Via the Times Online, the latest report from Jane’s Country Risk. Christian Le Mière, managing editor of Jane’s Country Risk says:
“The Jane’s system differed from government assessments of country risk because it was based entirely on objective analysis, “with no politicisation of the intelligence”…”
Finally an objective non-politicized ranking of countries based on stability. The country with the longest running, most stable government is at the top of the list, right?
Well, no. In fact it’s not even in the top ten.
“Mr Le Mière said that the US had fallen down the scale, although it still scored an average of 93 out of 100, partly because of the proliferation of small arms owned by Americans and the threat to the population posed by the flow of drugs from across the Mexican border.”
That sounds subjective and politicized to me.
“The US lies 22nd and Switzerland, normally associated with wealth and untouchable stability, is rated 17th, losing points in the assessment of its social achievements.”
That sounds subjective and politicized also.
“The UK received high marks despite the deployment of combat troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, the suicide bombings in London on July 7, 2005, the continuing threat from home-grown terrorists and the collapse of the Northern Rock bank.”
More subjectivity and politicization.
“The UK is a very stable country. But the top 20 or 30 countries are all stable. There are terrorist groups in the UK but there are effective security forces to deal with them. We took the July 7 bombings into account but the UK still came out very well.”
Subjectivity and politicization again.
“He acknowledged that it was a little unfair to put the Vatican at the top because it did not face the sort of threats and economic pressures of other countries. But under the rating system, which took into account each nation’s political structures, social and economic trends, military and security risks and external relations, the Vatican state scored an average of 99 out of 100. Sweden and Luxembourg were also rated 99, with the UK not far off, with an average of 97, but scoring 100 for its politics, economics and external relations.”
Oh look. More Subjectivity.
So… The UK, a country with active terrorist groups, a government younger than the US’s, a violent crime rate higher than the US’s, and a large immigrant population totally opposed to the current government, scores a 97 and the US only gets a 92?
Nope, Sorry Jane’s. Just saying it’s objective doesn’t make it so. It has to actually BE objective. Go back and try again.
