Guess what the 12 countries ranked above the USA all have in common?

People in America have been taught all their lives that socialism = communism . The countries you talk about have gotten past that nonsense.

Yes, but it doesn't cover everything e.g. good dental care. On the other hand, it is good because one doesn't pay for doctor appointments, but we as tax payers still pay each month and all citizens are obligated to have medical insurance.

I think the reason e.g. Germany is a great place to live is because people in general abide by the rules and so make life for us all better.

The survey you refer to worked by drawing up a list of desiderata, then counting up the brownie-points each country earned by meeting each criterion.

If the list includes publicly-funded health care as a highly desirable thing, it's no wonder that those countries which have it rank highly. The table is merely a self-fulfilling prophecy. Other lists, equally plausible, would be possible. I could draw up a list which would guarantee N. Korea or Cuba #1 rating.

A more interesting league table would be produced by counting how many people want to move into/out of each country - what Lenin called "voting with one's feet." This has the benefit of an operational test. People are in general the best judge of their own happiness; if their choices are counted, we can easily see which countries lead the table.

socialism = socialism.

The fascist, totalitarian, Stalinist brand of socialism that Barack Obama is selling doesn't equal just socialism...if it did we would better off.

Capitalism isn't working.....