In winter evening
The China Communist Government often says that the concept of a human right is different between China and Europe and America.
China cannot be justified by this sort of rhetoric, since there are too many reports on their cruel suppression of its citizens. But, it is true that some aspects of human right are different in Asia and Europe/America.
Nonetheless, prejudice or malicious behaviors cannot be accepted in discussing states of nations in the world, including those outside the Western Christian culture. As Japan is so remote from the European culture, especially in terms of religion, they simply do not respect Japan often times.
CHAPTER I: Happiness Ranking
An example of biased behaviors in study on the world??
Can Mexicans facing drug-related daily murders be happier and more proud than Americans?
Can Chinese without freedom in press be happier and more proud than Japanese and Taiwanese?
Global Finance
By Tina Aridas – Project Coordinator: Alessandro Magno
World Database of Happiness 2000-2010
1 Costa Rica... 8.5
2 Denmark 8.34...
3 Puerto Rico... 8.32
4 Iceland... 8.15
5 Switzerland... 7.99
6 Canada... 7.97
7 Finland... 7.9
8 Mexico... 7.87
9 Norway... 7.82
10 Sweden... 7.8
11 Panama... 7.79
12 Australia... 7.77
13 Ireland... 7.77
14 Luxembourg... 7.74
15 Colombia... 7.72
16 Austria... 7.67
17 Netherlands... 7.65
18 Dominican Republic... 7.59
19 Brazil... 7.48
20 New Zealand... 7.48
21 Belgium... 7.44
22 United States... 7.44
23 Argentina... 7.34
24 Spain... 7.3
25 United Arab Emirates... 7.3
26 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic Of... 7.24
27 Cyprus... 7.22
28 United Kingdom... 7.2
29 Guatemala... 7.15
30 Nicaragua... 7.09
31 Malta... 7.08
32 Trinidad And Tobago... 7.03
33 Honduras... 7.02
34 Germany... 6.98
35 Slovenia... 6.89
36 Singapore... 6.88
37 Paraguay... 6.87
38 Israel... 6.79
39 Italy... 6.78
40 Qatar... 6.75
41 Uruguay... 6.75
42 Jamaica... 6.72
43 El Salvador... 6.68
44 Czech Republic... 6.67
45 Belize... 6.62
46 Kuwait... 6.59
47 France... 6.58
48 Thailand... 6.58
49 Chile... 6.57
50 Malaysia... 6.55
51 Greece... 6.53
52 Guyana... 6.53
53 Saudi Arabia... 6.51
54 Bolivia, Plurinational State Of... 6.5
55 Ecuador... 6.43
56 Poland... 6.39
57 Indonesia... 6.28
58 China... 6.27
59 Lao People'S Democratic Republic... 6.24
60 Peru... 6.22
61 Taiwan, Province Of China... 6.2
62 Japan... 6.17
http://www.gfmag.com/tools/global-database/ne-data/10294-the-happiest-countries-in-the-world.html#axzz1DKrcaPHc
It rather looks like devilish amusement to put down some countries a researcher or his/her organization cannot understand or accept.
Those biased researchers might say to people living in a country without freedom of press, a full right of vote, economical independence but full of corruption, drug dealers, gangsters, clashes between poor people and the police, and racial discrimination that they must be happy, since their measure indicates so.
CHAPTER II: Peace Ranking
2009 Global Peace Index by The Economists
1...New Zealand
2...Denmark
2...Norway
4...Iceland
5...Australia
6...Sweden
7...JAPAN
8...Canada
9...Finland
10...Slovenia
Peace cannot be realized by superior military power. Peace cannot be realized by a larger amount of defense budget, either. Yet, some countries are more responsible for the world peace due to their superior military power and a larger amount of defense budget.
Stockholm International Peace Research Institute
The top 10 military spenders, 2009
Rank... Country Spending($ b.)...Worldshare (%)
1... USA... 661... 43
2... China...[100]... [6.8]
3... France... 63.9... 4.2
4... UK... 58.3... 3.8
5... Russia... [53.3]...[3.5]
6... Japan... 51.0... 3.3
7... Germany... 45.6... 3.0
8... Saudi Arabia...41.3... 2.7
9... India...36.3... 2.4
10... Italy...35.8... 2.3
World total...1531
CHAPTER III: Corruption Perceptions Index 2010
Even in a country with full of illegal activities and corruption by public officials, people can feel happy with dirty money earned through dirty schemes supported by corrupt bureaucrats.
The happiness index based on some biased Western concepts should not be respected more than the anti-corruption index.
Transparency International
Transparency International advocates stricter implementation of the UN Convention against Corruption, the only global initiative that provides a framework for putting an end to corruption. Denmark, New Zealand and Singapore are tied at the top of the list with a score of 9.3, followed closely by Finland and Sweden at 9.2. Bringing up the rear is Somalia with a score of 1.1, slightly trailing Myanmar and Afghanistan at 1.4 and Iraq at 1.5.
Rank...Country
1 Denmark
1 New Zealand
1 Singapore
4 Finland
4 Sweden
6 Canada
7 Netherlands
8 Australia
8 Switzerland
10 Norway
11 Iceland
11 Luxembourg
13 Hong Kong
14 Ireland
15 Austria
15 Germany
17 Barbados
17 JAPAN
19 Qatar
20 UK
21 Chile
22 Belgium
22 USA
...
25 France
...
30 Israel
30 Spain
...
33 Taiwan
33 Puerto Rico
36 Bhutan
...
39 South Korea
41 Poland
41 Costa Rica
...
50 Saudi Arabia
...
54 South Africa
...
59 Tunisia
...
67 Italy
...
69 Cuba
69 Brazil
...
78 China
78 Greece
78 Thailand
...
87 India
...
98 Egypt
98 Mexico
...
110 Indonesia
110 Kosovo
...
134 Philippines
134 Ukraine
...
143 Pakistan
...
146 Haiti
146 Yemen
146 Iran
...
154 Russia
...
175 Iraq
...
176 Myanmar
176 Afghanistan
178 Somalia
http://www.transparency.org/policy_research/surveys_indices/cpi/2010/results
It is apparent that European Christian countries in a small or middle size can enjoy a high level of civilized living with less corruption. So, there is a fear that people wrongly assume that religions other than Christianity are useless in combating corruption. This biased thought could lead to prejudice against, especially, Islam, while North Africa and the Middle East are so near to Europe.
Put simply, is the dominance by the European Christianity ultimately good for mankind, since it looks useless for improving the society in the Islamic world?
In either case, Islam should achieve more progress to eradicate corruption.
*** *** *** ***
The Japanese people do not look devout Buddhists or shinto believers.
They do not periodically visit temples or shrines except to commemorate some anniversary of death of their family members or on the New Year holidays.
However, social traditions and commonsense based on Buddhism and shintoism confine people at a certain level of moral so that they will not fall into immorality, personally and socially.
Yet, some conservative leaders claim that a cultural and political influence of America has damaged some traditional virtue of Japan after WWII. With this complicated spiritual background, a sense of happiness Japanese people must be feeling is a little difficult to measure.
Mar 2:7 Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only?
Mar 2:8 And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts?
Mar 2:9 Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk?