Global Peace Index ranks U.S. more violent than Nicaragua

Submitted by dixietraveller on 21 May, 2008 - 07:03.

LONDON, England (AP) -- The United States is ranked as a little less peaceful than it was last year and a lot more violent than Kuwait, Nicaragua and Libya, according to the Global Peace Index released Tuesday by Britain's Economist Intelligence Unit.

The index, now in its second year, ranks 140 countries according to their relative states of peace, based on factors such as military expenditure and respect for human rights.

The latest index released Tuesday ranked the United States at 97th, one place lower than last year and way below countries such as Costa Rica, Madagascar and Chile.

This year, Iceland was voted the most peaceful place, beating last year's winner, Norway. The United Kingdom is at 49, just below Panama. Unsurprisingly, Sudan, Somalia and Iraq are at the bottom of the list.

For the complete article, go to http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/05/20/peace.index.ap/index.html...

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Ethics of it all

Submitted by mjt on 22 May, 2008 - 20:44.

Killelea [Index founder] told The Associated Press. "Its [the U.S.] overall score is a reflection of that. The index is not making any moral statements by the ranking."

They are not making any moral statements by ranking, from best to worst, countries based on their ability to meet their fairly narrow and predefined conception of a key moral good, namely "peace"? Nothing against the ranking or the post here, but it is hard to believe someone could actually believe that. A lack of respect for human rights hurts a country's score. Could that be because human rights are a good (obviously a moral one) valued by the people making the poll? Homicide rates count. That might be because killing people is usually frowned upon, morally speaking, so less is more, as they say. The Index might be accurate and is probably also very useful. But, I am not sure there is any reason for them to pretend it is some eye-in-the-sky empirical score, and not a normative assessment - one obviously making moral statements.

I concur!

Submitted by dixietraveller on 22 May, 2008 - 21:13.

(As almost always) I agree with you completely. BTW, your astute and erudite posts have often saved me from writing a response, and you do a much better job than I do! :)

O quantum est in rebus inane! / A palabras necias, oídos sordos.

I know the answer! The answer lies within the heart of all mankind! The answer is twelve? I think I'm in the wrong building. - Peanuts (Charles M. Schulz)