Imagine a country with universal health care, free college, 30 days paid vacation, maternity leave, subsidized transportation, strong labor unions... Not the USA...
Fun fact: Finland invented Labor Unions.. when we migrated to the US for Mining jobs, we educated other US Citizens to group together and demand better care. Mining companies ended up paying off politicians to stop us from migrating here, but still Labor Unions arose. They are currently giving away free trips to Helsinki.. I highly recommend you sign up. Beautiful country, beautiful people!
My Grandfather helped start the United mine workers union in the 1920s and 30s . He was a coal miner . They actually shot it out with strike breakers and even the national guard . When immigrants were brought in to work the mines they would drop dynamite down the air shafts and kill the immigrants that were taking their jobs . Fun times .
When Trump asked for more people from Finland, etc . They asked Findlanders if they'd like to come here, they said 'No, because everything we have in Finland, you are against, such as Universal Healthcare, etc...'
Meta-comment the evil google will censor with prior prejudice: Have you noticed that UA-cam ads violate the premise of google ads? Offensive and intrusive ads must be intended to "persuade" suckers to send money. NO.
I'm living in Finland. I suppose, two main things for secure living are. If U are studying in university, annually fee is about three hundred dollars. If U need new heart, liver or lugns, it's gonna cost U twenty eight dollars a day, when U are staying in hospital...Thats it. I do understand, that some people in States, are saying, this is socialism, we can't have that, because it means a whole lot more tax paying. Life is full of decisions...
I have alot of nordic friends, and they say these rankings are more about "being content" than being "happy". But yes, they are extremely content knowing their health and education are for the most covered. Who wouldn't be?
As a Scandinavian I strongly refuse we are "white christians", we are predominantly white, yes, but we are also mostly agnostics. Not just atheistic, most of us don´t believe at all in any religious stuff. Those that do go to church does it more often than not for a "traditional" experience, kind of like christmas and the easter.
Totally agree. We are mostly agnostics. Religion are thought at all grades, and so is sience. So I guess we more or less have found out that religion is and was a way of controlling people, or some look at it, some of the parts, as a way to live your life.
When it comes to HAPPINESS in Finland.... Its not about them walking around smiling all day and cant believe their lucky lives. Its about not having to chose which one of their kids get education. Not having to worry about medical bills. Not having to wonder where the next meal or rent is going to come from. Its about every day not having to be a grind, a grift, a hustle and a scam. Because just being a normal person with a job is just great. You dont need to live a life in deep desperation... Like tens of millions of americans do.
Exactly. No country can guarantee a happy life to it's citizens, but Finland has done a good job at providing many safety nets to stop people from falling off.
@@user-ib9bk7nq6s I can't speak for the French or Germans but Britain has a poor 'safety net' in reality. NHS dentistry pretty much a myth in many areas, doctors doing their work by email nowadays, hospitals barely functioning, police service not fit for purpose. Schools are crumbling, most people on 'welfare' are in employment but wages falling behind since 2008, foodbanks all over the country now. Charity has had to replace gov. in so many areas, and almost everyone is as miserable as fuk.
@@yawningsoldier7675 It also needs to be said that Finland is not particularly special in that. You would have only mildly, marginally different rights, freedom, and amenities if you lived in Denmark, France, Germany. The top countries are extremely closely ranked in terms of prosperity. The reason these rankings get any press at all, is mostly because the controversy is around how low USA ranks in stark contrast to how highly they evaluate themselves..
@@althepalno1164 Germany and France's welfare states are as large as the Nordics. To claim otherwise is a myth. Clearly this is just an ad hoc explanation by TYT to reassert their ideological perspective.
I have a single mom working the Mid shift with me working two jobs (16hrs days). She has thousands of dollars in student loans debt and she is a single mother with absentee father (not collecting child support).
the homeless are not neglected in the US millions of dollars in aid go to the homeless annually supposedly (unless churches and left-wing groups steal it)
@@mirandaladlad9429 while it’s true that most “charities” are inefficient at best and corrupt cash grabs at worst, most charities aren’t “left wing.” I assume you mean liberal. Charity is inherently capitalist. Mutual aid so the leftist answer to providing community services within the confines of a capitalist system. Most leftists are much more interested in systemic solutions that emphasize community building and mutual responsibility than “charity” corporations and the rich. It also would cost a lot more than “millions” to address the 500-600,000 Americans who sleep in the streets in a given night, never mind address the mental illness, medical debt, domestic violence, substance abuse, and insufficient disability and unemployment infrastructure that is at the core of the problem.
@@mirandaladlad9429 traitor trump had to pay a fine of $2 million for a fraudulent charitable foundation. As republicans say "we love traitor trump cause he is just like us"
@@LGrian: 'It also would cost a lot more than “millions” to address the 500-600,000 Americans who sleep in the streets in a given night ...' That's less than one million people. Just a small fraction of the US military-industrial spending could alleviate the homeless problem.
Yeah! I am from Finland, we have our parliamentary elections soon and, unfortunately, it is a very close race between the Right and the Left (the spineless Centre will just follow the winner). As a leftist, I worry about the neoliberal and conservative tidal wave. Finland is great but we could do even better with social welfare, pay equality, multiculturalism, and women's and LGBTQ+, as well as disability rights.
P.S. Though, apparently and quite uniquely, the Centre has declared that they do not wish to repeat their cooperation with the Left. The Centre really stabbed the Left in the back during its stint in the Marin coalition, so I cannot say I miss them. Alas, the even more right-wing parties (the Centre usually leans more to the right than the left) are a real threat.
We'll never do a lot better... corporate greed and corruption will see to that. It's easier and more expedient for them to have a populace of serfs and virtual slaves than happy, 'free' men...
@@zumatoobs No, About 10% of people living in Finland have a foreign background. In the capital region, the number is significantly higher. We have suburbs where schools have more immigrants than Finnish children.
Some things worth noting: - Pretty much no American under 40 thinks we live in the greatest country on earth. - The corruption metric is about ***perceived*** corruption specifically - it's how corrupt people feel their country's institutions are, this isn't the same as measuring actual corruption. - The US ranking (15th) is embarrassing as shit, but it's also trending better after taking a nosedive in the Trump era . It was one place lower last year, and ranked 18th and 19th in the two years before. To compare, countries I thought were better off than us have actually declined - the UK dropped 4 spots in the same time frame and now ranks where we did four years ago, at 19. Germany, Belgium and France surprisingly also rank lower. Anyway, I'm a pessimist, but I hope we continue to improve.
Our perceived corruption and actual corruption seems to be pretty much the same, low. Last corruption scandal I remember was some politician using her expense account on beauty products and spas, rather frivolous. Pretty far from cops covering up killing innocent protesters or big companies peddling knowingly harmful products, Id say. Edit: Im a Finn.
My bro lives in france and was friends with a traffic cop. The cop would stop trucks with building materials and give them the choice of dropping off part of the load at his house or get fined for an overloaded vehicle. He built a fancy double garage in no time. He's probably a police chief now.
If you described the way society works in north European countries re: free hospital treatment, free university education and so on, many republicans would consider it a commie / marxists / satanist / LGBTQ+ hellscape similar to mad max. You see, true Americans believe in survival of the fittest and to hell with the rest (unless daddy left you a few millions and a real estate empire in which case you may well be the second coming of christ) and are proud of the fact that gun death is now the dominant cause of death to children in the US and that medical bills are the most common reason for ordinary people to have to declare bankruptcy. And your people are beautiful and normal looking too!
There´s an old proverb saying; "It takes two bring a baby, it takes a village to raise a child" That statement has so many levels and meanings to it. Support for the parents is just one of them.
People in Finland and Norway and other similar countries actually LIKE paying their taxes, because they know those tax dollars goes into giving them free healthcare, all the social services and support they need, free education, cops who aren't fascist murderers like in the US, quality infrastructure, etc...
FDR put the richest Americans on a tax rate of 91%. That helped to invest in America's growing middle-class! The tax rate was so high for the CEOs that the only thing they could do is put more investment into their own companies--hire more Americans and keep their equipment/machines updated and that in turn made USA No1 top quality manufacturer in the world! Union made, "Made in America," was all about the finest quality at a reasonable price. And our public schools were famous for educating top notch scientists, doctors, the trades. Rightwing billionaires & corporate owned Democrats and their corporate masters have turned that around. 3rd world USA today. Inequality has never been worse.
@@esonon5210 Free healthcare: you need heart surgery, you get heart surgery. It is paid for you already. Basically it is a non-profit insurance company that deals with it. If you have no income you never pay anything of it.
@@esonon5210 It is different in the way that even the alcoholic in the street has that insurance and if he needs heart surgery he gets heart surgery. You are entitled to that insurance before you are born.
Nordic countries have lower tax rate on corperations anf the rich, higher tax rate on lower and middle income and a retirment age around 68. This is the way to fund the healthcare, but the american peopel wont do it
@@spaceballs44 Al Murray once said “We don’t have a dream in Great Britain. Because we’re too busy being awake”. 😂 Another favourite was where he talked about the San Andreas fault. He says: “classic American behaviour. Trying to pass the blame onto some poor Mexican. It’s not San Andreas fault. It’s yours (to an American in the crowd) for building on it in the first place”. 😂
Exactly. Being the richest country means very little to 80% of Americans. On YT, "Interesting facts" video shorts said in USA today, 45% of Americans have $0 in savings. Richest country is more of an insult than anything. Inequality has never been worse than now.
Corruption is unfortunately a relative term. A lot of abusive business and political practices are legal in the US that you would be imprisoned for in other democratic (and even many non-democratic) countries.
@@joebeal4212 yes if there were no immigrants you would be happy. Oh and no gays, trans, feminists, drag queens, minorities of any kind, real history taught. Did I cover it bozo?
@@sberesford2523 What? They are, particularly France, more left-wing than the Nordic countries. The major difference is that while France extensively taxes the rich, the Nordic countries combine their welfare state with flat taxes and more pro-corporate policies.
It only works because America protects Europe so they don't have to spend much money on their military. If America pulls out their socialism will collapse because they will have to build their own military.
@@BobMuskFan nah dude, you already said that. It's a state of mind, more than anything. The US enjoys being the world's Police. Spending taxpayers dollars on false flag Wars, keeping Military bases etc. Use that money to help US Americans. Europe will not collapse. It is NOT that dependent on the US. Again that frame of mind is why it's so tough for US Citizens to travel or even immigrant to other Countries, without problems. The mentality is scary.
But, we are Americans. Why should we? 😜 We would rather fail miserably or bring our own demise than to admit our faults, and worse yet, copy other nations who are leaving us in the dust! that’s the American 🇺🇸 way! Yay 👏
And this is exactly why Corruption is the #1 issue, even over climate change because it stands in the way of everything else. I'm not so naive as to believe it can be completely eliminated or that doing so would magically make everything better, but it do a hell of a lot. Corruption really does need to be treated as seriously if not more so than murder. But it's such a monumental undertaking that while still possible, will likely decades to fix. I should also point out that Trump's "drain the swamp" routine resonated deeply with a majority of people (too bad it couldn't have been more hollow and ironic coming from that clown)
Sigh! We in the Nordic countries are: -NOT socialist. When will Americans learn definitions of different political ideologies? -NOT homogenous, as there are several indigenous ethnic groups. On top of that, we have a lot of immigrants and asylum seekers. -NOT Christians.
Progressive taxation and programs that fully support your residents may seem normal to you. It’s not normal to us in America. So, to many those sorts of normal govt programs are called “socialism” in a broad term. Doesn’t make the usage of the word correct or wrong, just maybe misinterpreted by way too many. You do have socialized government responsibility towards citizens, that’s what they’re referring to.
Several indigenous ethnic groups in the Nordic countries? Where are Europeans indigenous to if not Europe? Where are Finns indigenous to if not Finland? Also is mass asylum a good thing? I heard about Malmo.
I'm Norwegian. I have a masters degree that I did not pay for. I have healthcare. Recently I got an MR of both of my knees and I paid 25 dollars out of pocket. I pay 32% taxes, but I am okay with that. I feel safe and taken care of.
Good for you for being happy but you did pay for that masters degree and most americans have healthcare. You’ll be paying for that degree for the rest of your working life.
@@esonon5210 I pay taxes. Just like you pay taxes. That is not the same as having a heavy student loan on your shoulders. And my taxes benefit us all. I know Americans have healthcare, but when your friend tell you they were billed 6000 dollars for sitting in the ER for five hours and then being sent home after hardly being treated… that just seems silly. Imagine if you could go to the ER and not have to worry about payment.
@@esonon5210 May I recommend looking into tuition for schools in Europe? I think they may surprise you, especially their equivalent to the US's out-of-state tuition!
@@stiras1 I agree it is silly. And if my friend went through that I would tell him not to pay the bill and let the hospital just write it off. Three years ago, I had to go to the doctor to get my nose checked out and they charged me $1200. What do you think I did? Do you think I'm worrying about the payment.
They are not super atheist. A lot of committed and devoted christians there. Particularly in Finland there are percentually very big number of committed christians.
Freedom and happiness require that individuals recognise their own understanding of, and responsibility for the system that allows it. I think that broadly speaking Scandinavian countries do this very well.
I presented the same kinds of information to conservative leaning people in my life and the answer sum up is pretty much in a condescending way like "Yeah its easy to be the happiest when you can be lazy on all of that welfare!". All of them seem so insecure of themselves that their job is their entire identity! When some of them get laid off, you can see how horribly they take unemployment like they completely lost their soul.
*BULGARIA* where I now live - always does REALLY BADLy but its actually a very happy country - the issue is a cultural belief that if you SAY you are happy or satisfied, the universe will take that away from you. You do NOT "tempt fate" by admitting to being happy So anyone being asked in a survey will ALWAYS say they are unhappy and everything is terrible.
This all seems like common sense to me, but unfortunately common sense really isn't common. Poverty is the #1 reason for crime. The Dali Lama said something like if there was no poverty crime would go done about 90%, maybe even 100%. It seems like a no brainer and I don't understand why some people can't grasp that.
As a Finn I think it's not just what we do necessarily. Imo it's derived from our mentality and motives. For example your goal is to get rid of crime by arresting everyone who break the law, compared to trying to prevent people from resorting to crime. I suppose don't just copy whatever we do in Finland, since it may not be the best option (or at least not the best option for the time being) Edit: hate it or love it, perhaps it would be adviced to come see yourselves (since No system is perfect regardless how happy the people may be)
I'm happy not being an American. My country has its problems, but gun violence and enslavement to the corporations are not amongst them. We also have universal healthcare, so I don't have to worry about getting sick.
When I was teaching healthcare students, I brought in the World Happiness Report to open my students eyes about how the US compares to the rest of the world and how important Universal Healthcare is.
It's worth looking into. I cam tell you that Nordic countries that place so high on the scale of quality of life and happiness can be difficult to obtain residency in or citizenship in....because they're well aware of how much more fair and humane and desirable their societies are.
The Scandinavian countries are largely secular, I don't know where they think they're christian, especially Sweden which is one of the least religious countries in the world.
@@gee_emm Although over half of the population (60.2%) identify with the Church of Sweden, church attendance is considerably low. Most Swedes who are active Christians usually attend church for significant rituals and ceremonies, including baptisms, marriages and funerals. For some, the Church of Sweden provides a cultural identity and thus may be nominally Christian. According to surveys conducted by the Pew Research Center, three-quarters of Swedes show low levels of religious commitment and 65% seldom attend religious services. So lip service christianity basically and the younger Swedes are increasingly non religious even if they attend services, it's more about community than it is religion. 31.3% of the population do not identify or did not specify a religion. Immigrants are raising the over all religious percentage, especially Muslims who bring Islam with them. For centuries, the Church of Sweden had state support and was connected to the Swedish national identity. However, in 2000, a complete legal separation of church and state was instated, making Sweden officially secular. Ideas of secularism can be found in Swedish society. For example, many Swedes consider religion as a private matter. Some find it distasteful to boast or overemphasize one’s religious affiliation. Instead, it is common for Swedes to keep the topic of religion to themselves. Nonetheless, Sweden’s secular society is marked by great pride in religious diversity, tolerance and acceptance for all worldviews, particularly in light of the increasing migrant population and the growth of many religions.
I believe Sweden still has a rule where at birth you are sort of enrolled in the Church of Sweden, or they at least still had that rule in the recent past. But, anyways, I live here and it's very Atheist. You almost can't find a Christian.
@@hildormuthafoenrolled?😮 Absolutely not correct...if you want your child to be a part of any religious practices you have to sort that out yourself... But the church of Sweden is also a well run organisation that us non Christians can respect and be greatful for because of their work with social issues, culture, and open liberal views on different groups in need. We are not Christian but attended playgroups before the kids started kindergarten, and so did some of my Muslim friends...
The normal reaction would be to say to oneself “Well now I wanna move there!” But keep in mind, we’re American… should we move there we’ll only manage to drag them down by making them as miserable as we are! Granted, that’s mostly because of conservatives and corporatists…
Nah. This sounds like the shit xenophobes everywhere say to keep out the "undesirables." America has spent most of its history taking in people from places that, at the time, were worse off than we were, and it's pretty much always been to our advantage.
Do "a day in the life" Finland vs USA Side by side. Finland...wake up in your own house, take care of newborn on paid mat leave...eat safe nutritional food etc. Step by step, side by side MIGHT open some eyes.
@Johny Ringo But y'all been telling us for 2 years that because of Biden, Drag queens, inflation and gas prices america has become a dystopian nightmare of epic proportions. How can you afford the gas to get to the store, or afford any food once you get there? Don't tell me it's all been lies 🤣🤣
@johnyringo6442 Bullshit, I guarantee you still live in your parents basement. Your mom just cooked you some microwaved chicken nuggets, oven baked fries and a cup of lukewarm water, all while mumbling how much she hates you.
@Johny Ringo I paid my student debts along with my mortgage and car payments many years ago thanks. And education should be free (along with healthcare etc.). Invest in society and you will reap the rewards. You seem pretty triggered ringo, make another cocktail and chill for a while.
@Johny Ringo It's free across most of europe. Go to college, there is no extra tax burden on you for that, no extra fee to pay. It's free. I guess it's difficult for you to grasp the concept? Whatever college you went to, ask for a refund. You have a great case. How's that throbbing vein in your temple doing buddy? Keep slugging back the margaritas. 😃
Hey Cenk, be very accurate in how you explain wealth. The USA has the highest GDP. Also, the USA also has among the highest average income per Capita , But, But, But has a very mediocre median income per Capita compared to many developed countries. The result : the masses of people in the United States do Not have a higher standard of living compared to the masses of people in many other developed countries including Finland. To all that believe I'm not making sense or don't understand what I'm saying there's a solution : please take a course in Statistics and come to understand the difference between average and median. The average can vary in skewed distributions and is therefore much less valuable.
A living wage, affordable housing and food, healthcare for all, childcare, paid family leave, and more. ATT: Congress USA! Legislate to PROMOTE THE GENERAL WELFARE . Make America Grateful Again.
Make amerkca like the nordic countries, raise the retirement age to 68, higher taxes on lower and middle class and lower taxea on mega rich and corperations
Greetings from Finland. It is often said that we Finns pay really high taxes. That is not true. Sure, taxation is progressive, the poor pay less and the rich pay more, but the average tax on work income is only around 20%. As far as I understand, about the same in the USA? We get a lot of value for our tax money. Free or almost free is health care (includes all health care childbirth, dental care, hospital, medicines, etc.), education (even university), hot meals in schools, daycare for children, libraries, roads (no tolls), affordable public transport and much, much more. What do you get for your taxes in America?
I would sell my soul for free health care... health care where the doctors can do what they want for tests instead of insurance claim worries. My daughter needs surgery on her ear. Doctor used the word elective because she can still hear. But if she looses her hearing insurance covers it? How fkn backwards is that?! Either way she needs the surgery so it is what it is. We will add her bill to my chronic illness ongoing medical billa
I'm sorry to hear you & yours suffering in the supposed richest country in the world. To me, that's more insult on top of injury as 80% of Americans aren't feeling it! I have been listening to a young woman from Norway who became a quadriplegic in a diving accident. Though she and her husband are "low income" she gets all of her therapy and medical assistance that she needs from professionals that come to her home regularly. USA is owned by greedy sociopathic CEOs like the ones from Wall Street bankers and Railroads that break our regulations and our taxpayer funds and buy up all Rethuglicons and those corporate moderate Democrats who have no soul. And we are left with worrying about paying our medical bills and keeping a roof over our heads, if we are lucky enough to be able to afford one. I watched a video short on YT yesterday topic, "Interesting facts," and in US, 45% of all Americans have $0 in savings. I think it's worse than that.
I'm a proud Finnish-American, most Americans simply wouldn't "get" Finland if they tried to move there. They don't understand how people there don't care about "getting ahead of the Joneses". 4pm-everyone goes home from work. They wouldn't understand how a Finn can sit calmly by his/her self in quiet contemplation. They don't understand how Finns can be great workers, intrinsically motivated by the work itself, not the potential rewards. Sisu!
Your impressions of America and Americans are wildly out of date - working just to match status with the neighbors is boomer sitcom shit. I'm a millennial - people my age and younger are grinding just to pay off college debt and save up for medical expenses. None of us care who has what, because we all have nothing. Also people aren't choosing to work late for just for the fuck of it, it's because of coercion by their (mostly non-union) employers. I'm sure we'd all love to clock out at four pm every day..
@@4tner Yeah, right. I live in America now, in a, I guess you could say, middle class community (nobody's wealthy). Yet a lot of people somehow find a way to be driving Teslas or big tricked out pickups. Everybody has to have the latest cell phones, everybody wants to brag about their kid getting a scholarship to a prestigious college, etc. There are just as many signs of people wanting an upgrade in status as there were 30 years ago. But keep that millennial fantasy of being different. Seems like there's more people wanting to go backwards (why else would trump have any sway at all?) than changing into something different.
As a person of Finnish decent, I believe lot of why Finland and other Nordic countries do so well on this survey is due to their culture. They feel less of a need to gather material things in order to "keep up with the Jokinens". They are also generally very straight forward and say what they mean, and mean what they say ( thus the relative lack of corruption). They have a strong connection to nature, and a Finn's ideal vacation is a couple of weeks in a small cabin on a lake in the woods. They also, for the most part, are modest and refrain from bragging. ( You want to know how to make a Finn uncomfortable? Compliment them. ) And on top of that, how is not easy to be content when sauna is such a deep part of your culture?
Agreed, ever since I was little it was banged into my head that I needed material things in order to consider myself happy and successful. And I had to do better than the most successful person next to me, a never ending contest to "keep up" and do better than everyone.
Just an example of how bad things are going in the USA, the average middle class Australian family earns around $250,000 per year but the average American middle class family earns around $50,000 per year. Australia has a decent public health system, paid maternity leave for both parents, an unemployment system that helps with retraining. Australia has a higher average wage, healthier people and more freedom to choose your own lifestyle.
_"the average middle class Australian family earns around $250,000 per year"_ Not according to any source I could find, so I'm afraid I'm going to have to call bullshit on you. What is your source?
@AlbertaGeek according to the sources that I have seen that is correct. So I will say that you are full of bullshit. Personally I don't think that you should use insults but that seems to be the norm nowadays. People have lost the ability to have a conversation without putting people down.
Swede here. A couple of decades ago, we were like Finland. Neoliberal policies changed that. Fun fact; Finland has looked at our educational policies (deregulation, charter schools etc) and deliberately did the opposite.
Finland has universal health care and education is fully tax funded from early childhood education onto college. Breathing in clean air would make anyone happy as Finland has strict environmental laws. Not one single person can explain why the American education system which isn't fully tax funded is far superior to European countries where the percentage of educated people is far higher than the USA. An overpriced university in the USA which strives on exclusion shouldn't be looked at the gold standard for education in America.
Funny to read these "94-95% white". I guess those that say that don't know anything about Finland. For example in the town closest to me there are 118 different nationalities that speak 94 different languages. And most of them speak one or both of the official languages, swedish and finnish, of the country. Of course it is a bit different in the countryside but I guess it's the same in us with even higher % white. But even in the willage where I live, 300+ inhabitants, we have one from Ireland and one from Kazakhstan, both well integrated.
You sound like a child. The largest Finland racial/ethnic group is white 91%. Finland is a largely homogeneous country. There is no arguing with this fact.
@@gridlock5878 you're telling a native Finlander how things "really" are in Finland? "Asshole" doesn't begin to describe that. BTW, fairly low religiosity, too.
@@MCodger saw your comment…. Please tell inform me if this video is true, is Finland a very nice and happy place? I just wanna know the truth from a real Finland. That all. You can only get the truth from the real people. Thanks.
@@dr.prof.robtopnotch I'm a Swede and yes Finns don't stress as much as we do and they have the best education in the world. A foreigner may experience most Scandinavians as morose ( see Ingmar Bergman movies) but they are just quiet and don't want to stand out in a crowd. We used to have a saying "if a stranger starts talking to you on a bus, the person is either a mental patient, inebriated, or an American. Finns are very much into healthy outdoor activities and have a longer life expectancy Religion is not a big thing in Scandinavia, as a matter of fact, it's the most secular country in the world and there's NO religion in politics
Honestly, 15 seems high for the US. It's a hellscape compared to when I was a kid. Everything socks, each year is harder than the last, and infrastructure is falling apart. I just don't know how much more I can take. I vote for change in every election, but never see it. Maybe I need to learn Finish or Hebrew if I want to find happiness. We have the right to pursue happiness in the USA, but it feels more like chasing the dragon here than a truly attainable goal. I've already given up on the idea of being happy.
@@unknown39778 Greece has the Parthenon which probably has been visited meny more times then any similar temple in Finland, but I very much doubt you will run into many who still worships Athena or Zeus and France has Versailles but no king or queen.
Not surprised, they are progressive as all hell. Its not the 100% without flaws but once you understand how they assist your living to success its not surprising.
European countries combined, come close to US rates of gun ownership but still less then half of mass shooting compared to the US, and Finland and Norway are among the safest country internationally with regards to gun violence. Perhaps because Finland and Norway have a civilise gun cultures, cultures where gun ownership is associated with traditional values of respect and responsibility,
Both Israel and Finland have military conscription and relatively good welfare systems. Finland has a christian history but it is not a religious country unlike Israel where the whole country is based on religion.
Stop saying we're socialist. We're a social democracy instead of an anti social democracy like yours.😅I'm a social free market regulated democrat with finesse. Oh and coffeeshops. Where you can buy coffee + happy stickies. And we have a new party who won in every province. The Boer Burger Beweging. The farmer civilian movement. Not a fan of them but hey, give the countryboys a chance. That's democracy. We have like 25 parties in our house of representatives. We like a good (house)party.🥳
You're expecting Americans to be able to wrap their heads around the Nordic model? You are far more optimistic than I am. 😄 ...för jag vill leva jag vill döööö i NORDEN...trallala
Finland is not even a social democracy. The social democrats have roughly a 20% support, the majority supports other parties and ideologies. But most people agree on 3 things: If a homeless person dies in the street because of cold weather it is not ok. If a smart kid cannot go to university because her parents are flat broke it is not ok. If a woman dies because she needed heart surgerry that she could not afford, it is not ok.
Normally, this is what I don't care about... but to have that title for 6 years, no other country took a look at Finland and ask themselves "Shit... what are we doing wrong?"?
Yeah, wouldnt put too much stock into this, Might wanna look at HOW these rankings are done, A bunch of dudes get together in a room and decide the ranking. Barely look at surveys and the surveys themselves are pretty dumb. And I am sure that the people doing the ranking being from Scandanivian countries doesnt affect the ratings at all. Look, I am not saying USA would be at the top. Certainly not. And I am not saying scandinivian countries probably wouldnt fare well, they would. But these rankings - they arent scientific so dont put much stalk in them. Most rankings around the globs about safety, crime, development, education, awareness, democracy are pretty crap because they all have crap methodology
Why does Cenk say "even though we are by far the richest."? GDP per capita is one of the weighted criteria in the index and it ramps up all rich countries in N. America, W. Europe, E. Asian rim. Several of these have higher GDP per capita than the US. Iceland outranks the US in both that individual income index AND the happiness score. Norway and Switzerland and Luxembourg also regularly outrank the US by this measure. It's a big factor! It gets modulated by the other scores. US citizens can't rely on media, even here, to check these things before going on air and repeating. A better index still would involve MEDIAN income per capita p.p.p.
The comments on youtube have taught me a completely new reason for the Nordic countries being so happy: If any one from outside attacks one of us, the others will immidiately move into defence mode. We just like siblings: constantly beeting each other up, but if any one from outside attacks our sister, they'll have hell to deal with. It makes me happy, to know we've got each others back. Makes a little Dane fell a bit bigger 😂
When I was living & working in LA my last few years were as a freelancer, had no insurance with the exception of the VA hospital if I ever needed medical treatment. I've lived in Canada which has both governmental and private, as well in Europe, and have been living here for 30 years. Where I live is several rungs up the listing compared to the US. 4 continents, 6 countries, and one island. I feel quite content here and in retirement.
Love how Cenk recognized and gave so much credit to his dad. Gave me the feels.
Finland just proves money doesn't make people truly happy. Personal freedom and security makes happiness.
Six years in a row?? Go Finland.!! WTF? USA? make America great at least once?
What's up ? ✌️🇺🇲
@@johnking6252
Does this look spammy/phishy to you as well?
To catch up to Finland we would have to expel millions of illegal immigrants. And become a monoculture like they are. Finland is 95% white .
America is great 👍 at bull$#/ting
Imagine a country with universal health care, free college, 30 days paid vacation, maternity leave, subsidized transportation, strong labor unions...
Not the USA...
No wonder they are the happiest country for the 6th year in a row.
The reason Republicans talk about Scandanavia being homogenous is just to have an excuse not to give us the same quality of life.
Fun fact: Finland invented Labor Unions.. when we migrated to the US for Mining jobs, we educated other US Citizens to group together and demand better care. Mining companies ended up paying off politicians to stop us from migrating here, but still Labor Unions arose.
They are currently giving away free trips to Helsinki.. I highly recommend you sign up. Beautiful country, beautiful people!
Love it! Good to know!
My Grandfather helped start the United mine workers union in the 1920s and 30s . He was a coal miner . They actually shot it out with strike breakers and even the national guard . When immigrants were brought in to work the mines they would drop dynamite down the air shafts and kill the immigrants that were taking their jobs . Fun times .
When Trump asked for more people from Finland, etc . They asked Findlanders if they'd like to come here, they said 'No, because everything we have in Finland, you are against, such as Universal Healthcare, etc...'
Meta-comment the evil google will censor with prior prejudice:
Have you noticed that UA-cam ads violate the premise of google ads?
Offensive and intrusive ads must be intended to "persuade" suckers to send money.
NO.
I'm living in Finland. I suppose, two main things for secure living are. If U are studying in university, annually fee is about three hundred dollars. If U need new heart, liver or lugns, it's gonna cost U twenty eight dollars a day, when U are staying in hospital...Thats it. I do understand, that some people in States, are saying, this is socialism, we can't have that, because it means a whole lot more tax paying. Life is full of decisions...
sounds like a whole lot of relief for a million people. Wish we'd try it instead of being so freaked out by the word, Socialism.
That's cause the mafia runs our health care system.
From Finland it seems strange that having basic things in order seems to be super special globally.
In many countries money trumps happiness. The happiness of the top .01% (money wise) is more important that the 99.99%.
@@zumatoobs not totally so actually.
This is a fix! Finland provides social programs that take care of their citizens' needs. Of course, they'll say they're happy - because they are.
I have alot of nordic friends, and they say these rankings are more about "being content" than being "happy". But yes, they are extremely content knowing their health and education are for the most covered. Who wouldn't be?
then why dont most of them go to college ? ah thats right the diff between educated and not in the job field is MUCH smaller than the usa
@@Dan16673How come you think they don't study.
They do. A lot. For instance Finland is famous for its excellent education system.
@@butterflies655 famous for high school. NOT FOR COLLEGE. do you even finland
As a Scandinavian I strongly refuse we are "white christians", we are predominantly white, yes, but we are also mostly agnostics. Not just atheistic, most of us don´t believe at all in any religious stuff. Those that do go to church does it more often than not for a "traditional" experience, kind of like christmas and the easter.
Totally agree. We are mostly agnostics. Religion are thought at all grades, and so is sience. So I guess we more or less have found out that religion is and was a way of controlling people, or some look at it, some of the parts, as a way to live your life.
An indisputable fact.
A lot of devoted and commitment christians there. Just atheists don't want to agree with that.
When it comes to HAPPINESS in Finland.... Its not about them walking around smiling all day and cant believe their lucky lives. Its about not having to chose which one of their kids get education. Not having to worry about medical bills. Not having to wonder where the next meal or rent is going to come from.
Its about every day not having to be a grind, a grift, a hustle and a scam. Because just being a normal person with a job is just great. You dont need to live a life in deep desperation... Like tens of millions of americans do.
Exactly.
No country can guarantee a happy life to it's citizens, but Finland has done a good job at providing many safety nets to stop people from falling off.
But the Brits, French, and Germans don't have to worry about much of those things either. The US beats them according to this report on happiness.
@@user-ib9bk7nq6s I can't speak for the French or Germans but Britain has a poor 'safety net' in reality. NHS dentistry pretty much a myth in many areas, doctors doing their work by email nowadays, hospitals barely functioning, police service not fit for purpose. Schools are crumbling, most people on 'welfare' are in employment but wages falling behind since 2008, foodbanks all over the country now. Charity has had to replace gov. in so many areas, and almost everyone is as miserable as fuk.
@@yawningsoldier7675
It also needs to be said that Finland is not particularly special in that. You would have only mildly, marginally different rights, freedom, and amenities if you lived in Denmark, France, Germany. The top countries are extremely closely ranked in terms of prosperity.
The reason these rankings get any press at all, is mostly because the controversy is around how low USA ranks in stark contrast to how highly they evaluate themselves..
@@althepalno1164 Germany and France's welfare states are as large as the Nordics. To claim otherwise is a myth. Clearly this is just an ad hoc explanation by TYT to reassert their ideological perspective.
I have a single mom working the Mid shift with me working two jobs (16hrs days). She has thousands of dollars in student loans debt and she is a single mother with absentee father (not collecting child support).
Finland is not an economic free-for-all where the weakest are neglected and punished for being poor.
the homeless are not neglected in the US
millions of dollars in aid go to the homeless annually supposedly (unless churches and left-wing groups steal it)
a lot of groups use the poor and homeless to make themselves money
a lot of the homeless aid goes to non-homeless staff instead of to homeless people
@@mirandaladlad9429 while it’s true that most “charities” are inefficient at best and corrupt cash grabs at worst, most charities aren’t “left wing.” I assume you mean liberal. Charity is inherently capitalist. Mutual aid so the leftist answer to providing community services within the confines of a capitalist system. Most leftists are much more interested in systemic solutions that emphasize community building and mutual responsibility than “charity” corporations and the rich.
It also would cost a lot more than “millions” to address the 500-600,000 Americans who sleep in the streets in a given night, never mind address the mental illness, medical debt, domestic violence, substance abuse, and insufficient disability and unemployment infrastructure that is at the core of the problem.
@@mirandaladlad9429 traitor trump had to pay a fine of $2 million for a fraudulent charitable foundation. As republicans say "we love traitor trump cause he is just like us"
@@LGrian: 'It also would cost a lot more than “millions” to address the 500-600,000 Americans who sleep in the streets in a given night ...' That's less than one million people. Just a small fraction of the US military-industrial spending could alleviate the homeless problem.
Yeah! I am from Finland, we have our parliamentary elections soon and, unfortunately, it is a very close race between the Right and the Left (the spineless Centre will just follow the winner). As a leftist, I worry about the neoliberal and conservative tidal wave. Finland is great but we could do even better with social welfare, pay equality, multiculturalism, and women's and LGBTQ+, as well as disability rights.
P.S. Though, apparently and quite uniquely, the Centre has declared that they do not wish to repeat their cooperation with the Left. The Centre really stabbed the Left in the back during its stint in the Marin coalition, so I cannot say I miss them. Alas, the even more right-wing parties (the Centre usually leans more to the right than the left) are a real threat.
We'll never do a lot better... corporate greed and corruption will see to that. It's easier and more expedient for them to have a populace of serfs and virtual slaves than happy, 'free' men...
Not Socialist, They are Social Democracies. Big difference
I always love the "white" excuse
@@Boris80b: the white excuse or why their unhappiness is the fault of someone else, usually those of colour.
Now Finland has got right wing government. Right wing won the election.
@@zumatoobsit has nothing to do with anything.
@@zumatoobs No, About 10% of people living in Finland have a foreign background. In the capital region, the number is significantly higher. We have suburbs where schools have more immigrants than Finnish children.
Spent some time in Denmark. Truly another happy country. 😊
Some things worth noting:
- Pretty much no American under 40 thinks we live in the greatest country on earth.
- The corruption metric is about ***perceived*** corruption specifically - it's how corrupt people feel their country's institutions are, this isn't the same as measuring actual corruption.
- The US ranking (15th) is embarrassing as shit, but it's also trending better after taking a nosedive in the Trump era . It was one place lower last year, and ranked 18th and 19th in the two years before. To compare, countries I thought were better off than us have actually declined - the UK dropped 4 spots in the same time frame and now ranks where we did four years ago, at 19. Germany, Belgium and France surprisingly also rank lower.
Anyway, I'm a pessimist, but I hope we continue to improve.
Our perceived corruption and actual corruption seems to be pretty much the same, low. Last corruption scandal I remember was some politician using her expense account on beauty products and spas, rather frivolous. Pretty far from cops covering up killing innocent protesters or big companies peddling knowingly harmful products, Id say. Edit: Im a Finn.
My bro lives in france and was friends with a traffic cop. The cop would stop trucks with building materials and give them the choice of dropping off part of the load at his house or get fined for an overloaded vehicle. He built a fancy double garage in no time. He's probably a police chief now.
@@althepalno1164 when I was a younger man I used to buy quarter pounds of weed from a cop. That cop is the chief of police now.
I'm over 40 and I don't think it's anywhere near the greatest country on earth.
@@Boris80b I live in Connecticut I'm afraid to drive to Florida it's such a s*** show. My buddy got robbed in Georgia by the Georgia State Police!
Finland ISN'T a socialist country. Please stop repeating this nonsense. Finland is a capitalist country with a strong community sense.
If you described the way society works in north European countries re: free hospital treatment, free university education and so on, many republicans would consider it a commie / marxists / satanist / LGBTQ+ hellscape similar to mad max. You see, true Americans believe in survival of the fittest and to hell with the rest (unless daddy left you a few millions and a real estate empire in which case you may well be the second coming of christ) and are proud of the fact that gun death is now the dominant cause of death to children in the US and that medical bills are the most common reason for ordinary people to have to declare bankruptcy. And your people are beautiful and normal looking too!
There´s an old proverb saying; "It takes two bring a baby, it takes a village to raise a child" That statement has so many levels and meanings to it. Support for the parents is just one of them.
People in Finland and Norway and other similar countries actually LIKE paying their taxes, because they know those tax dollars goes into giving them free healthcare, all the social services and support they need, free education, cops who aren't fascist murderers like in the US, quality infrastructure, etc...
FDR put the richest Americans on a tax rate of 91%. That helped to invest in America's growing middle-class!
The tax rate was so high for the CEOs that the only thing they could do is put more investment into their own companies--hire more Americans and keep their equipment/machines updated and that in turn made USA No1 top quality manufacturer in the world!
Union made, "Made in America," was all about the finest quality at a reasonable price.
And our public schools were famous for educating top notch scientists, doctors, the trades.
Rightwing billionaires & corporate owned Democrats and their corporate masters have turned that around. 3rd world USA today. Inequality has never been worse.
How is it free if they have to pay taxes for it?
@@esonon5210 Free healthcare: you need heart surgery, you get heart surgery. It is paid for you already. Basically it is a non-profit insurance company that deals with it. If you have no income you never pay anything of it.
@@sampohonkala4195 So it's not free, it's pre-paid. And idk how that's any different than someone who has good health insurance.
@@esonon5210 It is different in the way that even the alcoholic in the street has that insurance and if he needs heart surgery he gets heart surgery. You are entitled to that insurance before you are born.
One happy Finn here👋
So easy to understand, but the vast majority of people are taught to submit to corporate rule. 😢
Nordic countries have lower tax rate on corperations anf the rich, higher tax rate on lower and middle income and a retirment age around 68. This is the way to fund the healthcare, but the american peopel wont do it
Gotta love corporate propaganda
The "American Dream" is still real but remember you have to be asleep to enjoy it !
George Carlin got it right.
@@spaceballs44 Al Murray once said “We don’t have a dream in Great Britain. Because we’re too busy being awake”. 😂
Another favourite was where he talked about the San Andreas fault. He says: “classic American behaviour. Trying to pass the blame onto some poor Mexican. It’s not San Andreas fault. It’s yours (to an American in the crowd) for building on it in the first place”. 😂
@@spaceballs44 Of course he was and still is !
@@tonkajahari3010 Take a selfie and keep on admiring yourself you schmuck !🤣
@@gameofender4463 All hail the Ale - Pub Landlord
I teach at a private university in the US and am using this video in my next psychology class. Thank you.
Based
" Freedom to make Life's Choices " . I wonder if Euthanasia for hopelessly mental ill is in that category.
"But they're not the most dominant military the earth has ever seen"- Republicans
I knew it wasn't America! Go figure! 🙄
I met a gentleman from Finland once. He was a sailor and biker. Insanely muscular, as were his friends. I think his name was Tom.
Tom of Finland?
I thought this was a setup for a joke... and then there was no punchline
Should I ask *where* you met him or am I better off not knowing?
Regarding the 'Richest Country in the World'. Remember that 5 Americans control as much wealth as the bottom 90% of the rest of the population.
Exactly. Being the richest country means very little to 80% of Americans. On YT, "Interesting facts" video shorts said in USA today, 45% of Americans have $0 in savings.
Richest country is more of an insult than anything. Inequality has never been worse than now.
Perhaps Americans by birth, But I bet there assets are in international havens and America see little of any taxes.
Corruption is unfortunately a relative term. A lot of abusive business and political practices are legal in the US that you would be imprisoned for in other democratic (and even many non-democratic) countries.
Yes they have policies actually care for their people.
Don't France or Germany? The US is happier according to this report.
Yup ,they do care about their people. That's why they keep illegal immigrants out .
@@joebeal4212 yes if there were no immigrants you would be happy. Oh and no gays, trans, feminists, drag queens, minorities of any kind, real history taught. Did I cover it bozo?
@@user-ib9bk7nq6s not like the Scandinavian countries
@@sberesford2523 What? They are, particularly France, more left-wing than the Nordic countries. The major difference is that while France extensively taxes the rich, the Nordic countries combine their welfare state with flat taxes and more pro-corporate policies.
Lesson for America, stop being so proud and egotistical and just copy what works in other countries.
It only works because America protects Europe so they don't have to spend much money on their military. If America pulls out their socialism will collapse because they will have to build their own military.
Let’s vote for the tRump’s family force exile! 😂
@@BobMuskFan nah dude, you already said that. It's a state of mind, more than anything. The US enjoys being the world's Police. Spending taxpayers dollars on false flag Wars, keeping Military bases etc. Use that money to help US Americans.
Europe will not collapse. It is NOT that dependent on the US. Again that frame of mind is why it's so tough for US Citizens to travel or even immigrant to other Countries, without problems. The mentality is scary.
But, we are Americans. Why should we? 😜 We would rather fail miserably or bring our own demise than to admit our faults, and worse yet, copy other nations who are leaving us in the dust! that’s the American 🇺🇸 way! Yay 👏
No one's super proud to live here anymore.
2005 wants its stereotypes back.
Man absence of corruption sure sounds nice
And this is exactly why Corruption is the #1 issue, even over climate change because it stands in the way of everything else.
I'm not so naive as to believe it can be completely eliminated or that doing so would magically make everything better, but it do a hell of a lot. Corruption really does need to be treated as seriously if not more so than murder.
But it's such a monumental undertaking that while still possible, will likely decades to fix. I should also point out that Trump's "drain the swamp" routine resonated deeply with a majority of people (too bad it couldn't have been more hollow and ironic coming from that clown)
Not the U.S. That's what popped into my head before I even watched the video. Not surprised at the U.S.'s rank.
The USA has the happiest corporate CEOs in the world!
lol yep
Ahh maybe the second or third, we got the OPEC states
Usa have also one of the worlds highest tax rate on the rich and corperations
@@nicholasholden1896 those poor rich guys
@@nicholasholden1896 oh boo hoo let me play a sad song for you on the world’s smallest violin
Sigh! We in the Nordic countries are:
-NOT socialist. When will Americans learn definitions of different political ideologies?
-NOT homogenous, as there are several indigenous ethnic groups. On top of that, we have a lot of immigrants and asylum seekers.
-NOT Christians.
Progressive taxation and programs that fully support your residents may seem normal to you. It’s not normal to us in America. So, to many those sorts of normal govt programs are called “socialism” in a broad term.
Doesn’t make the usage of the word correct or wrong, just maybe misinterpreted by way too many.
You do have socialized government responsibility towards citizens, that’s what they’re referring to.
@@notpocky9806 No, why you are refering to it as socialism, are because of propaganda.
Several indigenous ethnic groups in the Nordic countries? Where are Europeans indigenous to if not Europe? Where are Finns indigenous to if not Finland? Also is mass asylum a good thing? I heard about Malmo.
And, the "asylum seekers" are destroying Europe.
@@poontang1194 What? Where did you hear that?
I'm Norwegian. I have a masters degree that I did not pay for. I have healthcare. Recently I got an MR of both of my knees and I paid 25 dollars out of pocket. I pay 32% taxes, but I am okay with that. I feel safe and taken care of.
You have socialism, we have sociopathy!
Good for you for being happy but you did pay for that masters degree and most americans have healthcare. You’ll be paying for that degree for the rest of your working life.
@@esonon5210 I pay taxes. Just like you pay taxes. That is not the same as having a heavy student loan on your shoulders. And my taxes benefit us all. I know Americans have healthcare, but when your friend tell you they were billed 6000 dollars for sitting in the ER for five hours and then being sent home after hardly being treated… that just seems silly. Imagine if you could go to the ER and not have to worry about payment.
@@esonon5210 May I recommend looking into tuition for schools in Europe? I think they may surprise you, especially their equivalent to the US's out-of-state tuition!
@@stiras1 I agree it is silly. And if my friend went through that I would tell him not to pay the bill and let the hospital just write it off. Three years ago, I had to go to the doctor to get my nose checked out and they charged me $1200. What do you think I did? Do you think I'm worrying about the payment.
They have the best education system in Europe, probably the world as well
Nope. That would be Singapore, Japan, Korea... Finalnd is the best in Europe, that's correct.
@@krunoslavkovacec1842 Those systems are highly pressured exam mills. The Finnish one is probably a better holistic system
Socialism? Nope, more like social democracy which is quite different from socialism.
You don't know what socialism is. Google it.
@@therealjammit Looks like you don't know what social democracy is. Google it.
Finland is a very capitalist country with some social elements.
We already know it's not America, no surprise there.
Finland No. 1
6:44 They are white, but Christian? Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Iceland are super atheist.
They are not super atheist.
A lot of committed and devoted christians there.
Particularly in Finland there are percentually very big number of committed christians.
I wouldn't call it the 'happiness' index. It's more like the 'least worrying about your life' index. I am Dutch.
As an American who constantly worries about my life, I'd call that bliss.
The Dutch are the most relaxed non Scandinavian Europeans !
Freedom and happiness require that individuals recognise their own understanding of, and responsibility for the system that allows it. I think that broadly speaking Scandinavian countries
do this very well.
I love all the butthurt Americans who can't handle the survey . It is what it is . Your feelings don't change the results .
Well, actually...🤔
They are hurt because this sticks a pin in their long held beliefs that run amok corporatism is the solution to all ills in society.
Greetings from finland
Greetings. I’ve always been interested in Finland. Apparently you guys have lots of bunkers in Finland? What’s that like?
GameOfEnder, have you been to Finland?
@@spaceballs44 No. but it looks nice.
Life expectancy is a big tell. The USA ranks 28th compared to the rest of the world, right behind Cuba.
I presented the same kinds of information to conservative leaning people in my life and the answer sum up is pretty much in a condescending way like "Yeah its easy to be the happiest when you can be lazy on all of that welfare!". All of them seem so insecure of themselves that their job is their entire identity! When some of them get laid off, you can see how horribly they take unemployment like they completely lost their soul.
*BULGARIA* where I now live - always does REALLY BADLy but its actually a very happy country - the issue is a cultural belief that if you SAY you are happy or satisfied, the universe will take that away from you. You do NOT "tempt fate" by admitting to being happy
So anyone being asked in a survey will ALWAYS say they are unhappy and everything is terrible.
This all seems like common sense to me, but unfortunately common sense really isn't common. Poverty is the #1 reason for crime. The Dali Lama said something like if there was no poverty crime would go done about 90%, maybe even 100%. It seems like a no brainer and I don't understand why some people can't grasp that.
Lack of money is the root of all evil.
@@georgeglass3680 By your idiot logic, the richest people in the world must be the most moral and ethical.
True
As a Finn I think it's not just what we do necessarily. Imo it's derived from our mentality and motives.
For example your goal is to get rid of crime by arresting everyone who break the law, compared to trying to prevent people from resorting to crime.
I suppose don't just copy whatever we do in Finland, since it may not be the best option (or at least not the best option for the time being)
Edit: hate it or love it, perhaps it would be adviced to come see yourselves (since No system is perfect regardless how happy the people may be)
I’m happy to come from one of those "socialist countries"
I'm happy not being an American. My country has its problems, but gun violence and enslavement to the corporations are not amongst them. We also have universal healthcare, so I don't have to worry about getting sick.
When I was teaching healthcare students, I brought in the World Happiness Report to open my students eyes about how the US compares to the rest of the world and how important Universal Healthcare is.
what about universal housing? and food? and entertainment? why must you neglect our other needs
You'd be happy too if Nightwish came from your country! Unfortunately, I'm not from Finland but I love some of their music....
Will finland accept me, I might moving to their country
I'll stay in Canada, myself. Nice place, and they let me vote.
It's worth looking into. I cam tell you that Nordic countries that place so high on the scale of quality of life and happiness can be difficult to obtain residency in or citizenship in....because they're well aware of how much more fair and humane and desirable their societies are.
The Scandinavian countries are largely secular, I don't know where they think they're christian, especially Sweden which is one of the least religious countries in the world.
If Wikipedia is correct, Sweden is around 60% Christian.
@@gee_emm Although over half of the population (60.2%) identify with the Church of Sweden, church attendance is considerably low. Most Swedes who are active Christians usually attend church for significant rituals and ceremonies, including baptisms, marriages and funerals. For some, the Church of Sweden provides a cultural identity and thus may be nominally Christian. According to surveys conducted by the Pew Research Center, three-quarters of Swedes show low levels of religious commitment and 65% seldom attend religious services. So lip service christianity basically and the younger Swedes are increasingly non religious even if they attend services, it's more about community than it is religion. 31.3% of the population do not identify or did not specify a religion. Immigrants are raising the over all religious percentage, especially Muslims who bring Islam with them. For centuries, the Church of Sweden had state support and was connected to the Swedish national identity. However, in 2000, a complete legal separation of church and state was instated, making Sweden officially secular. Ideas of secularism can be found in Swedish society. For example, many Swedes consider religion as a private matter. Some find it distasteful to boast or overemphasize one’s religious affiliation. Instead, it is common for Swedes to keep the topic of religion to themselves. Nonetheless, Sweden’s secular society is marked by great pride in religious diversity, tolerance and acceptance for all worldviews, particularly in light of the increasing migrant population and the growth of many religions.
I believe Sweden still has a rule where at birth you are sort of enrolled in the Church of Sweden, or they at least still had that rule in the recent past. But, anyways, I live here and it's very Atheist. You almost can't find a Christian.
@@hildormuthafoenrolled?😮 Absolutely not correct...if you want your child to be a part of any religious practices you have to sort that out yourself... But the church of Sweden is also a well run organisation that us non Christians can respect and be greatful for because of their work with social issues, culture, and open liberal views on different groups in need. We are not Christian but attended playgroups before the kids started kindergarten, and so did some of my Muslim friends...
Percentually Finland has got a lot of committed Christians. Also Lutheran church is the state's religion. Also there are Christian channels.
The normal reaction would be to say to oneself “Well now I wanna move there!” But keep in mind, we’re American… should we move there we’ll only manage to drag them down by making them as miserable as we are! Granted, that’s mostly because of conservatives and corporatists…
Nonsense. Only 20 percent are idiots. The rest want what every normal person wants. And I'm Canadian
Nah. This sounds like the shit xenophobes everywhere say to keep out the "undesirables."
America has spent most of its history taking in people from places that, at the time, were worse off than we were, and it's pretty much always been to our advantage.
All that cold and snow and still the happiest people in the world. Finland here I come.
Do "a day in the life" Finland vs USA
Side by side.
Finland...wake up in your own house, take care of newborn on paid mat leave...eat safe nutritional food etc.
Step by step, side by side MIGHT open some eyes.
@Johny Ringo But y'all been telling us for 2 years that because of Biden, Drag queens, inflation and gas prices america has become a dystopian nightmare of epic proportions. How can you afford the gas to get to the store, or afford any food once you get there? Don't tell me it's all been lies 🤣🤣
@johnyringo6442 Bullshit, I guarantee you still live in your parents basement. Your mom just cooked you some microwaved chicken nuggets, oven baked fries and a cup of lukewarm water, all while mumbling how much she hates you.
@Johny Ringo I paid my student debts along with my mortgage and car payments many years ago thanks. And education should be free (along with healthcare etc.). Invest in society and you will reap the rewards. You seem pretty triggered ringo, make another cocktail and chill for a while.
@Johny Ringo It's free across most of europe. Go to college, there is no extra tax burden on you for that, no extra fee to pay. It's free. I guess it's difficult for you to grasp the concept? Whatever college you went to, ask for a refund. You have a great case. How's that throbbing vein in your temple doing buddy? Keep slugging back the margaritas. 😃
I want to be that happy! I can't recall the last time I was that happy!
Im still riding the wave laughing at right wingers when Trump lost
Hey Cenk, be very accurate in how you explain wealth. The USA has the highest GDP. Also, the USA also has among the highest average income per Capita , But, But, But has a very mediocre median income per Capita compared to many developed countries. The result : the masses of people in the United States do Not have a higher standard of living compared to the masses of people in many other developed countries including Finland. To all that believe I'm not making sense or don't understand what I'm saying there's a solution : please take a course in Statistics and come to understand the difference between average and median. The average can vary in skewed distributions and is therefore much less valuable.
Being the richest sucks when 93% of that goes to the 1%.
A living wage, affordable housing and food, healthcare for all, childcare, paid family leave, and more. ATT: Congress USA! Legislate to PROMOTE THE GENERAL WELFARE . Make America Grateful Again.
Make amerkca like the nordic countries, raise the retirement age to 68, higher taxes on lower and middle class and lower taxea on mega rich and corperations
Greetings from Finland. It is often said that we Finns pay really high taxes. That is not true. Sure, taxation is progressive, the poor pay less and the rich pay more, but the average tax on work income is only around 20%. As far as I understand, about the same in the USA? We get a lot of value for our tax money. Free or almost free is health care (includes all health care childbirth, dental care, hospital, medicines, etc.), education (even university), hot meals in schools, daycare for children, libraries, roads (no tolls), affordable public transport and much, much more. What do you get for your taxes in America?
California, New York, Hawaii residents pay very high taxes --- and rents. So much so that unlike Nordic nations, people are fleeing these places
I'm moving to Finland
Difficult language but go for it.
The six things they named are all very important. I'm happy for them.
Vast majority of Americans couldn't show you Finland on a world map.
I would sell my soul for free health care... health care where the doctors can do what they want for tests instead of insurance claim worries. My daughter needs surgery on her ear. Doctor used the word elective because she can still hear. But if she looses her hearing insurance covers it? How fkn backwards is that?! Either way she needs the surgery so it is what it is. We will add her bill to my chronic illness ongoing medical billa
The people dont want it
@@nicholasholden1896 Not true. Many polls show that a majority of the population is in favor of some form of nationalized health care.
I'm sorry to hear you & yours suffering in the supposed richest country in the world. To me, that's more insult on top of injury as 80% of Americans aren't feeling it!
I have been listening to a young woman from Norway who became a quadriplegic in a diving accident. Though she and her husband are "low income" she gets all of her therapy and medical assistance that she needs from professionals that come to her home regularly.
USA is owned by greedy sociopathic CEOs like the ones from Wall Street bankers and Railroads that break our regulations and our taxpayer funds and buy up all Rethuglicons and those corporate moderate Democrats who have no soul.
And we are left with worrying about paying our medical bills and keeping a roof over our heads, if we are lucky enough to be able to afford one.
I watched a video short on YT yesterday topic, "Interesting facts," and in US, 45% of all Americans have $0 in savings. I think it's worse than that.
@@nicholasholden1896 Speak for yourself rw troll.
@@popkick8350 Don't be nice to ppl who spread BS lies. Tell them that they need to speak for themselves.
Only a rw troll says dumb crap like this.
I'm a proud Finnish-American, most Americans simply wouldn't "get" Finland if they tried to move there. They don't understand how people there don't care about "getting ahead of the Joneses". 4pm-everyone goes home from work. They wouldn't understand how a Finn can sit calmly by his/her self in quiet contemplation. They don't understand how Finns can be great workers, intrinsically motivated by the work itself, not the potential rewards. Sisu!
Your impressions of America and Americans are wildly out of date - working just to match status with the neighbors is boomer sitcom shit. I'm a millennial - people my age and younger are grinding just to pay off college debt and save up for medical expenses. None of us care who has what, because we all have nothing. Also people aren't choosing to work late for just for the fuck of it, it's because of coercion by their (mostly non-union) employers. I'm sure we'd all love to clock out at four pm every day..
@@4tner Yeah, right. I live in America now, in a, I guess you could say, middle class community (nobody's wealthy). Yet a lot of people somehow find a way to be driving Teslas or big tricked out pickups. Everybody has to have the latest cell phones, everybody wants to brag about their kid getting a scholarship to a prestigious college, etc. There are just as many signs of people wanting an upgrade in status as there were 30 years ago. But keep that millennial fantasy of being different. Seems like there's more people wanting to go backwards (why else would trump have any sway at all?) than changing into something different.
Does not getting murdered by guns in public places, government schools and churches taken into a count?
The people vote agianst gun laws
Right, most poor people are stuck in a poverty loop of some type. It's not hard to see, if you look.
Most poor people are lazy when it comes to changing their situation in life.
Because the left makes sure they continue to think they're victims.
As a person of Finnish decent, I believe lot of why Finland and other Nordic countries do so well on this survey is due to their culture. They feel less of a need to gather material things in order to "keep up with the Jokinens". They are also generally very straight forward and say what they mean, and mean what they say ( thus the relative lack of corruption). They have a strong connection to nature, and a Finn's ideal vacation is a couple of weeks in a small cabin on a lake in the woods. They also, for the most part, are modest and refrain from bragging. ( You want to know how to make a Finn uncomfortable? Compliment them. ) And on top of that, how is not easy to be content when sauna is such a deep part of your culture?
Agreed, ever since I was little it was banged into my head that I needed material things in order to consider myself happy and successful. And I had to do better than the most successful person next to me, a never ending contest to "keep up" and do better than everyone.
Sounds nice.
THE NETHERLANDS! MOSTLY not religious!
Location, population size, natural resources, etc all play a part.
Just an example of how bad things are going in the USA, the average middle class Australian family earns around $250,000 per year but the average American middle class family earns around $50,000 per year. Australia has a decent public health system, paid maternity leave for both parents, an unemployment system that helps with retraining. Australia has a higher average wage, healthier people and more freedom to choose your own lifestyle.
_"the average middle class Australian family earns around $250,000 per year"_
Not according to any source I could find, so I'm afraid I'm going to have to call bullshit on you. What is your source?
@AlbertaGeek according to the sources that I have seen that is correct. So I will say that you are full of bullshit. Personally I don't think that you should use insults but that seems to be the norm nowadays. People have lost the ability to have a conversation without putting people down.
Swede here. A couple of decades ago, we were like Finland. Neoliberal policies changed that. Fun fact; Finland has looked at our educational policies (deregulation, charter schools etc) and deliberately did the opposite.
You are worse off then Finland because you were dum8 enough to accept all "those" people as fake refugees. Enjoy.
No explosions in Finland. How does that happen if explosive devices are illegal in Sweden?
When I was growing up in Britain in the 70's and 80's the structure of Sweeden and Finland looked inseparable.
@@djuro14 Because Finland doesn't have a bridge connecting them to Denmark. Yeah, it's that simple.
@@MsAnpassad Bridge control is needed.
I'm so happy for Finland💙💜💚
Finland has universal health care and education is fully tax funded from early childhood education onto college. Breathing in clean air would make anyone happy as Finland has strict environmental laws. Not one single person can explain why the American education system which isn't fully tax funded is far superior to European countries where the percentage of educated people is far higher than the USA. An overpriced university in the USA which strives on exclusion shouldn't be looked at the gold standard for education in America.
Freedom helps make Citizens Happy !! - On the World Freedom Index 2023:
Finland - 7th place - 8.85
USA - 17th place - 8.73
Funny to read these "94-95% white". I guess those that say that don't know anything about Finland.
For example in the town closest to me there are 118 different nationalities that speak 94 different languages.
And most of them speak one or both of the official languages, swedish and finnish, of the country.
Of course it is a bit different in the countryside but I guess it's the same in us with even higher % white.
But even in the willage where I live, 300+ inhabitants, we have one from Ireland and one from Kazakhstan, both well integrated.
You sound like a child. The largest Finland racial/ethnic group is white 91%. Finland is a largely homogeneous country. There is no arguing with this fact.
@@gridlock5878 you're telling a native Finlander how things "really" are in Finland? "Asshole" doesn't begin to describe that.
BTW, fairly low religiosity, too.
@@MCodger saw your comment…. Please tell inform me if this video is true, is Finland a very nice and happy place? I just wanna know the truth from a real Finland. That all. You can only get the truth from the real people. Thanks.
@@dr.prof.robtopnotch I'm a Swede and yes Finns don't stress as much as we do and they have the best education in the world. A foreigner may experience most Scandinavians as morose ( see Ingmar Bergman movies) but they are just quiet and don't want to stand out in a crowd. We used to have a saying "if a stranger starts talking to you on a bus, the person is either a mental patient, inebriated, or an American. Finns are very much into healthy outdoor activities and have a longer life expectancy
Religion is not a big thing in Scandinavia, as a matter of fact, it's the most secular country in the world and there's NO religion in politics
freedom for the sami native people
Honestly, 15 seems high for the US. It's a hellscape compared to when I was a kid. Everything socks, each year is harder than the last, and infrastructure is falling apart. I just don't know how much more I can take. I vote for change in every election, but never see it. Maybe I need to learn Finish or Hebrew if I want to find happiness. We have the right to pursue happiness in the USA, but it feels more like chasing the dragon here than a truly attainable goal. I've already given up on the idea of being happy.
@5:04 I'll take, "What makes a country's citizens happy (aside from being proud about their homeland) for 1000, Alex"
Finland’s population is declining as there older population is growing. We can learn a lot from them and how they handle the future.
It does help that it's a secular country for starters. 🙄
Actually their pretty religious.. a lot of their most popular attractions are religion related..
Why should religion be used to determine others’ happiness?
@@popkick8350 In Finland It does not. It is a very free country.
@@unknown39778 Greece has the Parthenon which probably has been visited meny more times then any similar temple in Finland, but I very much doubt you will run into many who still worships Athena or Zeus and France has Versailles but no king or queen.
Surprised we aren't lower than 15.
Yes!
That is because of the higher populated blue states
Not surprised, they are progressive as all hell. Its not the 100% without flaws but once you understand how they assist your living to success its not surprising.
hello , you " guyz " nailed it.............🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰 thank you , for sharing...........
America must be hating on Finland 😂😂😂
European countries combined, come close to US rates of gun ownership but still less then half of mass shooting compared to the US, and Finland and Norway are among the safest country internationally with regards to gun violence. Perhaps because Finland and Norway have a civilise gun cultures, cultures where gun ownership is associated with traditional values of respect and responsibility,
Both Israel and Finland have military conscription and relatively good welfare systems. Finland has a christian history but it is not a religious country unlike Israel where the whole country is based on religion.
Finland's state's church is Lutheran protestant church. It's law system is based on christian religion.
Stop saying we're socialist. We're a social democracy instead of an anti social democracy like yours.😅I'm a social free market regulated democrat with finesse. Oh and coffeeshops. Where you can buy coffee + happy stickies. And we have a new party who won in every province. The Boer Burger Beweging. The farmer civilian movement. Not a fan of them but hey, give the countryboys a chance. That's democracy. We have like 25 parties in our house of representatives. We like a good (house)party.🥳
Young TERFs are damn liars, nothing new there.
You're expecting Americans to be able to wrap their heads around the Nordic model? You are far more optimistic than I am. 😄
...för jag vill leva jag vill döööö i NORDEN...trallala
@@djuro14 doesnt stop you from watching and making uneducated comments...
Finland is not even a social democracy. The social democrats have roughly a 20% support, the majority supports other parties and ideologies. But most people agree on 3 things: If a homeless person dies in the street because of cold weather it is not ok. If a smart kid cannot go to university because her parents are flat broke it is not ok. If a woman dies because she needed heart surgerry that she could not afford, it is not ok.
Finland like other Nordic countries are very capitalist countries with some social effect. Americans do not seem to know what socialism really is.
I did not know there was a competition, maybe all this happiness has blinded me.
Normally, this is what I don't care about... but to have that title for 6 years, no other country took a look at Finland and ask themselves "Shit... what are we doing wrong?"?
Yeah, wouldnt put too much stock into this, Might wanna look at HOW these rankings are done, A bunch of dudes get together in a room and decide the ranking. Barely look at surveys and the surveys themselves are pretty dumb. And I am sure that the people doing the ranking being from Scandanivian countries doesnt affect the ratings at all. Look, I am not saying USA would be at the top. Certainly not. And I am not saying scandinivian countries probably wouldnt fare well, they would. But these rankings - they arent scientific so dont put much stalk in them. Most rankings around the globs about safety, crime, development, education, awareness, democracy are pretty crap because they all have crap methodology
Too late. We're already too diverse to be as happy as Finland.
Why does Cenk say "even though we are by far the richest."? GDP per capita is one of the weighted criteria in the index and it ramps up all rich countries in N. America, W. Europe, E. Asian rim. Several of these have higher GDP per capita than the US. Iceland outranks the US in both that individual income index AND the happiness score. Norway and Switzerland and Luxembourg also regularly outrank the US by this measure. It's a big factor! It gets modulated by the other scores. US citizens can't rely on media, even here, to check these things before going on air and repeating. A better index still would involve MEDIAN income per capita p.p.p.
Cenk also think america is more corrupt then afghanistan
The comments on youtube have taught me a completely new reason for the Nordic countries being so happy:
If any one from outside attacks one of us, the others will immidiately move into defence mode.
We just like siblings: constantly beeting each other up, but if any one from outside attacks our sister, they'll have hell to deal with.
It makes me happy, to know we've got each others back.
Makes a little Dane fell a bit bigger 😂
When I was living & working in LA my last few years were as a freelancer, had no insurance with the exception of the VA hospital if I ever needed medical treatment. I've lived in Canada which has both governmental and private, as well in Europe, and have been living here for 30 years. Where I live is several rungs up the listing compared to the US. 4 continents, 6 countries, and one island. I feel quite content here and in retirement.
Where is "here" though?