Infant Mortality Rate is defined at the number
of deaths of children under one year of age per thousand live births. The IMR
is a key indicator of a nation’s economic, political and moral health. For
instance after ten years of foreign involvement in Iraq the IMR
remains essentially the same at 41.68
When planning your next winter getaway consider Mexico, a
capitalist democracy with an IMR of 17.29 vs Cuba, a communist dictatorship
with an IMR
of 4.9
How do the top Olympic medal winning countries compare:
IMR
USA 6.06
China 16.06
Russia 10.08
Great Britain 4.62
China 16.06
Russia 10.08
Great Britain 4.62
The United States of America, despite its fading military
power, its corrupt democracy, its predatory business elite continues to be all
things to all people. However with a 41st over all IMR
in the world there nothing here to wave the flag about. This is a nation that
is becoming the sweatshop destination of choice. The IMR rating would seem to support the sense of a country
in serious decline. Not even close to being an elite nation. No chance to get
there.
Russia is the dipsomaniac in the Olympic Room. At 65th
in the world the ineffectual transition to democratic capitalism has clearly
gone off track. Not in the same league as China in manufacturing athletes but
with a better IMR
rating it is still running with the pack of mediocre nations.
Great Britain at 29th in the world and despite
having a German cow for its head of state as well as a bobble headed Prince and
Duchess, seems to be doing some things right. Remember this is the nation that
brought genocide to Ireland and child labour to Manchester. Unfortunately the
country is run by the slash and burn school of economics. Our guess is that
Britain at 29th in the world is just treading water. Chances of achieving
elite nation status marginal at best.
Canada:
Canada is number 35 with an IMR of 4.92. Canada like the US
suffers from ineffectual leadership. In
developing countries our industry icons are denounced as guilty of genocide. The
country is rich without really having to try. That is to say it isn’t so much a nation as a
bucket of maple walnut ice cream. The Americans love maple walnut ice cream, so
do the Chinese. We have lots of maple walnut ice cream so we’ll be okay for
now. If you are a native Canadian you are fucked in any kind of term, well
unless you own a casino or a lot of RPGs. If you live down stream of the tar
sands your food sources have already been compromised.
We are not really good at innovation or just about anything
that doesn’t involve a shovel or a chainsaw. We have a lovely Charter of Rights
and lots of nice freedoms, but that is because we are rich and not because we
are rationally inclined to progressive policies. Tommy Douglas notwithstanding Canada’s modestly progressive social programs have the
look and feel of an afterthought. Canada looks good because of our geography
vis a vis next to the US and that has pretty much been the excuse. With Steven
Harper setting the agenda, no chance of getting to elite nation status.
The Elite
IMR under 4.0
Monaco
Singapore
Bermuda
Sweden
Japan
Iceland
France
Italy
Spain
Finland
Anguilla
It must be said that of the ten elite countries one is now
owed by a corner store across from the old Reichstag run by an Libyan immigrant
named Youseef. One is on financial life support from the EU, another is on the
verge of an economic coronary. It’s difficult to think of Monaco, about as
large as a nascent pimple on the rump of France, as a nation with its philandering
Prince and reluctant bride. As for Singapore, Bermuda and Anguilla, like Monaco
much too tiny. On the other hand they have spent there bounty wisely. Good for
them. That leaves Sweden, Japan , France and Finland. Sweden has Elin
Nordegren, Japan has seaweed, France has Zidane Zidane, we’re not sure who
Finland has. We at TVFP are taking Sweden.
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