Gallop Poll

The Gallop poll is one of the most enduring and trusted public opinion polls ever devised. So it's interesting to skim through some of those polls and learn the trends and beliefs of the world. Ok...I was bored and killing time one day so I read some Gallop polls. Anyway, here five of the polls and my own less than scientific explanations for the findings.

- Greece leads the world in pessimism. Forty-two percent of Greeks rated their future lives worse than their current lives. Greeks' hopelessness likely reflects the government's debt crisis and the political and economic uncertainty in the country. But that's because Greece has been a complete social welfare state for years. Eventually, the "free stuff" a government gives to citizens becomes unsustainable and it all ends. I wonder if President Obama realizes the same. He does seem to be a Greek at heart.

- Gallop found that the least emotional people in the world are the Singaporean. 36% of Singaporean report no feeling, either positive or negative, on a daily basis. That's the lowest in the world. I suspect Singapore may be the dreariest place in the world (unless you like to shop or like to surrender to complete control by the government). Filipinos are the most emotional in the world, with 60% saying they experience positive or negative emotion, and Latin Americans are the most positive in the world (In my opinion, probably they can immigrate illegally to the U.S. and live off  the many loose welfare programs here).

- Only 27% of the adult world is fully employed. I wonder what the other 73% do with their time. Maybe they are the ones sending me all those internet scam offers.
-  Fifty-seven percent of Iranians support developing Iran's nuclear power capabilities for non-military purposes, while 40% approve of developing nuclear power for military use. This tends to improve that not only is their nothing worse than a crazy Muslim, unless he is Iranian.
- Worldwide, 32% of adults in 2011 reported having home Internet access, according to Gallup surveys conducted in 148 countries. This is up from 29% in 2010 and 25% in 2009. I guess the conclusion is that as usage rises an informed citizenry and common sense decline and obsession with triviality and idiocy will rise.

Gee, I always suspected I was a little crazy, but it seems that the world may be even more nutty than I.