Most of central Europe is broke. Obviously we all know about the political corruption inherent there.

Switzerland is the best run country in the world, but there has obviously been massive corruption there nevertheless, and it houses the BIS which is as bad as it gets.

The US is the most corrupt country on the planet, and all of the North American nations are indelibly entwined with it.

Australia has the ‘duelling puppets’ video and the Carbon Tax.

The smaller Eastern European nations have all kinds of social problems owing to Communist / Iron Curtain / Soviet corruption.

Russia is the third most corrupt country on the planet.

Africa is totally fucked, it has been raped to high heaven, and the most stable nation is South Africa, where all the wealthy white people live in gated estates and there is incredible crime and massive racial tension.

Much the same could be said about the Middle East as Africa, but on top of that virtually the entire area is infected by a kind of collective mania which doesn’t really help the social lives and basic rights of the people that live there, whose living standards are generally terrible while people such as the group who own Manchester City control immense wealth.

Israel is the second most corrupt country on the planet.

Living standards in China are increasing, but it’s an absolute totalitarian state. They’ve managed to combine the worst aspects of crony capitalism and Communism within one nation.

Japan was part of the Axis during the Second World War. They’ve had massive economic problems, and I don’t know too much about the politics there, but that’s probably one of the best options. Nevertheless, it sounds like a very similar political system to Britain.

The Asian sub-continent is generally incredibly poor. There are some really beautiful places there, such as Sri Lanka, but poverty is immense.

South America is fantastic, by far my favourite continent, and it was one of the few places on the planet where some political regimes existed which actually intended to improve the lives of their people. They all got overthrown, or weighed down by economic issues, much as is happening to Europe now.

I therefore conclude that the best place to live is Monaco. Almost entirely populated by millionaires, billionaires and trillionaires, there is no need for corruption in Monaco because everyone’s already wealthy. They’ve all carried out their corruption before they move there. Of course, you can’t afford to live there, it’s impossible.

UK - go rural less rat race but more GM farmers and their mad tractor races on B roads - not for the faint hearted but worth it for the wildlife, peace n' quiet.
France - Hit the mountain belt, not exactly escaping the rat race but it's an excellent lifestyle if you're into your Boarding or Ski-Cross racing, throwing a few 360s off a kicker while giving the system the finger worked well for me ten years back, the higher the altitude, the better the hypoxia

Other than that, Iceland or Uruguay seem to have sorted some of the corruption out or at least have PM/Presidents aren't overtly fucking over the masses.

Not just tractor drivers either. Whenever I go up the windy country roads near me, there are always maniacs barrelling round blind corners at you at top speed in the middle of the road. It's terrifying. You're in & out of ditches & hedges trying to dodge them.

wake_up_bomb wrote:
That would be my pick given the chance. In fact, I think we should all move in with Chand.

thethinkingrebel wrote:
G'day Thethinkingrebel.

I spent 4 years in the UK ('93-'97) and I can state emphatically that the grass is greener is Australia.

Greener aspects ...

- The weather (a no brainer that one).
- More space (people per square kilometer = Aus - 2.66 / UK - 248.25 alldownunder.com/australian-facts/compare-size.htm).
- Cannabis (Mullumbimby Madness - www.google.com.au/?gfe_rd=ctrl&ei=-0P9Uq...mby+madness+cannabis), some of the 'best' grown anywhere in the world due to the weather (plenty of sunshine).




And guess where I am.

hugorune wrote: I never got to see Chile when I was there, which I would have loved to do, but it's not quite like Britain where you can take a coach trip from one end of the country to the other.

The grass is always greeener in the other man's pasture..... as the old saying goes. Funny how people want to flock to the UK, isn't it? Including the French, Australians etc etc.

My own choice would be Austria. I would happily live out my days somewhere like Salzburg.

I AM ALL I AM wrote:
Too hot, too barren, don't smoke.

andyh wrote:
It's not really though, is it? We're all just squished into certain areas which is what gives the impression that there are simply too many people here.

I will agree that resources have been scratched away at so much so that this also adds to the illusion of scarcity, such as housing, benefits etc...but I've a sneaking suspicion we could all manage very well if things weren't as lopsided as they currently are and we could all see just what goes where and who is making those decisions.

Regardless, this country and this high up on the globe is only good for ferrets, imo. There should never have been any human-beings here in the first place. It's cold, wet, damp and dark most of the time. You may quite like it if you're algae.

Other than that, go SOUTH, young man, somewhere warm, where you can drink from coconuts and all the men look a bit like Novum.

Verlander wrote:
I have it on good authority that people like Australians only really come here to use it as a jumping off point to other places in Europe. Many people seem to think that just because somewhere is old, it may somehow be interesting or intellectually stimulating. What many also fail to realise is that wherever they come from, also has 'istory...they may just have never been told about it in school.

Most importantly HS, the world belongs to YOU. Go where you please, but you really have to go see for yourself first.

Just because you were stamped and branded at birth, does not imo, mean you 'belong' more to one piece of dry land on the entire globe than any other piece of dry land.

Ab Origine wrote:
This.

I feel more 'at home' here than I ever did 'at home', and that's not to say I felt 'lost' back then.

Alternately, you could learn to meditate properly and (a) completely let go of all and any situations that arise in the world and (b) go wherever the fuck you like anyway.

Other than that, it all just depends on what kind of lifestyle you lead. Surprised no-one has mentioned Portugal yet, what with the de-criminalisation of all drugs.

Ive been to Australia many times, its an amazing place.
Never wanted to settle there though, in fact I have never really felt at home anywhere.

Maybe I have travelled too much?

jhado wrote:
I'll get there one day.

Did you go walkabout?

Babs wrote:


en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Australia-climate-map_MJC01.png

Babs wrote:
Chuck you on a fire and I'd bet you'd be smoking hot Bab's.

Some of the best places are on the eastern seaboard in the land of OZ, it has some of the best climate you can get in the world, as a matter of fact anyone can choose to live in what ever climate they desire from the hot tropic's on Northern QLD to the cool and mild summer's of Tasmania and anywhere inbetween those two.

Anyway, countries is just an abstract word. It mean nothing in reality there is no line marking a country on the ground. it's arbitrary, it mean's nothing to one who can think in communal empathetic way's and see the reality for what it is..

I've always had an image of Australia as hot and full of flies. Never had the slightest desire to go there.

Verlander wrote:
I'm the opposite. Had a pull to get there somehow for many years now but haven't managed it yet. Aside from it's 'modern' history, the ancient stuff that nobody really talks about is fascinating too. I think it looks like a beautiful place.

I believe New Zealand is a more beautiful and interesting country - although some day it is like England in the 1950s. Lol!