Pick A City?

Looking for the best city to live? There is a new list of the top ten cities in the world. Switzerland has three cities in the top ten. In fact the first two, Zurich and Geneva are one and two on the list. Vienna tied for second with Geneva. Vancouver was the only city in North, South or Central America to make the list at number four. Auckland in New Zealand was five followed by three cities in Germany right in a row, Dusseldorf, Munich and Frankfort. Switzerland comes back with Bern as number nine, and Sydney rounds out the top ten. The closest the United States came was Honolulu at number 28.

Why were there no cities from the United States? What is quality of life? Surely quality of life means different things to different peoples. We all can not live in those top ten cities. Perhaps we could, or at least those who are interested or responsible for improving the quality of life in our cities, study what makes the quality of life in these top ten cities so good. We notice immediately that cities like New York, London, Paris, Berlin, Rome, Madrid, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Tokyo, Shanghai and Singapore were not in the top ten and yet they have so many advantages from a cultural and economic standpoint.

Somewhere along the line, the United States has lost its way. We have not done the job as a nation for our people. Perhaps this country is just too big to manage effectively. But one thing is for sure, we need to get a better handle on our problems. Energy is a major problem for the United States today.

Diversification is a good principle when it comes to investing and structuring a portfolio of investments. Diversification is also a good principle for a country’s economic well being. No country can be fortunate enough to have all the resources for a growing and balanced economy, but it is the job of government to make policy to encourage a diversified and balanced economy. Our energy dependency has now emerged as a major economic weakness, and has threatened the very stability of our economy and the quality of life of the American family. Our imports are also out of line with our exports. These two conditions have put pressure on our currency and thus this has put pressure on our investments in the stock markets.

It is like one aliment that disables an individual and that one aliment leading to a deterioration of the whole body. All the facets of our life are tied together economically, much the same way that the health of our bodies are dependent upon each and every part. A balanced life style works best. A nation with a balanced economy, in my opinion, works best too.

We waste too much time on issues that divide us and keep us from keeping our eye on the things that effect the quality of life for us all. Whether you are Pro-Life or for women having control over their own bodies and their health, whether you believe in stem cell research using embryos or adult stem cells, whether you believe in two people of the same sex getting married to each other or not, whether you believe in so many other things that the politicians let become wedge issues, and keep us from coming together for our own economic good (greatest good for the greatest number), then we will be cleverly sidetracked from the economic issues that have real impact on our lives and those of our families. Being side tracked is costing all of us every time we go to the pump. Our job is to come together and find common ground so that we can capture a better quality of life for the majority of the people and protect the least able among us. Perhaps then we may see one of our smaller cities on the list of Top Ten Best Cities to live.

Have a nice weekend. Stay tuned.