Economic War

@Royrogers According to The Economist Democracy Index, almost all EU countries are at the top of their list, and Canada too. The USA is characterized as a flawed democracy, see here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Economist_Democracy_Index
Of course, you are free to believe whatever you want.

@Royrogers Yes indeed. Democracy works in the EU.

@pdqsailor1 The USA has become a failed state last weeks, go feel yourselves great again

@pdqsailor1 I'll go and find out WHY the Economist considers the US to be a "flawed democracy". I'll report later.

@helenS The US democracy index was downgraded mainly because of then-former president Trump and his gang's efforts to challenge the 2020 election results in several states with unsubstantiated claims of widespread voter fraud, and to even storm the Capitol.
https://thehill.com/homenews/news/537204-us-score-falls-in-economists-2020-democracy-index/

@Thewhazzupdude planes leave the US every day dork. Be on the next 👋

@helenS I can't believe you wrote that. The US is NOT a democracy. It's a constitutional republic.

So yes, it wouldn't match some far left opinion mag like the Economist's ideal democracy

@Thrust Norway is #1! 🇳🇴

@helenS I have met the King of Norway... he is a very skilled and enthusiastic sailor...

@pdqsailor1 You met King Harald V! 😳
Is that really true??? Come on! 😏

@helenS Yes, he was in Toronto for the eight meter world championship, his late Grandfathers yacht (now his) Norge coming ahead of him as his home base away from home and on the back of it his Classic eight meter yacht which he inherited from his Father.. He is a talented and skilled yachtsman (so am I BTW) so the yacht pulls into Town the crane is there to unload the eight meter and his inflatable tender and they rig it right then and there and go practice...We have a fleet of eights at our club in Toronto that was hosting the event,.. The King's yacht was kept city side and he stayed on board coming to the club each morning with his launch to go racing and later to enjoy the club. That is where I met him...I actually am a long term sailor and have been very fortunate to meet some amazing sailors over the years. King Harald is no slouch.. He has this yacht rigged perfectly to do his bidding and be a perfect transport mechanism for his eight meter and his Tillotson and Pearson 52... He is an avid enthusiast..

@pdqsailor1 Incredible (<== does not mean I don't believe you...)
Now I understand your SW user name much better 🌷

@helenS ah - my user name... not only am I a sailor but for many years I owned a hydrofoil sailboat and sustained 35 knots of boat speed in it.. a tick over 40 MPH hence PDQ (pretty darn quick). Very few sailors in this world have travelled this fast though there are more of them every day. I have sailed for fifty years and its very much a part of my life... His eight meter is called Sira and the cup for the classics was donated I believe by his late Father and is called he Sira cup... He met his Wife while sailing.. I met my Wife as a consequence of sailing....so she does not hold this affliction of mine again me...Here are some shots o him sailing in Toronto and one at the club.. His majesty likes playing tennis - its getting him to wear his shirt on the court that was at issue.. He is a very well grounded fellow... As a boy he visited Toronto during WWII...

@pdqsailor1 Very good picture of him! 👍🏼

@helenS He was there to RACE not to mess around.. The King is the real deal and when I say he is a sailor, well I believe he came in second in the series and not by much either.. He was there to win. He knows what he is doing and he is good at it.. The love and respect the Cadets on the yacht show his 8M... they take their shoes off and wear socks while fastening it securely on deck for the ocean crossing so as to not make a mark in their King's boat...

@helenS So the same shop that builds the masts for our fleet of 8M's ( - the Kings class of yacht) built the new custom mast for our boat... ny comment on this shop is they don't make masts so much as boat jewellery.. I am and have been a very much blessed fellow - the difference is I actually KNOW this...

One day on my way to the airport years ago my driver (regular driver) says guess who I am driving later today? I don't have a clue so he says "Ted Turner" - so I say, please say hello to Ted for me.. He says "YOU know Ted Turner? " I say yes I met him while sailing out of Chicago and I was given the tour of his boat (Tenacious) in Grosse Point MI... We raced against him... So later that day he is driving Ted and says he has regards from a client.. he asked how his client knew him.. and his response was "he says you are one of the best sailors in the world"..(Ted won the Americas cup on Courageous in 1977) And Ted is flattened and says "that is how he knows me?" he said yes.. he was very warmly touched by this...

@helenS the EU is not democratic. The EU commission decides what the EU is to do and all the member states are expected to enforce it. This has nothing to do with the US