Being asked my opinion on the question: "Which country is the greatest?" the answer is that I don't know. I'd have to know a whole lot about many countries, or at least about many of them, to venture to answer such a question. Even if I knew a whole lot about many countries, I'm not sure there is a way to tell. It's not like the 100 yard dash, where one can take a clear measurement and pronounce unambiguously: Person A is the the fastest/best.

A question worth asking, I think, is: Why do so many people feel compelled to say that their country is "the best? " - it's definitely the case that in the two countries I'm a citizen of (Israel and the US), it's a common thing for citizens to do (In case you feel confused: In Israel many are convinced that Israel is best, and in the US - that the US is the best)... My suspicion is that in any other country, a large portion of the citizenry thinks along these same lines (in respect to where they live). IMO, if one tries to deconstruct the claim, it's hard to come up with anything rational - for the reason I mentioned before: most people don't know a whole lot about many other countries, so how could they possibly know that they are "the best?" - So I suppose that the claim fulfills some emotional need to be "better" than others, whether there is good reason for it or not. Countries/governments encourage this sort of thinking, (and re-inforce it through schooling etc.), because the glue which holds nations together is at least in part a feeling of superiority over others, and it can be exploited - and often is.

I think a useful question to ask is: What kind of characteristics should a society/nation possess to be a good one? If one constructs a list of requirements, one can then use it to compare different nations/societies or figure out in what ways one's own society/country needs improving...

Some characteristics which are important to me (and which come to mind right now) are: A decent society will make sure that all of its citizens have access to adequate diet, shelter, health-care, and opportunities for learning and self-expression - so that they can lead meaningful lives.

The form of government should allow citizens *real* participation/voice in making decisions concerning issues which affect them. All citizens should have equal access to such participation. Efforts should be made to make it impossible for some to gain serious advantage over others. To these ends, power should be decentralized whenever feasible. All citizens should be treated as equals by society's laws - including access to due process (and adequate legal representation) when being brought to court. A good society should work on developing multitude of ways to deal with conflict in non-violent fashion. It should encourage cooperation (as opposed to competition); compassion towards other people (in one's own country/society, as well as others), and towards other beings.

A good society should live in balance with nature. It should conserve natural resources and protect nature from degradation. People in such a society would see themselves as part of the web of life, not as the conquerors of all.

But, to go back to the question concerning how good this country is compared to others: If I look at the categories which are important to me, this countries rates rather poorly compared to many others, in most of the above categories. Can I think of countries/societies which rate high? A favorite one is described in a book called "ANCIENT FUTURES" with a sub-title which says (more or less): the lessons we can learn from the Ladakhi People. The book is by Helena Norberg-Hodge, a linguist who spent many years in Ladakh (a society in Northern India, at the foothills of the Himalayas. The indiginous culture has been struggling mightily since westernization/globalization arrived (promoted by the Indian government). Efforts are made to change that course... I also like and admire (from what I know, and I am not an expert) many of the Native-American cultures, which have operated by consensus, and were by far more advanced IMO than any western culture- in most ways which truly count. There are lots of great Native American writers which open a window on their cultural heritage and ongoing struggle to survive. I love Leslie Marmon-Silko's book of essays: "Yellow Woman and a Beauty of the Spirit".