This lot have got to be having a laugh!

[Rubber Duck]

US recaptures 'competition crown'

The US has regained its title as the world's most competitive economy, according to an influential survey by the World Economic Forum (WEF). :p

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7069648.stm

Is the number of foreign countries invaded one of the criteria?

[touchring]

This competitive economy ranking is never a good thing - it just means you are overworking and working too hard!!

[Rubber Duck]

This competitive economy ranking is never a good thing - it just means you are overworking and working too hard!!

A "winning combination" of innovative companies, efficient financial markets and a first-rate university and research system propelled the US to the top, the WEF said.

WTF? :p

[touchring]

Top 50:

United States 1 5.67 1 1
Switzerland 2 5.62 2 4
Denmark 3 5.55 3 3
Sweden 4 5.54 4 9
Germany 5 5.51 5 7
Finland 6 5.49 6 6
Singapore 7 5.45 7 8
Japan 8 5.43 8 5
United Kingdom 9 5.41 9 2
Netherlands 10 5.40 10 11
Korea 11 5.40 11 23
Hong Kong SAR 12 5.37 12 10
Canada 13 5.34 13 12
Taiwan, China 14 5.25 14 13
Austria 15 5.23 15 18
Norway 16 5.20 16 17
Israel 17 5.20 17 14
France 18 5.18 18 15
Australia 19 5.17 19 16
Belgium 20 5.10 20 24
Malaysia 21 5.10 21 19
Ireland 22 5.03 22 22
Iceland 23 5.02 23 20
New Zealand 24 4.98 24 21
Luxembourg 25 4.88 25 25
Chile 26 4.77 26 27
Estonia 27 4.74 27 26
Thailand 28 4.70 28 28
Spain 29 4.66 29 29
Kuwait 30 4.66 30 30
Qatar 31 4.63 31 32
Tunisia 32 4.59 32 33
Czech Republic 33 4.58 33 31
China 34 4.57 34 35
Saudi Arabia 35 4.55 n/a n/a
Puerto Rico 36 4.50 n/a n/a
United Arab Emirates 37 4.50 35 34
Lithuania 38 4.49 36 39
Slovenia 39 4.48 37 40
Portugal 40 4.48 38 43
Slovak Republic 41 4.45 39 37
Oman 42 4.43 n/a n/a
Bahrain 43 4.42 40 48
South Africa 44 4.42 41 36
Latvia 45 4.41 42 44
Italy 46 4.36 43 47
Hungary 47 4.35 44 38
India 48 4.33 45 42
Jordan 49 4.32 46 46
Barbados 50 4.32 47 41
Poland 51 4.28 48 45
Mexico 52 4.26 49 52
Turkey 53 4.25 50 58
Indonesia 54 4.24 51 54
Cyprus 55 4.23 52 49
Malta 56 4.21 53 51
Croatia 57 4.20 54 56
Russia 58 4.19 55 59
Panama 59 4.18 56 60
Mauritius 60 4.16 57 55
Kazakhstan 61 4.14 58 50
Uzbekistan 62 4.13 n/a n/a
Costa Rica 63 4.11 59 68
Morocco 64 4.08 60 65
Greece 65 4.08 61 61
Azerbaijan 66 4.07 62 62
El Salvador 67 4.05 63 53

[Rubber Duck]

And as for the Nordic Countries. We have nearly as many migrant workers as a lot of these places have population. Even our own government has no idea of the real figures! :p

[burnsinternet]

I think that the US, with low regulation and a well-educated workforce, is a fine place to do business.

The results are based on criteria such as economic stability, market size, innovation, education and health.

The WEF also consulted more than 10,000 top business leaders about the pros and cons of doing business in the 131 countries included in the survey.

A "winning combination" of innovative companies, efficient financial markets and a first-rate university and research system propelled the US to the top, the WEF said.

[vgemito]

Dear RD:

Your unrelenting messages have gotten way, way too old. You hate the US; are poised to pounce on any pretext to criticise the US; are smarter than the US government; smarter than Microsoft, smarter than Bill Gates; in fact, smarter than the rest of the whole human race. It is amazing that the moderators of this forum, dedicated to an important topic, allow it to be dominated day in and day out by an unlettered windbag.

Most sincerely,
VGemito

[thefabfive]

Well said, VGemito.

[IDNCowboy]

and the UK is much better? ;-)
such a puny country with strong currency - so what

[burnsinternet]

UK is #9

The UK scored very highly - second only to the US - in terms of the efficiency of its markets but poorly in terms of innovation, ranking only 14th on that measure.

[Rubber Duck]

UK is #9


The UK has invented more stuff than than the rest of the World put together!

Where they have been very poor is actually marketing their inventions.

Strip out UK inventiveness and we would still all be living in caves!

[burnsinternet]

I think they rank it year to year rather than cumulative. The Chinese, as you point out, would do well in a cumulative ranking.

[Rubber Duck]

I think they rank it year to year rather than cumulative. The Chinese, as you point out, would do well in a cumulative ranking.

Yes, of course but it will be twenty years before these wally brains see the significance of much of last years activity.

[burnsinternet]

Just pointing out the criteria. No harm meant.

[xxbossmanxx]

Dear RD:

Your unrelenting messages have gotten way, way too old. You hate the US; are poised to pounce on any pretext to criticise the US; are smarter than the US government; smarter than Microsoft, smarter than Bill Gates; in fact, smarter than the rest of the whole human race. It is amazing that the moderators of this forum, dedicated to an important topic, allow it to be dominated day in and day out by an unlettered windbag.

Most sincerely,
VGemito

good stuff lol.

But nothing we can do about it. RD is an advanced USA hating spam bot. Programmed to find anything negative towards the usa and post it here.

[burnsinternet]

Trouble is, that was a pro-USA article.

[xxbossmanxx]

Thats why its titled: This lot have got to be having a laugh!

But anyway, no big im just takin my free jab since I taken plenty of my own. Not enuf time to hate, I love everybody :)

[Drewbert]

I think that the US, with low regulation and a well-educated workforce, is a fine place to do business.

Short term outlook, yes.

But low regulation gets you children's toys covered in lead paint, increased pollution, and "fair and balanced" "news" channels. Long term outlook: fuckedcountry.com

[burnsinternet]

Everyone has an opinion, I guess. I could say the same thing about China for many more reasons. I think China's chance of becoming f c dot com is much more likely. However, that is my opinion.

[Drewbert]

If they go down the same path as the west energy/pollution wise, then yes, of course. And they'll hit the limit sooner too.

If they put all those brainacs coming out with engineering degrees to good use SOLVING energy/pollution problems, rather than playing the denial game, things could turn out differently.

[burnsinternet]

Another myth. These guys call anyone with a wrench an 'engineer' to satisfy government requirements to graduate more engineers.

Figures on Chinese Engineers Fail to Add Up

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5478159

[yanni]

If they put all those brainacs coming out with engineering degrees to good use SOLVING energy/pollution problems, rather than playing the denial game, things could turn out differently.

All they need to do is follow Brasil's lead. They don't need brains for that.