What is the greatest country on Earth?

Yeah.... just make sure you're not caught kissing in public.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8602449.stm

I'd rather live in Skid Row.

In my opinion, it has to be the U.S.A., since it tries so hard to accomodate every culture in the world, so people from other cultures can live in the U.S.A., as citizens, but still feel they can practice their original culture or NOT. Gee, even in Israel, secular Jews have arguments with religious Jews over whether busses should run on Saturday (to go to the beach).

In France, Moslems cannot wear their head covering at school. In Britain, Pakistanis are referred to as "Pakis" (not actually a compliment; implying I believe that they are perennial outsiders). And, we know how much Germany loves those Turkish guest workers.

It is the U.S.A. Perhaps, due to the large size of the U.S.A. everyone can find a niche to live and work in, and assimilate to the original WASP model of Americanism or not. It is their choice. We are still the "land of the free," in my opinion.

Don't kid yourself; our government, especially the conservatives, are trying their best to discourage minorities and the aged from voting. They advocate for intrusion into private lives - especially women's vaginas and pregnancies, and discriminate against gays, lesbians, and women on equal rights.

Even Romney, the front runner for the GOP, is a racial bigot who believes cultural superiority of Jews without any idea about the living conditions of Palestinians in Israel.

Wake up and smell the coffee.

Pretty much. In every country I have been the overwhelming majority thought there was some reason for them to be the best, it could be something as simple as the local food. Thinking that your country is the best is just a once-removed way of thinking that you are better than others and this is a common human need and manifests itself in all sorts of pernicious ways. I'm glad I'm not like most humans in this regard and am cut from a superior bit of cloth.

[Dusts off shoulder]

But to answer your question more objectively. Currently:

China has the "greatest" population.
Russia has the "greatest" physical size.
The USA has the "greatest" power (cultural, economic and military).

Other countries have better quality of life (Scandinavian countries generally do very well in this regard) and better civics (though this is, of course, a hotly debated subject) and where you are the happiest is usually based less on things systemic than situational but historically most people are referring to power and empire building when they talk about "greatest" nation-states and if that kind of thing is your criteria the USA is uncontested right now in that regard but seems to be on a trajectory to cede that position to China (though this is a trend that can change, of course) in your lifetime.

We're the greatest on deserts.

Yet still only #2 in being fat asses right? Nevertheless, I believe in you all and think that with proper government funding you can bring yourselves within striking distance of #1.

I remember reading about the happiest people some years ago, and it turned out to be Denmark.

I think she might actually have meant deserts, rather than desserts...but I'm not actually sure.

He knows what I meant.... ; )

He just thinks he's giving me my just desserts

Would that be ice cream or apple pie?

We will have the fattest arses on earth if that's what it takes to beat you bastards!

Actually I think the Tongans or Samoans have the gold medal on that one.

Yes, you do have some lovely deserts. That really comes out strongly when one reads about the daft buggers who explored your country in the 19th century.

When you see photos of groups of different peoples, it seems that the poorer ones (if they have enough to eat) are the happiest.

Pursuit of material wealth evidently doesn't make you happy, even if you succeed.

These notions (that money can't buy happiness, or that the poor are happier than the rich) have been debunked by scientific study, which has shown that up to a certain point ($70k per year income in the last study I read about this) money does buy happiness, but after a certain point there are diminishing returns.

This is an intuitive conclusion, after all money clearly can buy the base necessities (such as food and water) but is less easily able to purchase higher-order human needs (such as self-actualization, see Maslow's hierarchy of needs).

But the bottom line is that the poor often face deficiencies in the basic human needs that the rich do not, and this results in the poor suffering more than the rich. It's a nice sentiment to think that the poor in money might be richer in spirit but in practice the poor suffer much more surviving on this rock and that is reflected in their average levels of happiness.

That fewer aspire to be poor than rich in their pursuit of happiness is telling.

Recently Costa Rica has won that kind of honor, but in surveys largely based on self-reporting where cultural predisposition to filter the negative has a large impact.

I personally think that the quality of life metrics are better indications and places like Denmark (and their neighbors) always score in the upper percentiles.

I did know what you meant, yes. Well actually I knew what word you were using but I'm curious about the particular claim. Is it most desert (total area)? Most deserted (ratio)?

You guys are #1 for unique animals in my book.

I recall reading that quite consistently, but tend to exclude cultural microcosms of that size. America could move one really fat family to it's own micronation to unseat them. We have the technology (and the fat people) to do so.

#1 on things that try to kill you, too.

I believe we have the yellow jersey for driest continent. Basically, we are desert with wet bits around the edge.

I also happen to live in the driest state.

We can't be most deserted. That would have to be Antarctica.

Of course, now I shall have to check my claims!

Our animals don't appear unique to us....they're just animals. Well, they would be if it weren't for all the tourists flocking around them.