anywho, interesting. Though there didn't seem to be much freedom there last time I checked, the orcs and goblins just got shat on all the time. Hardly freedom.
I hope you guys enjoy your new Stallman :)
It's lacking "freedom to not have a sunburn"
Zimbabwe.
Estonia.
[QUOTE]Australia, [B]Canada[/B] and Ireland tied for fourth spot[/QUOTE]
:dance:
Netherlands deserves #1 to be honest, we're so free even the government cares little if we break the law (i.e. weed actually been illegal but unofficially 'tolerated' by the government).
New Zealand is so beautiful.
Hong Kong in third place? How is that even possible? Sure they're quite free compared to mainland China, but moreso than all the rest of Europe, Canada, Australia, Taiwan, South Korea, or Japan?
[QUOTE=PowerBall v1;39205007]wheres the list?[/QUOTE]
[url]http://www.fraserinstitute.org/uploadedFiles/fraser-ca/Content/research-news/research/publications/towards-a-worldwide-index-of-human-freedom.pdf[/url]
Page 63 onwards.
[editline]-[/editline]
Also, I find it strange that I always see people from America accusing the UK of being a police state, despite the UK's human freedom being ranked only 0.3 lower than their own.
[QUOTE=Megafan;39205724]Hong Kong in third place? How is that even possible? Sure they're quite free compared to mainland China, but moreso than all the rest of Europe, Canada, Australia, Taiwan, South Korea, or Japan?[/QUOTE]
Yes actually, that's why they're up in arms about the new mainland officials.
Can they have guns?
[QUOTE=Megafan;39205724]Hong Kong in third place? How is that even possible? Sure they're quite free compared to mainland China, but moreso than all the rest of Europe, Canada, Australia, Taiwan, South Korea, or Japan?[/QUOTE]
Well, in terms of Human Freedom, they're not. They only got 7.8. This is also ranked on economic freedom, and Hong Kong has a lot of that (9.89/10).
guess I'm late
[QUOTE=macdoo999;39205810][url]http://www.fraserinstitute.org/uploadedFiles/fraser-ca/Content/research-news/research/publications/towards-a-worldwide-index-of-human-freedom.pdf[/url]
Page 63 onwards.
[editline]-[/editline]
Also, I find it strange that I always see people from America accusing the UK of being a police state, despite the UK's human freedom being ranked only 0.3 lower than their own.[/QUOTE]
Because people on both sides have morons louder than the sane majority. Both the US and the UK have their share of socioeconomic difficulties to solve but are both great places to live.
[QUOTE=Qui Cattus;39205873]Can they have guns?[/QUOTE]
Unlike the US the rest of the world doesn't really take the freedom to carry guns into the equation. And nobody's complaining.
Anyway, New Zealand always reminds me of this video.
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pZSsqQVxZA[/media]
[QUOTE=Clavus;39206162]Unlike the US the rest of the world doesn't really take the freedom to carry guns into the equation. And nobody's complaining.
Anyway, New Zealand always reminds me of this video.
[/QUOTE]
Really? This is all I think of when I hear New Zealand.
[video=youtube;yiIdNOzYySk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiIdNOzYySk[/video]
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