Top Ten Livable Countries

I would live in Spain. There are so many foreigners there, it is easy to not feel too out-of-place (sort of like London). I have also found the people to be friendly, I think I could be happy. There's so much culture and art and history and sport -- the climate is nice, the beach is good -- it must have a good livability index. Plus, there are good roads and lots of festivals.

Although Amsterdam isn't high on the list, perhaps the news today could be one reason? Bombs found at two IKEA stores in the city -- someone with a vendetta against their employer? That's news of what could be domestic terrorism that we expect to hear in a U.S. city as far as the free world. The one person who could tell us something about this is not currently a member for one reason or another but I'll ask that person via E mail.

LW
The bombs were found in different places throughout The Netherlands

From the Dutch Radio Hilversum (time 19:30 GMT):
"Bomb alerts throughout the Netherlands

Several bomb alerts have been reported throughout the Netherlands. In Rijswijk, The Hague, the Dutch news agency ANP and a neighbouring school were evacuated after a telephone warning. A thorough search of the ANP building failed to uncover any explosives.

On Tuesday evening, a number of Ikea furntiture stores received bomb threats. Explosives were found in stores in Sliedrecht and Amsterdam. A suspicious package in the Utrecht branch proved to be harmless. As a precaution, all ten of Ikea's branches have been closed today.

In Kampala, the capital of Uganda, a bomb warning was received in the building where the Dutch embassy has its offices. The building was evacuated, but has since re-opened. It is thought the bomb warning was meant for the offices used by the British Ministry of Overseas Development."

It can be everything: from "normal" criminality over a thread of left-wings against children work to terrorism.

Your news is ahead of ours and to be fair, the Netherlands is number eight on the UN list as most livable countries. I'm sure nobody will hold this one incident against them but it does stink of international terrorism rather than a disgruntled employee scenerio(something we are experienced with in the U.S.).

Finally came over CNN that it was Amsterdam and Rotterdam that they found live bombs that had to be defused. Haven't seen the other news you mention but I'm not glued to a news channel all day long.

This was reported this morning on the Irish site i visit. One bomb was successfully disarmed--the one found near Rotterdam exploded in the police station, i believe it killed two officers. I'll go look.

Injured two policemen.

Yes, so i just found out, glad to know no one was killed, and wish the best for those officers . . .

Here's the BBC web report.

As of 1:40 PM, we do not have the news of the Rotterdam explosion in the police station. Another example of how the 24 news channels blurt out news before the entire story is available and end up appearing to be misleading its audience. Reporting has become like the Old West in America with all the journalist armed with six-shooters and itching trigger fingers. Gone are the days of Bernstein and Woodward with an editor who demands double checking and triple checking of sources.

Just had a look in the Dutch television teletext:

Dutch (NOS) Teletext (general news)

it says that it was no terrorism but blackmail: the bombs in the two store were announced.

[Explaining teletext for Americains (from "my favorite website"):
"Online services and network computers: "Bildschirmtext" in Germany and "Minitel" in France have been accessible by everyone for at least 15 years. Both use dial-up telephone connections to browse material on central servers and allow individuals to publish material on these servers. Bildschirmtext displays the pages on the TV (optionally on a PC) while Minitel uses a proprietary little terminal with keyboard, something that would be called "network computer" these days. Bildschirmtext was never a big success because of the high connection fees and the start up costs for the device; Minitel was a winner because the terminals were given away for free to everyone. Services of comparable quality and breadth have come into existence in the US only about 5 years ago. Videotext, a textual information service broadcast together with the TV signal, is common in Germany and all over Europe but does not exist in the US."]

Blackmail? Hmmm...will be very interesting to read the particulars on what they hoped to accomplish. Nothing can elevate any of them above the level of murdered or potential murderers. One also doesn't martyr themselves when they take other lives with them but the planting of bombs is really a cowardly act if the prepetrator isn't losing their life.

Anyway, I doubt that this makes the Netherlands any less livable and from the lists showing the country far ahead of the individual cities, I would guess that rural or sub-urban areas are what make the Netherlands very livable. So I'm spoiled with the Southern California weather even if I'm not happy about the air pollution. We also have a water filter because the municipal water often smells bad (algae) -- even if not harmful to ones health, it can make one gag trying to drink it.

I've edited the link to the Dutch teletext above:

now, it says that IKEA Netherlands have been blackmailed since September.

Steve, you are right - look what is happening with the BNP !!! And they are playing their cards very cunningly - pitting the White plus non islamic communities against the islamic communities in the UK.

Piffka, it will be honor to have a drink with you and yeah I agree with you. When I was posted in Sri Lanka, I was paid in dollars. My apartment was a suit in the best five star hotel overlooking the beach. I never had a more luxurious lifestyle than the one I had in Sri Lanka !! And what a beautiful island and lovely people. Pity to see it detoriate over the years due to all the conflicts happening there. And I just noticed that U lived in Bombay. I did not know that there was a Bombay in the US as well !!

Patiodog, LOL - yeah the attitude of yr grandmother-in-law sounds just abt right !

Blatham, Thanks mate !

GW, you raise some interesting points. See, the difference between Indians living in the US and the ones living in the UK is that out here we are still treated as "slaves from the colonies". In that respect, even our economic status fails to shield us from the prejudice which is rampant amongst the average brit. Actually, it makes us even more hated !!! There have been a few incidents when a shop salesman has told me that what I am interested in is probably too expensive for me to buy LOL. I have noticed this at bars, resteraunts etc, that the attitude of the server immediately changes when a group of asians walk in. Even at the best establishments, a white party will always get served before a colored one. Few years ago, I used to take it meekly, now I just loose it !! After all, I work hard, pay my taxes which probably feeds a family of four on the dole - and am not going to take any crap from anyone. I did not come to the country because I wanted to escape the atrocities being doled out on me in my country - I was invited to come and work here, because they thought that I can do a bloody good job !! Even now, my requests to grant a transfer to me permanently out of the UK is always turned down flat with "We need you here" !!!

People who are prejudiced abt someone just because they look a bit different are sad. I actually feel sorry for them. Their universe is so limited, their thinking so small, their minds so close.

Crime in London, well, coming from India, it really does not bother me. Ofcourse we take all the usual precautions, and stay away from the hot spots of criminal activities. But yeah, crime is there and is bloody rampant. There is so much poverty and unemployment, obscene difference between the rich and poor and so much frustruation, that it is but natural. But the good thing is that criminal activities are contained in certain areas, and as long as you stay away from them, you are more or less fine.

There are two other factors which keep me here I guess, one being that having been born and bought up in a very "british oriented" society in India, it does not feel too far away from home (deep down in my heart, I am still a simple country boy LOL) and the other being that London is fairly tolerant when it comes to sexual orientation....

There is a set of inherent problems by those touting the concept that the wealthy live well anywhere. Many "Third World Countries" (TWC) are home to very poor muslims--affluent westerners are currently on their top ten list of "those whom i'd like to send straight to hell in the most expeditious manner." Many TWC's have serious conflicts raging off and on between groups inimical to one another on a sectarian or ethnic basis.

Then there is the issue of public services in TWC's. The major reason for the dramatic increase in life expectancy and wide-spread good public health in the West (all you doctors and nurses can sit down) is the replacement of draft animals by automobiles. Manure in cities, and the attendant flies, along with the many opportunities for the contamination of the water supply were the major vectors for disease which once assure, in the words of Steven Jay Gould, that "you could expect to see half or more of your children die before age eight" -- or words very close to those, in a brief article in the NYT Sunday magazine debunking the "good old days" myth. In Bangkok, many poor citizens still draw water from water courses in which raw sewage is quotidien effluent. The reliability of other public utilities taken for granted, and treated as necessities in the west, is not assured. And, finally, of course, i revert to the earlier statement--being an affluent westerner who enjoys clean water, efficient sewage removal, reliable electric power, etc., is not likely to endear you to a local population living one or more centuries "in the past."

I disagree. Why mention TWCs and poor muslims only ? Any place where there is a difference between too rich and too poor will have this kind of conflict. Even in UK - rich asians are not a very "liked" lot. Or in India, rich Indians and hated amongst poor indians. In my opinion, combining nationalities with economic status is wrong. While it might be a factor, it is a very small factor.

And conflicts on sectarian or ethnic basis are rampant all over the world. Look at Northern Ireland for eg !!

I'll not deny that -- which is why, although i am descended from the Antrim clan, and Belfast is in County Antrim, i wouldn't live in Norn Iron. I did mention muslims, it is true, but i also mentioned other religious and ethnic strife. I mentioned TWC's because such nations were being touted here as inexpensive, and therefore amenable places for the residence of the wealthy. As for combining nationalities with economic status, i would remind you that you likely move more easily through certain parts of the world than would an American. In my case, my skin color, my accent, my clothing, everything visible about, screams out "the enemy" in many places in the world, and in these times, particularly those places with large numbers of poor muslims. I would not want to live in Belfast, neither would i want to live in Islamabad. I've got a better shot at surviving Belfast, though.

I agree - comapred to me, you will stand out in certain countries (btw, the converse it true for me as well ) but that has nothing to do with yr economic status. If you are an enemy, then you are an enemy for both the poor and well as the rich muslim.

The reason why I say that a TWC is a good place to live for the wealthy, is the ability to "insulate" yrself using yr money. Let me once again give u an example of India, and how my family lives

Power problems ? - We have our own electricty generator
Water problems ? - We have a tubewell dug up, along with a water filtering plant
Heat/Dust ? - We have a centrally airconditioned house/office, and all our cars are air conditioned as well
Medical ? - We have world class medical facilities. The reason no one hears abt them is thay they cater to the rich only. A room in one of the hospitals for a week will probably be more expensive than the annual salary of an average Indian.
Chaotic traffic ? - Chaffeur driven cars
Maids, servants, gardeners, cooks for household help
Crowded trains ? - Pay more money to get a "air conditioned coupe" or fly
Poor goverment administration ? - Pay a bribe and watch things move at warp speed.
Crime ? Armed guards, (informal) police protection

Money talks mate, in fact it shouts in a TWC

I'll not deny that, Boss--and given your ability to more easily "blend," if makes good sense for you. Doubtless, in Norn Iron, with sufficient funds (wouldn't be cheap, though), i could live quite well, and look down into the streets at night for the muzzle flashes of the automatics which the narco-terrorists use in negotiating drug deals.

Ah well, the world is less and less a safe place for anyone these days.

Just fer reference -- a stay in a U.S. hospital for the uninsured likely costs more than the average salary, as well! (Of course, it's those at the lower end of the spectrum who are also lacking insurance...)