what's...the best country in the world?? 🗺️

Investigating the trend of moving for politics and if it's possible for a country to be "the best" (and what ranking countries says about colonialism).

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I have many, many stories that I’ve wanted to pitch and get out into the world but don’t have the time to pitch or write so, instead, I keep them locked in my mind with whatever other wild ideas I have that may never see the light of day (or come to fruition by my own hand).

One that bobs to the surface bi-yearly — and definitely the past three elections — is a story about “the best country in the world,” less to rank countries and more to understand what the “best” country would be from a historical lens given that culture is so quick to dog on America, believing that there is a more saintly, less problematic, and in ways “better” place that one can go to to escape it all. This idea came about because, during every election like this election, people speak up to gripe and complain that “If [INSERT POLITICAL ITEM] doesn’t win, I’m moving to [INSERT COUNTRY]!” These stories are so fascinating and simplistic, in that those wielding this threat are speaking about a world where American politics are detached from the larger world. This idea is made more ridiculous by the celebrity drama complex, where people are always going on record to say they will “move to Canada” if such-and-such happens. Lena Dunham vowed for Canada, Amy Schumer said Spain, a lot of people say a lot of things and yet none of them do it.