A World of Happiness

Happiness statistics are rotten in the state of Denmark.
After recently visiting Copenhagen, Denmark with her BFFs the Obamas, she [Oprah] decided that the Danes have got it all figured out. Her study of happiness around the world found that Denmark tops the list. Blondes and bicycles abound in this heavenly Nordic nation, and with free health care and education – and exorbitant spending on maternity and unemployment benefits – this Scandinavian sanctuary has been deemed the world's happiest country. [...]
However, Oprah should have done her research a bit more thoroughly before becoming too attached to the smørrebrød and rødgrød. [...]
Happiness must be graded on a curve in Denmark. Since everything is so wonderful, it's strange to see that the Danes are actually so unhappy that they commit suicide much more often, in every adult age bracket, than we sad and confused Americans do. And while Denmark celebrates its effectiveness in caring for the elderly, the country is #1 in the world in suicides for those aged 65-74. And for all of its great health care programs, Danes and Americans have almost exactly the same average life expectancy...as long as citizens don't kill themselves. [...]
Maybe happiness comes from not having to work very hard or invent anything. The U.S. is #1 in innovation, while Denmark is #17. The U.S. is #3 in patenting, while Denmark is #27. The U.S. is #1 in business efficiency, while Denmark is #8, and the U.S. is #2 in overall productivity per person, while Denmark is #8. The U.S. has a higher gross national income in total and per capita. And while the American economy has been struggling of late, it maintains a higher GDP growth rate than Denmark, which was one of the few countries in the world recently with a net negative growth rate.
Even though our education system is certainly in disrepair, we still are home to seven of the top ten universities in the world. Denmark has zero. We have 31 of the top 100 universities and 168 of the top 500. Denmark has one and five, respectively. Despite political correctness, we must be doing something okay in higher education.
[...] the Danes have a much higher divorce rate than Americans do.
Though America may not be as happy as Denmark, it appears that we try much harder to make others happy. The U.S. is #2 in the world in personal participation in charitable organizations. Denmark is #16 at only 2%. The U.S. is by far #1 in the world in Red Cross donations -- nearly twenty times higher than #8 Denmark. [...]

From American Thinker

What's Behind Oprah's Love of Denmark?

This is a RUSH transcript from "The O'Reilly Factor," from Fox News, January 14, 2010. [...]

BILL O'REILLY, HOST: In the "Culture Warrior" segment tonight, the happiest people in the world. Some researchers believe they are the Danes, and Denmark has been in the news recently. The global warming conference was held there, and Oprah visited trying to get the Olympics to come to Chicago. Now during Ms. Winfrey's stay in Denmark, she recorded this. [...]
GRETCHEN CARLSON, "FOX & FRIENDS" CO-HOST: I would say, who wouldn't be giddy when you find out that you get free health care, free education, four years of payment at 90 percent even after you lose your job, until you read the fine print, which is at the bottom of the document, which says oh, by the way, Danes pay the highest income tax of anyone in the entire world.
O'REILLY: Do you know what the average is? It's about 75 percent if you're making good money, right?
CARLSON: It's definitely over 50 percent.
O'REILLY: OK. So you pay all your money to the government, and they give it — they kick it back to you, Hoover, in the term of entitlements. But that does provide security for the 5.5 million Danes.
HOOVER: Well, and that's exactly the point. You make a fabulous point. There are 5.5 million Danes.
O'REILLY: Right. [...]



Read more at Fox News with video

Oprah and Danish Agnostics