[Newsbot]

Title: Canada ranked at No. 11 in Global Peace Index
Category: Misc CDN
Posted By: Hyack
Date: 2008-05-20 10:49:45
Canadian

[klaatu62]

If you look at the indicators they use, it is quite evident as to why the list is as it is:

Number of external and internal conflicts fought: 2001-06
Estimated number of deaths from organised conflict (external)
Number of deaths from organised conflict (internal)
Level of organised conflict (internal)
Relations with neighbouring countries
Measures of societal safety and security
Level of distrust in other citizens
Number of displaced people as a percentage of the population
Political instability
Level of disrespect for human rights (Political Terror Scale)
Potential for terrorist acts
Number of homicides per 100,000 people
Level of violent crime
Likelihood of violent demonstrations
Number of jailed population per 100,000 people
Number of internal security officers and police per 100,000 people
Measures of militarization
Military expenditure as a percentage of GDP
Number of armed services personnel per 100,000 people
Volume of transfers (imports) of major conventional weapons per 100,000 people
Volume of transfers (exports) of major conventional weapons per 100,000 people
UN Deployments 2007-08 (percentage of total armed forces)
Non-UN Deployments 2007-08 (percentage of total armed forces)
Aggregate number of heavy weapons per 100,000 people
Ease of access to small arms and light weapons
Military capability/sophistication

The US would get violent grades on so many of these that is is almost funny...

The fact is that you can be involved in a conflict and still be a peaceful nation as a whole. Much of this measures the size of the countries military industry. It also kills the US on number of persons behind bars. Number of violent crimes per capita (remember that this is based on REPORTED crimes. Some places have large amounts of unreported violent crimes)

And of course the distrust of the population which as we have seen in the US is a very big problem since so much goes on behind closed doors...

Lastly, it is a LOT harder to get a gun in Canada than in the US!

[Bacardi4206]

I would have thought our dedication to peace, lifetime goal of trying to bring world peace, our amazing commitments and efforts with the UN and most important, our constantly clean ups of messes made by other countries would have bumped us up more on the list. Canada doesn't have much gun crime, gang crime or civilian unrest. Majority of it being directed in Toronto and other large city's and Toronto isn't even that bad.

There are however countries with amazing health care systems, and basicly just focus on there civilians needs. Which is why they probally beat Canada on the list, but none of them actually dedicate there lives to bringing actual peace to the world like Canada does. Where countries put money into there military for defense, Canada put money in it's Military for peace keeping. Not much attention was payed for defense of the country.

I seriously would have expected Canada to be atleast in the top 10. Dissapointing, apparently we got to change a few things.

[Schleihauf]

11th place isn't bad when you look at the top 10. Most of the top ten are small countries with small armies that keep to themselves.

[ManifestDestiny]

Global peace index? give me a break.


"UN Deployments 2007-08 (percentage of total armed forces)
Non-UN Deployments 2007-08 (percentage of total armed forces)"


That should explain everything you need to know about this bullshit study. So its ok to deploy with the IUN but not on your own?