THE DUTCH are not used to being ranked among the worst in Europe. But that is where they stand in covid booster vaccinations: 4.1% of the population have had an extra jab, just behind Romania at 5%. They started on November 18th, months after other countries. “It is impossible to explain,” says Roel Coutinho, a former head of the national outbreak-management team. He blames the Dutch culture of governing via exhaustive negotiations and consensus—a system known as the “polder model”.
READ MORE AT:
The Dutch style of government: good for dykes, bad for covid | The Economist
Showing posts with label Ranking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ranking. Show all posts
11/7/19
1/7/19
10/31/17
Europe, the US or China? - by Steven Hill
The United States has many strengths and admirable qualities, but the
nation’s politics is plagued by paralysis and deep partisan
polarization, even though the country has a well-established federal
union.
The U.S. economy has benefited in recent years from low energy costs, but it has become bitterly divided into unequal camps of winners and losers. All these tensions have boiled over and resulted in the phenomenon of Donald Trump, whose erratic presidency is stalling badly needed reforms and furthering national division.
Meanwhile, China’s hybrid brand of “communist capitalism” remains an authoritarian puzzle of immense contradictions. While it has moved forward vigorously with renewable energies, a growing middle class is still proportionally small compared to the vast numbers of poor, even as inequality, corruption and cronyism thrive.
Impressive levels of industrial production have resulted in astounding levels of environmental ruin.
It turns out that a domineering executive leadership as in China and the United States is only great when it leads in the right direction. In comparison, the EU doesn’t always look so bad.
Europe’s social capitalism is clearly the global leader in several crucial dimensions, more so than either China’s state capitalism or America’s Wall Street-Silicon Valley capitalism.
Read more: Europe, the US or China? - The Globalist
The U.S. economy has benefited in recent years from low energy costs, but it has become bitterly divided into unequal camps of winners and losers. All these tensions have boiled over and resulted in the phenomenon of Donald Trump, whose erratic presidency is stalling badly needed reforms and furthering national division.
Meanwhile, China’s hybrid brand of “communist capitalism” remains an authoritarian puzzle of immense contradictions. While it has moved forward vigorously with renewable energies, a growing middle class is still proportionally small compared to the vast numbers of poor, even as inequality, corruption and cronyism thrive.
Impressive levels of industrial production have resulted in astounding levels of environmental ruin.
It turns out that a domineering executive leadership as in China and the United States is only great when it leads in the right direction. In comparison, the EU doesn’t always look so bad.
Europe’s social capitalism is clearly the global leader in several crucial dimensions, more so than either China’s state capitalism or America’s Wall Street-Silicon Valley capitalism.
Read more: Europe, the US or China? - The Globalist
4/11/17
EU: Going Dutch? What Americans can learn from how children are raised in the Netherlands - by Amy Perrette
Data backs up Acosta's impression. In the latest UNICEF study ranking 29 of the world's richest industrialized countries according to child well-being, Dutch children come out on top. America ranks 26th, just above Lithuania and Latvia.
Acosta and her British friend, Michele Hutchison (also an expat married to a Dutch man), decided to document the differences they saw between their own pressurized childhoods and the Dutch parenting style, and explain what it is about the Dutch approach that is producing such contented kids. The result is their book, "The Happiest Kids in the World: How Dutch Parents Help Their Kids (and Themselves) by Doing Less."
“Scrap the idea of ‘quality time,’ as American and British parents know it,” says Hutchison. “That is too stressful and puts too much pressure on planning and finances.”
Instead, Dutch parents enjoy spending lots of relaxed time together at family meals, or having the children play nearby while the parent is attending to his or her own interests and projects.
Part of why Dutch parents are able to have that low-key family time is because they allow their children a high degree of independence, even allowing them to climb trees unsupervised and bike alone at a young age.
“It isn’t that the Dutch aren’t aware of risk,” Acosta says. “They just keep the risk in perspective.”
Dutch kids are not taught to read and write until about age 7 and don’t get regular homework until their early teenage years, yet they score at the top of educational achievement and participation in the same UNICEF study.
Catherine Tamis-LeMonda, professor of applied psychology at NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, says that low-stress start to schooling makes good sense.
“A huge number of studies show that children's motivation to do things — to be engaged, to learn about their world — goes up when they make choices about what to do,” she says.
Stressing less and relaxing more as the recipe for happy children? It might be time we all “go Dutch.”
Read more: Going Dutch? What Americans can learn from how children are raised in the Netherlands - TODAY.com
12/7/16
Education: How Do American Students Compare to Their International Peers? - by Emily Richmond
U.S. students are stagnating in reading and science proficiency while their math performance declined slightly, based on new results from an international assessment, cueing the usual spate of alarmed headlines, as well as no shortage of opportunities to misapply the data.
On the Program for International School Assessment (PISA), U.S. scores in reading and science were about the same as three years ago, leaving Americans near the middle of the pack. Results were lower in math in 2015 compared with 2012, placing the U.S. near the bottom of 35 industrialized nations. Singapore was the top performer in all three subject areas.
Fifteen-year-old students in more than 70 countries and education systems were tested on their critical-thinking skills and problem-solving capabilities as well as their proficiency in core subjects. While PISA has its limitations (and critics), it’s one of the few means of comparing U.S. student achievement to their global peers.
It’s not clear precisely why U.S. students are struggling to make gains on PISA. There’s plenty of speculation: school funding, inadequate teacher training, and inequitable educational opportunities are frequent targets. It’s also tempting to turn to other countries for inspiration (Estonia, anyone?), despite their vastly different social structures, student demographics, and methodologies for teacher training, standards, and instruction. As the Harvard math education professor Jon Star told Education Week’s Sarah Sparks:
“Certain countries do well or less well in a certain year, and everyone just rushes to that country to figure out what’s going on there. A few years ago it was Finland, and before that it was Japan. It’s tempting to want to say the implementation of some country’s [math curriculum] would work, but it just plays out so differently in each state and locality.”
Read more: How Do American Students Compare to Their International Peers?
On the Program for International School Assessment (PISA), U.S. scores in reading and science were about the same as three years ago, leaving Americans near the middle of the pack. Results were lower in math in 2015 compared with 2012, placing the U.S. near the bottom of 35 industrialized nations. Singapore was the top performer in all three subject areas.
Fifteen-year-old students in more than 70 countries and education systems were tested on their critical-thinking skills and problem-solving capabilities as well as their proficiency in core subjects. While PISA has its limitations (and critics), it’s one of the few means of comparing U.S. student achievement to their global peers.
It’s not clear precisely why U.S. students are struggling to make gains on PISA. There’s plenty of speculation: school funding, inadequate teacher training, and inequitable educational opportunities are frequent targets. It’s also tempting to turn to other countries for inspiration (Estonia, anyone?), despite their vastly different social structures, student demographics, and methodologies for teacher training, standards, and instruction. As the Harvard math education professor Jon Star told Education Week’s Sarah Sparks:
“Certain countries do well or less well in a certain year, and everyone just rushes to that country to figure out what’s going on there. A few years ago it was Finland, and before that it was Japan. It’s tempting to want to say the implementation of some country’s [math curriculum] would work, but it just plays out so differently in each state and locality.”
Read more: How Do American Students Compare to Their International Peers?
3/7/14
Internet: United States Ranks 31st in the World on Internet Speed - by Jonathan Turley
What is fascinating about the utter failure of our duopoly of two
parties is how they have failed to even do the little things rights.
You would hope that, while wasting hundreds of billions, the two parties
could at least offer a modicum of help for citizens. This week’s report
from Ookla Speedtest offers one clear example. The United States
ranked behind Estonia, Hungary, Slovakia, and Uruguay. We are 31st in
the world.
So here is a no-brainer. Faster Internet is better for citizens and businesses. It is offered free in many countries or at low cost. In the United States, it is subject to endless charges and differing speeds. Due the utter failure of Congress to deal with this issue, cities are now trying to move to supply high-speed Internet.
To give you an idea of how bad we are in this study, the best Internet services are found in Hong Kong with a download speed of 72.49 Mbps. We are 20.77 Mbps. It is fighting that we are behind Slovakia since that country also recently ranked higher than the United States in press freedoms.
The reason is simple — lobbyists from the telecommunication companies are one of the most powerful groups in Washington. Few members dare to resist them. Companies Comcast, Time Warner, Verizon, and AT&T have controlled different areas of the country to maximize profits and resist improvements.
hese lobbyists — and their pocket members — passed the 1996 Telecommunications Act with the promise that it would foster competition. Instead, it allowed them to divide markets and merge into effective monopolies — imposing higher charges and lower quality services. For example, fiber optic infrastructure which is a priority in other countries have been largely abandoned by most companies to avoid the costs.
Then again, no one seriously expects us to compete with Estonia and Uruguay on technology, right?
Read more: United States Ranks 31st in the World on Internet Speed | JONATHAN TURLEY
So here is a no-brainer. Faster Internet is better for citizens and businesses. It is offered free in many countries or at low cost. In the United States, it is subject to endless charges and differing speeds. Due the utter failure of Congress to deal with this issue, cities are now trying to move to supply high-speed Internet.
To give you an idea of how bad we are in this study, the best Internet services are found in Hong Kong with a download speed of 72.49 Mbps. We are 20.77 Mbps. It is fighting that we are behind Slovakia since that country also recently ranked higher than the United States in press freedoms.
The reason is simple — lobbyists from the telecommunication companies are one of the most powerful groups in Washington. Few members dare to resist them. Companies Comcast, Time Warner, Verizon, and AT&T have controlled different areas of the country to maximize profits and resist improvements.
hese lobbyists — and their pocket members — passed the 1996 Telecommunications Act with the promise that it would foster competition. Instead, it allowed them to divide markets and merge into effective monopolies — imposing higher charges and lower quality services. For example, fiber optic infrastructure which is a priority in other countries have been largely abandoned by most companies to avoid the costs.
Then again, no one seriously expects us to compete with Estonia and Uruguay on technology, right?
Read more: United States Ranks 31st in the World on Internet Speed | JONATHAN TURLEY
1/5/14
Smart phones: Top 10 Android phones (January 2014 edition) - by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes
Time once again to take a tour of a handful of the best Android phones currently available on the market (January 2014). There are a few new handsets, including one for all you pure Android fans. Want something bigger than your average smartphone? If so, there's also a tablet for you to look at!
No matter whether you are looking for a consumer handset or something that will be suited to a BYOD role, you're bound to find something of interest here
.
If I had to choose one of these, I'd likely go for Google's, Nexus 5 because it is a powerful, fully-featured handset packed that offers the purest Android experience possible. It's the only handset that will guarantee that I see Android updates over the course of its lifespan.
However, I have to admit that some of the features present on the Samsung Galaxy S4 make it a great choice for the BYOD crowd.
Read more: Top 10 Android phones (January 2014 edition) | ZDNet
No matter whether you are looking for a consumer handset or something that will be suited to a BYOD role, you're bound to find something of interest here
.
If I had to choose one of these, I'd likely go for Google's, Nexus 5 because it is a powerful, fully-featured handset packed that offers the purest Android experience possible. It's the only handset that will guarantee that I see Android updates over the course of its lifespan.
However, I have to admit that some of the features present on the Samsung Galaxy S4 make it a great choice for the BYOD crowd.
Read more: Top 10 Android phones (January 2014 edition) | ZDNet
1/20/13
USA, Inc: Forecast: Top three Inc's with the higest profits: Apple, Exxon and Microsoft - by Douglas A. McIntyre
Each January, 24/7 Wall St. forecasts the publicly traded U.S. companies that will have the highest profits in the year ahead.
This year, Apple (AAPL) almost certainly will keep first place, well ahead of No. 2 Exxon (XOM), as the most profitable corporation in America. It already passed the oil giant in market capitalization.
However, while the market appears to anticipate continued rapid growth from Apple, its prospects have dimmed somewhat. After reaching all-time highs last year, Apple's stock advance has stopped and shares have sold off recently.
The list of most profitable companies is still dominated by oil companies, banks and big tech. A look back at profits over the past five years shows that this trend has continued. Some of these companies have not grown much on the top line of revenue for several years. But they continue to be earnings machines because of their long-time sales success, which will help them produce higher profits in the foreseeable future.
Microsoft (MFST) is the best example of this. The software company is no longer considered a leader in the tech world, a position taken by public corporations like Google (GOOG) . Yet, Microsoft's Windows and business franchises still have huge profit margins. Microsoft's net income is greater than that of almost all other tech firms.
Read more: Forecast: 10 most profitable U.S. companies in 2013
This year, Apple (AAPL) almost certainly will keep first place, well ahead of No. 2 Exxon (XOM), as the most profitable corporation in America. It already passed the oil giant in market capitalization.
However, while the market appears to anticipate continued rapid growth from Apple, its prospects have dimmed somewhat. After reaching all-time highs last year, Apple's stock advance has stopped and shares have sold off recently.
The list of most profitable companies is still dominated by oil companies, banks and big tech. A look back at profits over the past five years shows that this trend has continued. Some of these companies have not grown much on the top line of revenue for several years. But they continue to be earnings machines because of their long-time sales success, which will help them produce higher profits in the foreseeable future.
Microsoft (MFST) is the best example of this. The software company is no longer considered a leader in the tech world, a position taken by public corporations like Google (GOOG) . Yet, Microsoft's Windows and business franchises still have huge profit margins. Microsoft's net income is greater than that of almost all other tech firms.
Read more: Forecast: 10 most profitable U.S. companies in 2013
1/18/13
Russia: World Bank Praises 'Doing Business' Progress
Russia is on the right path to radically improve its business environment and move up 100 notches within the next five years in the global rankings of the favorableness of countries' investment climate, a World Bank official said Thursday.
But its eventual position in relation to other countries in the Doing Business rankings is less important than the actual progress it is making to become more friendly to investors.
President Vladimir Putin's goal to make Russia 20th out of 185 economies by 2018 is very ambitious, but the government's commitment to improve regulation and the creation of a medium-term plan to bring those efforts to life is a good foundation for improving the rating, said Augusto Lopez-Claros, the bank's director of global indicators and analysis.
"And whether it comes to the 20th or 25th place by 2018 is a less important issue than the direction of changes," he said at a panel session at the Gaidar Forum.
Lopez-Claros, who oversees the compilation of the Doing Business rankings, praised recent efforts by the government to improve the investment climate and said further progress will require a consistent policy and strong political will.
Read more: World Bank Praises 'Doing Business' Progress | News | The Moscow Times
But its eventual position in relation to other countries in the Doing Business rankings is less important than the actual progress it is making to become more friendly to investors.
President Vladimir Putin's goal to make Russia 20th out of 185 economies by 2018 is very ambitious, but the government's commitment to improve regulation and the creation of a medium-term plan to bring those efforts to life is a good foundation for improving the rating, said Augusto Lopez-Claros, the bank's director of global indicators and analysis.
"And whether it comes to the 20th or 25th place by 2018 is a less important issue than the direction of changes," he said at a panel session at the Gaidar Forum.
Lopez-Claros, who oversees the compilation of the Doing Business rankings, praised recent efforts by the government to improve the investment climate and said further progress will require a consistent policy and strong political will.
Read more: World Bank Praises 'Doing Business' Progress | News | The Moscow Times
12/23/12
Democracy around the world: 'Most democratic' European Nordic Nations " - by Jennifer Harper
A new rating of the most "democratic" nations on the planet places the U.S. in 15th place in a list of 104 countries. Who made the assessment? The Vienna, Austria-based Democracy Ranking annually rates the democracy among world populations based on "quality," taking into account such factors as political rights, civil liberty, press freedom, corruption, political stability, "gender gap" issues and myriad socioeconomic indicators.
Nordic nations — where governments tend to flirt with socialism — dominate the lead. The top 10 nations on the list are Norway, Sweden, Finland, Switzerland, Denmark, Netherlands, New Zealand, Germany, Ireland and Austria.
"The United States dropped from ranking position 14 to 15, but improved in scores from 78.3 to 78.5, with gains in politics, environment, health, and knowledge, but losses in economy and gender," the report said.
Canada, Belgium, Britain and Australia outrank the U.S. Among many others, the Russian Federation was 88th, India 72nd and Mexico 54th. The nations with the lowest rankings are Haiti, Nigeria, Egypt, Pakistan, China, Guinea-Bissau, Togo, Libya, Syria and — in last place — Yemen.
Read more: 'Most democratic': U.S. is 15th on the list - Washington Times
Nordic nations — where governments tend to flirt with socialism — dominate the lead. The top 10 nations on the list are Norway, Sweden, Finland, Switzerland, Denmark, Netherlands, New Zealand, Germany, Ireland and Austria.
"The United States dropped from ranking position 14 to 15, but improved in scores from 78.3 to 78.5, with gains in politics, environment, health, and knowledge, but losses in economy and gender," the report said.
Canada, Belgium, Britain and Australia outrank the U.S. Among many others, the Russian Federation was 88th, India 72nd and Mexico 54th. The nations with the lowest rankings are Haiti, Nigeria, Egypt, Pakistan, China, Guinea-Bissau, Togo, Libya, Syria and — in last place — Yemen.
Read more: 'Most democratic': U.S. is 15th on the list - Washington Times
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