Second the point about taxes. The "Misery Score" is Chicago School dogma at its most boneheaded; just OMG look at those horribly miserable French! Now, if you're getting taxed and not getting anything back, as roger notes, that's different... but that's not inevitable. The mere presence of the "Misery Score" as a factor makes me distrust this list.
I've changed my mind about a fair number of things, but the biggest shift is probably in my thinking about the durability of Western democracy.
The events of the past eight years made me realize how much I had previously taken the stability of democracy for granted, even though I fancied myself as having a critical political consciousness. Watching the US deteriorate rapidly (and hopefully temporarily) into an incompetent oligarchic police state, and seeing politicians in my own country who want to emulate this model, has been a major wake-up call.
I’m not writing this to start a debate about the Middle East here.
No, you'd rather just get in some uber-patriotic braying and skip the debate, I'm sure. But I don't suppose it's occurred to you that people like yourself are precisely the reason for Fish's caution. Not everyone wants to be taken for the sort who yammers about Arab perfidy and the brave work of the IDF at the drop of a hat.
Also, the Romans were pagans when they conquered Greece.
Quibbles aside, fun article.
Also, The Icarus Factor are creating a stir on the post-microcore scene with And Show Your Distrust.
(And only four comments before the first Islamophobe, that must be some kind of record.)
The events of the past eight years made me realize how much I had previously taken the stability of democracy for granted, even though I fancied myself as having a critical political consciousness. Watching the US deteriorate rapidly (and hopefully temporarily) into an incompetent oligarchic police state, and seeing politicians in my own country who want to emulate this model, has been a major wake-up call.
No, you'd rather just get in some uber-patriotic braying and skip the debate, I'm sure. But I don't suppose it's occurred to you that people like yourself are precisely the reason for Fish's caution. Not everyone wants to be taken for the sort who yammers about Arab perfidy and the brave work of the IDF at the drop of a hat.
Awesome! While we're all getting this shit off our chests... I hate racist dumbasses! Damn, that felt good!