UN Releases 2004 Human Development Index (HDI)

This index of indexes is the shit. It ranks countries on things that matter like health, education and equality - rather than stgraigh economic factors. Had a quick look and several things stand out:

Quasi-socialist countries do well overall - Norway, Sweeden, Netherlands, Canada.. better than the US and UK (8th and 11th).

A interesting measure compared overall human development measures compared to countries' GDP per capita (that is, how well do countries do in HD compared to their available wealth?) Well, guess who ranks best in the his measure?? Anyone?? Well CUBA of course! Actually Tajikistan is #1, Cuba #2, then: Moldova, Unzbekistan, Albania, Ukraine.... what else do these countries have in common?

Something I though was also very interesting. Besides the high ranking in health, education, life expentency and things like this, Cuba is also ranked 13th in the world in hi-tech exports! This is higher than even I thought and despite a strangling US blockade that also impairs other countries from doing business with Cuba!

Cuba BEATS the US in the number of child deaths (under 5) among other things.
 
A very interesting matrix also shows how the US stands virtually alone in not having signed the major Human Rights Instruments and Conventions: Social-Cultural (NO), Civic-Political (YES), Discriminate Vs. Women (NO), Children Rights (NO), Geneva (YES - but we don't honor it) ... the US stands with only Singapore and the Emerites among top countries not having signed all 7 - AND we are a dismal 2 for 5 with the major Labor conventions.