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http://www.cnbc.com/id/101240935
Quote:The United States is the world's most generous nation, according to a global index of giving, as a higher proportion of Americans helped a stranger than any other country in the world.
The 2013 World Giving Index – published annually by international nonprofit organization Charities Aid Foundation – looks at three measures: monetary giving, volunteering and helping of strangers in a typical month. The survey, published on Tuesday, was carried out in 2012 across 135 countries.
The U.S. made a significant improvement in charitable behavior, rising to the top position from fifth place last year.
Meanwhile, three countries tied for second place this year: Canada, Myanmar, and New Zealand. Australia, which was the highest-ranked nation in both the 2010 and 2012 reports, dropped to the seventh position.
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Few people here wants to admit to this positive stuff about our country.Most just want to complain or fault find.
hence the crickets 
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I'm interested in knowing how we vaulted from 5th to 1st, not only over 4 other countries, but over more than that, since there were ties for second. I also want to know how Australia sunk from two year 1st place winner to 7th.
It seems to be an extremely volatile index. Either countries in the top 10 or so are close enough that random fluctuations can shift our rankings around, or perhaps the monetary giving aspect is highly influenced by what natural disasters are occurring in the local area. A combination of both seems likely. Given that Greece is near the bottom and is still having major economic woes, one might also suspect that economy would have to do with how much money people have to donate as well, which is borne out by the fact that emerging economies are seeing increases in donated monies as well.
And, seeing as how other economies have improved faster than the US, the notion that the US (the biggest economy in the world) is only now hitting 1st place in the index might show you just how poorly we've been faring. Maybe if we'd passed a few jobs bills, evicted a few more tea partiers...
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(12-04-2013, 01:37 PM)csrowan Wrote: I'm interested in knowing how we vaulted from 5th to 1st, not only over 4 other countries, but over more than that, since there were ties for second. I also want to know how Australia sunk from two year 1st place winner to 7th.
It seems to be an extremely volatile index. Either countries in the top 10 or so are close enough that random fluctuations can shift our rankings around, or perhaps the monetary giving aspect is highly influenced by what natural disasters are occurring in the local area. A combination of both seems likely. Given that Greece is near the bottom and is still having major economic woes, one might also suspect that economy would have to do with how much money people have to donate as well, which is borne out by the fact that emerging economies are seeing increases in donated monies as well.
And, seeing as how other economies have improved faster than the US, the notion that the US (the biggest economy in the world) is only now hitting 1st place in the index might show you just how poorly we've been faring. Maybe if we'd passed a few jobs bills, evicted a few more tea partiers...
So in other words it's questionable that WE are really most big-hearted nation and even then we SHOULD have done better in the past 
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(12-04-2013, 01:13 PM)tvguy Wrote: Few people here wants to admit to this positive stuff about our country.Most just want to complain or fault find.
hence the crickets
I was noticing that. I posted something good about the US, and it has been ignored while others have made more topics on what is bad about the US.
Bunch o' crotchety old complainers anyway. Guess I need to find a younger happier forum. Humphf! 
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12-04-2013, 01:56 PM
(This post was last modified: 12-04-2013, 01:58 PM by csrowan. Edited 1 time in total.)
(12-04-2013, 01:51 PM)tvguy Wrote: (12-04-2013, 01:37 PM)csrowan Wrote: I'm interested in knowing how we vaulted from 5th to 1st, not only over 4 other countries, but over more than that, since there were ties for second. I also want to know how Australia sunk from two year 1st place winner to 7th.
It seems to be an extremely volatile index. Either countries in the top 10 or so are close enough that random fluctuations can shift our rankings around, or perhaps the monetary giving aspect is highly influenced by what natural disasters are occurring in the local area. A combination of both seems likely. Given that Greece is near the bottom and is still having major economic woes, one might also suspect that economy would have to do with how much money people have to donate as well, which is borne out by the fact that emerging economies are seeing increases in donated monies as well.
And, seeing as how other economies have improved faster than the US, the notion that the US (the biggest economy in the world) is only now hitting 1st place in the index might show you just how poorly we've been faring. Maybe if we'd passed a few jobs bills, evicted a few more tea partiers...
So in other words it's questionable that WE are really most big-hearted nation and even then we SHOULD have done better in the past
Well, given that we WEREN'T the most big hearted nation according to this same index for the last two years, why should we suddenly take pride in being the most big hearted nation now?
And what's suddenly changed to make us so much more big hearted in 12 months time?
And what's made the Australians, who were in first place for two years, even more cold hearted than we were 12 months ago?
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12-04-2013, 04:16 PM
(This post was last modified: 12-04-2013, 04:17 PM by PonderThis. Edited 1 time in total.)
I confess I wondered how much of this supposed charitable giving was really church offerings, since this country has a larger religious population than many and also makes donations to churches tax deductable, yet churches are mostly held unaccountable for how they spend those donations. So, how objective is this figure, that most likely is skewed by these factors?
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I asked my sister why she doesn't just retire and stop her and her husbands business. I said I know you can afford to.
She asked me If I realized how much money they give away to needy people.
Tax write off? Sure but it doesn't come close to making up for the money they spend on others.
They are a couple of the horrible Christians that so many here like to talk about.
I told her that after new years I will be getting SS and another pension and that I've been doing pretty damn good with out it.
She said "GOOD" then I can start helping people like her. WAAaaa HHaaaa
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Are you sure you can collect SS at 62 and still collect a pension without it affecting the amount of SS you can get? I'm about your age but I got the idea my other income is such I would be stupid to start collecting at 62 as there's some other income requirement that goes away at 66. Only wondering.
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(12-04-2013, 06:36 PM)PonderThis Wrote: Are you sure you can collect SS at 62 and still collect a pension without it affecting the amount of SS you can get?
I think so. My wife did all the paper work.
Quote: I'm about your age but I got the idea my other income is such I would be stupid to start collecting at 62 as there's some other income requirement that goes away at 66. Only wondering.
The difference is that income/wages is an income and not a retirement fund.
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