The nation outranked 162 others thanks to its positive lifestyle contributions, including prosperity, equality, health and wellbeing, according to Brittish newspaper The Independent.
Sweden has topped a poll as the best ‒ or “goodest” ‒ country when it comes to serving the interests of its people while avoiding damaging impacts to other nations and the environment.
Sweden scores highest for positive lifestyle contributions including prosperity, equality, health and wellbeing, while also performing well culturally.
The index suggests that Sweden, relative to the size of its economy, does more “good” and less harm than any other country. Smaller countries such as Ireland, Kenya, Iceland and Costa Rica have all dropped in the rankings ‒ this is partly because events around the world make a bigger impact on smaller countries.
The report, which weighs up a country’s contributions to the planet and the human race relative to its size ‒ measured in GDP ‒ is the brainchild of leading policy advisor Simon Anholt, whose aim is “to find ways of encouraging countries to collaborate and co-operate a lot more, and compete a bit less”.
“A good country is one that successfully contributes to the good of humanity. Of course it must serve the interests of its own people, but never at the expense of other populations or their natural resources: this is the new law of human survival,” he said.
He added that the UK must collaborate and cooperate more with other countries: “It [Britain] isn’t just an island unconnected to the rest of Europe or to the rest of the world. Just like every other country on earth, it is part of one system. If it fails, we all fail.”
Despite the addition of 38 countries since the first edition of the index, Libya has once again ranked last.
Chris Froome has done it again! For the 3rd time in the last 4 years, Froome today won the Tour de France again.
Today the 103rd Tour de France – of cycling’s grand tours – ended in Paris. The 3,529 km (2,193 mi)-long race started at Mont Saint-Michel, Normandy, on 2nd July 2016, and concluded on the Champs-Élysées in Paris, earlier today. A total of 198 riders from 22 teams entered the 21 stage race.
I love music and I have been to many concerts over the years. Yesterday evening pn July 23rd 2016 I saw what probably is the best concert I have ever seen, when Bruce Springsteen, a.k.a The Boss visited Sweden and Gothenburg for the third time this summer on The River-tour.
I was there with my friends and it was my 22nd Springsteen-concert. As many of you know Bruce Springsteen is one of my favourite artists and idols.
The Boss also has a special relationship with Sweden. His first ever tour outside United States was to Stockholm in 1975, just after releasing his breakthrough album Born to Run. This period 75-80 is for me his best and most creative time when he released his best songs and albums with the trilogy, Born to Run, Darkness on the Edge of Town and The River.
This time Springsteen tours with The River album. In U.S. he played the entire album while he in Europe has performed with lore of an ordinary setlist of songs during his concerts. However yesterday, Bruce made an exception for Sweden. He played the entire River-album for the Swedish audience folled by a second setlist that have already been named a classic by Springsteen fans on the Internet.
We got a fantastic The Ties That Bind, a marvellous Out in the Street, an outstanding version of the title song The River, and mezmerizing versions of songs normally not played live, like Drive All Nigh, Stolen Car and The Price You Pay. But best of all was a amazing Point Blank.
Point Blank is my favourite Springsteen song of all times, a song I only have heard live once before in 1981.
This is the 34 songs long setlist from the concert yesterday:
Meet me in the city, The Ties That Bind, Sherry Darling, Jackson Cage, Two Hearts, Independence Day, Hungry Hearts, Out in the Street, Crush on you, You can look (but better not touch), The River, Point Blank, Cadillac Ranch, I am a Rocker, Fade Away, Stolen Car, Ramrod, The Price You Pay, Drive all night, Wreck on the highway, Badlands, The Promised Land, Candys Room, She’s the One, Because the Night, The Rising, Land of Hope and Dreams, Born in the USA, Born to Run, Seven Nights to Rock, Dancing in the Dark, Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out, Shout, Twist and Shout.
It was a fantastic and magic evening. Bruce was inspired and performing at his very best. He played for 3 hours and 42 minutes ending the show with what is called ‘the Stadium wrecker’, Twist and Shout.
In June 1995 on the Born in the USA-tour Bruce Sprongsteen played two shows at the same stadium, Ullevi in Gothenburg. I was there both nights and on the second night the stadium virtually broke. The concrete was damaged from the audience dancing and jumping up and down. It took ten years of repairs before the stadium was used again.
Yesterday he tried to do it again, shouting Are you ready to test the stadium? numerous times during a furious 20 minute long Twist and Shout – the song that once broke the same stadium down.
It was a crazy night and one of the best Springsteen concerts ever.
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