handsomeguy123 - 27 February 2011 06:33 AM

I am being 100% serious here. I am still wondering why the Danes are claiming to be a happy people while being extremely hostile/insulting to everyone including their own surroundings. And the four comments that i posted above are by no means meant to be random, there are at least a good amount of 100-200 comments that are exactly the same. In fact there are a total of 1.236 comments and the majority of them are written by angry and hostile Danes. Take a look through the comments section in the video that i linked to earlier, if you are in doubt.

Give us a break. Take a look at the comment section of any CNN article, and you’ll find tons and tons of rude, moronic comments by AMERICANS like you. Would that mean I can conclude that Americans are rude and hostile and unhappy?

Comment sections hardly give you a good representative section through the population. They attract the negatively minded Obsessive-Compulsive posters just like you are: the extremes of society.

Also, there is a causal effect: moronic posts attract negative comments by nature of the moronic content of the post. Think about that.

LaMa - 24 September 2010 10:03 AM

I think a lot in this discussion boils down to culture differences. For example, Europe doesn’t have the millions-of-dollars claim culture of the USA: not just where medical malpractise is concerned, but also on other fronts of liability. To us Europeans, the size of the monetary claims awarded to people in US courts often is ridiculous. That has nothing to do with the fact that our health care is universal for all citizens.

In addition I also want to point out the one big fact that you conveniently ignore in your blabbering about medical malpractise and (lack of) large compensation sums in Denmark. In the US, courts awarding excessively large compensation sums have lead to medical professionals needing very expensive juridical insurance. This in turn, is part of the very high costs of medical care in the US: as these very high costs for insurance against possible malpractise claims are transposed on the persons needing medical care, in the amount of the bill they get. So your large compensation sums, are actually paid for by your hospital patients (that is: you). You, as a random patient, pay an expensive bill because your docter needs the money for insurance in case he screws up (and the patient in question next screws him in court for a very large sum).

Basically, what it comes down to is that I’ve spent a good bit of time in Danmark and/or around Danes.  I’ve seen for myself, with first-hand observation, that overall the Danes are just as happy and content as anybody else (and a lot moreso than plenty of other groups, such as the Somalis or the Thais or the Iraqis).  And my experience wasn’t limited to just carefully-managed tourist trips, either, where everybody was careful to maintain a happy facade for the tourists.  This guy can wave around all the statistics and whatever that he wants to, but it’s all irrelevant.  It’s like trying to “prove” by means of old maps and excerpts from articles that California is an island. . .to somebody who has traveled to California repeatedly.

handsomeguy123 - 05 November 2010 09:00 AM

The healthcare in Denmark is ranked 34th. *snip* Hopefully you get the idea, Denmark does not have a great healthcare, as being ranked 34th is rather low.

Higher than both the US and New Zealand, though.

Where in the world do people feel most content with their lives?

Denmark, Finland and the Netherlands rated at the top of the list, ranking first, second and third, respectively. Outside Europe, New Zealand and Canada landed at Nos. 8 and 6, respectively. The U.S. did not crack the top 10. Switzerland placed seventh and Belgium placed tenth.

DETAIL

LINK

Accipiter - 27 February 2011 06:41 PM

Basically, what it comes down to is that I’ve spent a good bit of time in Danmark and/or around Danes.  I’ve seen for myself, with first-hand observation, that overall the Danes are just as happy and content as anybody else (and a lot moreso than plenty of other groups, such as the Somalis or the Thais or the Iraqis).  And my experience wasn’t limited to just carefully-managed tourist trips, either, where everybody was careful to maintain a happy facade for the tourists.  This guy can wave around all the statistics and whatever that he wants to, but it’s all irrelevant.  It’s like trying to “prove” by means of old maps and excerpts from articles that California is an island. . .to somebody who has traveled to California repeatedly.

And I can ad the very same hands-on observations as Acci to this.

LaMa - 27 February 2011 11:56 PM

. . .hands-on observations as Acci. . .

Hey now, I deny everything!  And she swore that she was of legal age!  Not that anything happened!

LaMa - 27 February 2011 04:38 PM

The drivel he spouts seems very similar to this on another forum, to the point I think both TS are the same person.

It doesn’t surprise me that other people shares the same view. These people shares the same view as well. And here, again. The point is, that Forbes, whatever the magazine is called, intentionally asked 60,000 rich and wealthy citizens of Denmark whether they were happy or not, leaving the remaining 5,459,441 million citizens out. The fact is, that it is pure propaganda from Forbes and about as far far fetched as it can be and nowhere near the reality. Ask the average/middle class citizen of Denmark and you will get the exact same answer. As a matter of fact, the average citizens of Denmark are working hard to pay the worlds highest taxes, and what do they get in return? A healthcare system that is falling apart, while 60,000 anonymous Danes are spreading propaganda lies about Denmark being the happiest place on earth. The survey showing that 50% of the citizens of Denmark on the labor market retreating because of mental illness where by no means a random survey. It contradicts what the Forbes Magazine said about Denmark “being happy”, as well as it reveals the actual condition of the majority of citizens in Denmark right now.

Give us a break. Take a look at the comment section of any CNN article, and you’ll find tons and tons of rude, moronic comments by AMERICANS like you. Would that mean I can conclude that Americans are rude and hostile and unhappy?

You are forgetting one thing. It is Denmark who claims to be the happiest country in the world - not America. Therefore, the 60,000 Danes have a reputation to live up to. In the mean time, they are struggling with doing so. And the previous video that i linked to with the angry danes is not the only one. Take a search for “Happy Denmark” on YouTube, and you will see that it is quite normal for them to behave this way.

Anyway guys, to end this debate on a positive note, thank you for taking your time to participate.

handsomeguy123 - 28 February 2011 02:12 AM

A healthcare system that is falling apart

Nothing in the WHO report we discussed indicates the Danish Healthcare system is falling apart. On the contrary. You just pull that out of your ass. See my post a few posts up.

handsomeguy123 - 25 February 2011 08:43 AM

And this is just the beginning. One factor i believe plays a major role in terms of happiness, is your well-being. One thing that is known to dramatically decrease a persons well being is terms such as mental illnesses. The fact is, that Denmark is the country in the world where most citizens have to leave the labor market because of mental illnesses. 50% of the citizens of Denmark on the labor market are mentally ill and suffering from mental illnesses. That is the direct opposite of being happy. In summary, Denmark is the main capital for mentally ill citizens who are forced to leave the labor market because of mental illnesses..

That link is a tiny and uninformative news article. I found the document referenced (here) and it does not say what you claim it does.
It says

In the past six years, the share of the working-age population receiving health-related benefits increased from 9.6% to 11.2% - this is very high by international standards and has to be seen against a low unemployment record of 3.5%. A large and increasing share of this concerns younger people with mental health conditions, making up for almost one out of two new claimants.

That is very different from ‘50% of the citizens of Denmark on the labor market are mentally ill and suffering from mental illnesses’, isn’t it?

US unemployment - 9%

Madmouse - 01 March 2011 12:36 AM

That link is a tiny and uninformative news article. I found the document referenced (here) and it does not say what you claim it does.

That’s pathetic. Now you sank to a level where you are willing to lie. The document you linked to is not connected with the news article. Quit the lies. The news article is a new updated survey pr. 2011 and can be seen right here. This is the direct quote from the news article. Oh, and by the way, when the article is visible to all the viewers, why do you even bother denying it? Are you really that dumb?

14. feb. 2011 14.06
Denmark is the country in the world where most citizens have to leave the labor market because of mental illnesses.
This discouraging fact is evident from a new comprehensive OECD-report, writes Berlingske.
The report reveals that when four Danes were approved for incapacity benefits or a flex job in 1995, the reason was mental illness in one out of four cases. Today every other person has a mental illness.
This makes Denmark the global front-runner of an international trend where more and more workers find themselves bedbound due to mental illness.

Every other person, that’s 50%. And no, this news article is very informative. It shows exactly how the situation is in Denmark and how the citizens feel. You have the clear evidence available right in front of you, how much longer are you going to deny it? The only people who believes that Denmark is the “happiest” place on earth is a small minority of 80,000 cowardly anonymous Danes, who might not even exist at all. Ask the average citizen of Denmark and you will get a completely different answer. By the way, given the fact that you are a grown man, and the administrator of this website as well, don’t you think it is a bit childish to deny factual evidence that is available to anyone with an online connection?

There are several factors that indicates that the healthcare system in Denmark is falling apart. If you had actually bothered reading this thread, you would know that their healthcare system have gotten worse since the WHO report. Look at the previous posts about how many citizens in Denmark that actually dies on the waiting lines while waiting for a vital treatment, e.g cancer. Do you honestly think that these people are happy? The reality is far different from your “Happy Denmark” delusional world where everyone is smiling and planting flowers. The reality is that a majority of the citizens of Denmark are mentally ill, the healthcare system is falling apart as people are being denied vital treatments. There isn’t anything superior or extraordinary about Denmark, I’m afraid. I am sorry to disappoint you, but this is the definitive proof that Denmark is not the happiest place on earth. Also, take a look at this article from WHO. It reveals that Denmark is the cancer capital of the world.

Accipiter - 01 March 2011 02:47 AM

Suicide rates in Denmark:  10.6 out of 100,000 (making it number 40 out of the top countries for suicide).  This puts it 44% below average.  In comparison, the US is number 39 on the list, with rates of 11.1 per 100,000 people.

So relatively, the Danes have low poverty and low suicide rates.

Look at the list. Denmark is ranked 40 out of 106. That is high. The suicide rate is high in Denmark, it is above average. I don’t know where you got the idea from that the suicide rate in Denmark is low, maybe you are completely distorted from reality. Look at the list again. The suicide rate in Denmark is relatively high and above average. You can clearly see on the list that Denmark is ranked 40/106, that is above average.

Approximately 15% of Danes are diagnosed with depression at some point.  In comparison, in the US the number is a bit over 26%.

Look at the article you are linking to. Then look at the date. You are linking to an outdated article from 1994 - 2003. I am not sure if you have realized it yet, but as pr. today we live in 2011. And your list is wrong, it is only 9.5% of Americans that have depression. That is low compared to the Danes. Today it is up to 20% Danes who suffers from depression, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Here are the real 2011 statistics from Psykiatrifonden, Denmark.

One out of two Danish families comes in contact with treatment services.

15-20% are having depression. 20% suffer symptoms of anxiety - phobias, panic disorder or persistent anxiety. 20% have addictions - alcohol, drugs. 15% over 65 years are demented. Many citizens of Denmark are having more of these symptoms simultaneously.

That certainly doesn’t sound like a happy people and the fact that 50% ( one out of two) families in Denmark needs to be in contact with treatment services tells me that the reality is far from “Happy Denmark”.

The rest of your claims are from 1997 and thus outdated by now. It doesn’t really prove Denmark as a happy country either.

So relatively, the Danes have low poverty and low suicide rates, while having high health and an effective and efficient health care system.  All of which means that there’s no reason according to statistics to declare the Danes to be “unhappy” (heck, if any nation is unhappy, it would have to be the US according to some of these numbers).  All of which fits in perfectly with people’s personal experiences in Danmark and with Danes.

Look at the list, dummy. The suicide rate in Denmark is still relatively high. Look at your own link in the beginning of your post. Being placed 40/106 is by no means low, that is above the average. I’m not sure if you haven’t realized yet, but Denmark is on the higher scale in terms of suicide rates. It tells me that people aren’t that happy after all. Regarding of your self proclaimed idea of peoples experience with “Danes”. It depends on who you ask. Denmark has been under heavy criticism for racism and discrimination. Ask a Dane and he/she will probably say “Yes, we are a lovely people”. Ask a foreigner and you may get a completely different answer.

To summarize, we started off with a couple of people who honestly believed that Denmark is the happiest country on earth. That didn’t quite work, as there simply are too many factors that goes against the idea of the people in Denmark being the happiest. Then we went to a point where people started to realize that Denmark might no be “the happiest place on earth” after all. Now we are down to a point where people are desperately trying to protect the truth about Denmark from being revealed, by linking to outdated statistics from 1997 while throwing out personal attacks. That is primitive and uncivilized, just like Denmark That doesn’t work either. While we can easily say that the citizens of Denmark aren’t the happiest people on earth, one could say that they are the biggest liars on earth. Proclaiming to be happy while the reality is the opposite wasn’t that smart. It is still a bit concerning tha