Top 10 Most Dangerous Places on Earth
Published on April 8, 2008 - 625 Comments
In keeping with this site’s love of helping out with holiday plans, this is a list on the top 10 most dangerous places in the world - these are all places you might consider not visiting when planning your next holiday. Some of the items may be a little controversial, but you are, of course, free to ignore our advice and go anyway!
In this crime-ridden, ex-Soviet state, no longer does the government stuff their Armani suits with rubles, but the vandals and gangsters. The Russian mafia runs amuck, there are more gangsters than police, and a Russian is assassinated every 18 minutes, averaging 84 murders per day in a nation of 143 million. The nucleus of Russian crime is stationed in the Republic of Chechnya, a region within Russia just north of Georgia. Prostitution, drug trafficking, and underground restaurants are arbitrarily controlled by the Chechens. Foreigners are kidnapped more frequently due to the higher ransom allocated. Crimes towards include but are not limited to: pick pocketing wallets, cell phones, cameras, cash, and physical assaults. From superpower to Third World country, think tanks are beginning to speculate if communism really was the cure for Russia. [Source]
For anyone traveling to Brazil, it is not a matter of whether you get mugged, it is a matter of when! Grinding poverty still lives alongside incredible wealth in a country that is riding a wave of economic growth. But with prosperity, rates of crime have also soared. Street crime is rampant in parts of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paolo, and whilst many victims are left unharmed, having a broken bottle put to your throat for your bracelet is not pleasant. The incidences of “quicknappings” has risen in major cities. This involves being abducted and taken to an ATM to pay your ransom. If you can’t pay, thanks to mobile technology, your family is only a call away. Along with street crime, organized criminal groups have waged wars against police and public institutions that were unable to be bribed. Prison riots are brutally suppressed, drugs and narco-terrorism claim civilian casualties and if you survive all that - the piranhas are waiting.
Any nation described as the ‘rape capital of the world’ should be one to take extra special care in. Although rape had shown a declining trend to 113.7 in 2004, it increased in 2005 to 118.3 per 100 000. Another damning statistic for South Africa is its appallingly high murder rate. The 2010 World Cup host is consistently in the Top 5 list of countries by homicide rate. Most crime is confined to poor areas but it hasn’t stopped gated communities springing up all over South Africa and armed guards protecting wealthy tourist groups. Farming in South Africa has become one of the most dangerous professions in the world. The murder rate for farmers is 313 per 100 000 - about 8 times the national average. And like anywhere, sex can be very dangerous in South Africa, where more than 10 million people are infected with HIV.
This small, densely populated and poor nation has giant problems. A civil war between Hutus and Tutsis tore the nation apart between 1993 and 2006. A ceasefire was declared however most provisions have not been implemented. Mass murder and mayhem compete with environmental problems as the biggest headaches for the people of Burundi. The list of assassinated leaders is extensive, and control of the nation has changed hands numerous times in the last 50 years. Crimes committed by roaming gangs and armed children are risks for visitors. Muggings, carjackings and kidnappings await, so you are advised not to stop the car for souvenirs. Should you be injured or harmed while in Burundi, you may need to be well trained, as local clinics have almost no resources to assist you.
While murder, rape and robbery may not be a big problem in this part of the world, the hostile conditions are. Antarctica is home to some extreme weather conditions, with the mercury regularly dropping below -60 degrees Celsius (-100F) and winds tearing in at more than 100km/hr. If exposed to this weather for more than an hour, you will most certainly die. Antarctica has no hospitals, no food to forage and if you get lost, not a lot of hope. Stay with the tour groups. At least there is a McDonald’s at Scott Base if you manage to find it.
This nation has for hundreds of years, been one of the worlds most strategically important and lusted after territories. However it remains one of the poorest, undeveloped and unstable. During the Soviet invasion, the Red Army planted more than 12 million landmines in Afghanistan. Hundreds of people are killed, shredded, and maimed each year due to these insidious devices. Following the Soviets came the Taliban, whose control meant women were banned from jobs and universities. In 2001, the United States overthrew the Taliban, but banditry, tribal rivalries and drug related violence has left the nation unstable. Suicide bombings are a constant threat, and nobody in Afghanistan is safe. The most lethal suicide attack occurred in Baghlan Province in November 2007, killing more than 70 people. Did I mention Afghanistan is also the worlds largest supplier of top grade hashish and opium?
Somalia is a failed state known for its anarchy, corruption, lack of government, and starvation. Travelers are warned against entering Somalia, the self-proclaimed “independent Republic of Somaliland” or even sailing near the Horn Of Africa. Pirates patrol these waters armed with AK-47s and will seize craft and hold crews to ransom. Inter-clan fighting has claimed thousands of lives in the north of the country, while territorial control in the capital, Mogadishu is carved up between many clans and warlords. Ethiopia attacked Islamic troops in Somalia in late 2006, resulting in hundreds of casualties and the internal displacement of thousands. Heck, if this place is too much for the Marines, what chance do you stand? Make sure your insurance is fully up to date.
Desperation, death and destruction are synonymous with Sudan. Terrorism is a mainstay of this nation, which has been controlled by Islamic military regimes since its independence. Some of the worlds most famous killers have earned their stripes in Sudan, finishing with degrees in car-bombing, rocket launching and genocide. Violence is rife in the Darfur region between government-backed militias, government troops and local insurgent groups. Sudan has been in open warfare with Chad partly due to the Darfur conflict. Since 2003, 230,000 Sudanese refugees have fled to eastern Chad from Darfur. More than two million have died during the 2 civil wars that spanned the last 50 years. Along with its bleak desert conditions, Sudan is one of the worst places on the planet.
Kidnapping is the main worry in Colombia. There were 2338 kidnappings in Colombia in 1998. Of the victims, 138 were killed by their captors. Ranked Fourth in the world for murders with 69.98/100000 in 2006, the popular targets are mayors, with dozens of them being slain each year. And of course, who can forget cocaine? Colombia supplies 75% of the worlds supply and thanks to Pablo Escobar and the Cali Cartel, paramilitary groups have waged war on the government in a bloody conflict with no end in sight. Even those working in the name of charity are not excluded from the frenzy. In 2005, 5 Catholic missionaries were murdered, down from 9 in 1999. Colombia’s beautiful coast and rugged mountains should make it a tourist paradise, instead it is among the most feared destinations you can visit.
It doesn’t matter whether you are George Bush, Pele or Chuck Norris - you are not safe in Iraq. Despite its rich history and its oil reserves, it is a ruined nation that is wracked with violence, despair and confusion. Since 2003, the United States has occupied Iraq which has led to a civil war claiming the lives of more than 650 000 civilians. Al-Qaeda, Sunni insurgents, Shiite security forces, Kurdish rebels, American soldiers, Turkish troops and criminals are involved in a cycle of violence that unfortunately, will not abate any time soon. Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), Explosively Formed Penetrators (EFPs) and mines are a constant threat, as are suicide bombers who have slain hundreds. Kidnappings and random killings are reported with almost mind-numbing frequency. Since 2003, 2 million Iraqis have fled to neighboring countries and another 1.9 million in Iraq remain internally displaced. Depleted uranium used as armor-piercing rounds will poison Iraqi civilians and US servicemen for decades. Truly, a hell on earth.
For the average traveller, the USA is fairly safe, but the numbers do not lie. There are more than 200 million guns in the USA and more than 50 murders a day, 10 times the rate of Germany. Nearly 5000 people die a year in truck crashes, about 6000 pedestrains die on the streets and 31000 people end their own lives. The USA now leads all nations in violent crime and leads all nations with incarcerations now standing at 2.3 million. American citizens also make up the greatest number of criminals serving time in overseas prisons. Militias, hate groups and other right wing radicals all spread their message of violence and are known to throw around the odd pipe-bomb. The government is not much better, spending a whopping $600 billion a year on defense in order to contain the handful of nations hostile to it.
Dishonorable Mentions: Haiti, Liberia, and Congo.
Contributor: DentShop
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1. Jigsaw911 - April 8th, 2008 at 5:55 am
Antarctica seems cool though…
2. AT86 - April 8th, 2008 at 5:56 am
i thought pakistan had been called the most dangerous place in the world by the economist. even ahead of iraq in their opinion. I for one disagree
3. AnotherEngine - April 8th, 2008 at 5:58 am
Whoo hoo! USA! USA!!!
4. Dan - April 8th, 2008 at 5:59 am
I chuckled when I saw the US as number three because it’s so true…Few people realize it but this country is quite messed up, in more ways that one.
5. kiwiboi - April 8th, 2008 at 6:01 am
“There are more than 200 million guns in the USA and more than 50 murders a day, 10 times the rate of Germany”
I think the distinction needs to be made between *gun-related murder* and *murder* rates.
Germany has 10x the gun-related murder rate of the US, but only 4x the murder rate - *per capita*, of course; otherwise the US has some 21x the firearms-related murder rate of Germany - which is a meaningless figure.
Note, too, that a survey rating the “Perception of Safety When Walking in the Dark” had the US come in second (for what it is worth).
http://www.nationmaster.com/gr.....lking-dark
Methinks that it is difficult to make meaningful conclusions from crime stats.
6. otay - April 8th, 2008 at 6:02 am
Wow, nice list. USA ranked #3 surprises me though. As a US citizen i feel 100% safe anywhere i travel within the USA. Most violent crime is due to gang activity in the larger cities. Very little violent crime actually occurs outside the large cities.
7. nuglyman - April 8th, 2008 at 6:10 am
If the US is quite messed up then why is it that everybody wants to immigrate to the US? Also, I own a gun, a 16 gauge shotgun that I received for Christmas when I was 16 (I’m almost 40 now). Does that make me dangerous? The reason America has so many guns is that when the government comes knocking down my door I’ll at least have some sort of weapon to fight against them and don’t say that never happens. Ask the Jews living in Germany during the late 1930’s or how about the people who used to live under Saddam Hussein’s rule. We are still one of the freest nations in the world but because of the radical left wing groups we are slowly losing our freedoms. I’d rather live here in the USA (number 3 dangerous place) than anywhere else in the world.
8. dangorironhide - April 8th, 2008 at 6:10 am
Nice list, I like the ‘dishonorable mentions’. I was expecting to see Afghanistan higher, but meh.
9. Mom424 - April 8th, 2008 at 6:12 am
Good list, very good, but you are going to take some flack for putting the USA so high on the list. It is reasonably safe if you stay at Disneyland (they have heavy handed security/creepy even), stay out of the poor areas, are not a minority, ( a misnomer - Hispanics are actually the majority in some southern states), and stay on the beaten path. Many of the incarcerated in the States are convicted of drug offences. We discussed this on another list but if you take the non-violent addicts out of the equation the convict rate drops to a semi-reasonable level. Note I said semi-reasonable, there are still to many fire-arms floating around for anyone to be truly safe. Even a traffic altercation can end very badly when everyone has a gun. Lose it with your fists, nobody dies usually, can’t be said for a gun.
10. AlyshiaH - April 8th, 2008 at 6:13 am
im suprizes usa wasnt higher on the list. I mean, with us spreading war everyqhere, thats pretty bad…
11. AT86 - April 8th, 2008 at 6:14 am
nuglyman, if i went to college with you and realised you had got a shotgun as a “birthday gift”… i would consider that dangerous. especially if you were a loner.
nowhere else in the world would anyone ever be scared about such a person but US gun laws have made all these killings possible. so yes it is dangerous
12. skeev - April 8th, 2008 at 6:20 am
How does 31,000 people ending their own lives make it dangerous to travelers or to other residents of the US? It seems that the number was thrown in just to inflate the statistics especially when I don’t see suicide rates on any other location.
While it is true that the US can be a dangerous place I just don’t see how it’s MORE dangerous than places like Somalia or Afghanistan when you consider that those places have roving militias and no real police or government.
And how often do you see hate groups throwing the “odd pipe bomb”?
Other than that, nice list. I just feel that the US section has a tone to it that is attempting to damn it more than any other entry on the list.
13. Mom424 - April 8th, 2008 at 6:22 am
ps; do you actually believe it is better to live in Liberia, Congo, or Haiti than the United States? I think you should have placed the USA as the dishonorable mention with the same spiel that you used on the list. People generally don’t starve to death or die of malnutrition related disease in the States. They certainly do in the above mentioned countries.
14. kiwiboi - April 8th, 2008 at 6:22 am
Re the USA “exporting war to every corner of the globe”;
Aside from being a very inflammatory view, I think the term in polite society is “exporting Democracy”
15. skeev - April 8th, 2008 at 6:22 am
The US spreading war across the world does not make the US a dangerous place. It make the places we are speading war dangerous.
How would bringing war to Iraq make Kansas a dangerous place?
16. Sharki - April 8th, 2008 at 6:25 am
This list is BS. Just because the US has a lot of guns doesn’t make it dangerous, and 50 murders a day is only one per state, that’s hardly cause for concern. And Otay is right, most violent crime is criminals killing other criminals. Your odds of being the victim of random violent crime are immeasurably small.
And for the last fucking time depleted uranium is not poisonus! If you don’t belive me, how about the International Atomic Engergy Commision, RAND or NATO Secretary Genenral Lord Robertson,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D.....le_effects
17. DanOhh - April 8th, 2008 at 6:26 am
Honorable Mention: My House: when my wife finds out I forgot to take out the trash. (Brrr, cold chills… the horror)
18. otay - April 8th, 2008 at 6:28 am
I live in Montana, 4th largest State, and population less than 1 million. I have several guns, ranging from high power rifles, shotguns as well as hand guns. This is a fairly normal amount of “weaponry” for people around this region. However, very rarely in Montana is a gun used to kill or even attempt to kill another human being. We enjoy and exercise our “Right to bear arms”. We handle our civil disputes in a civil manner here. We do have our fights which usually end up in a knock-down, drag-out fist fight where at the very worste, you may end up with an ass whoopin……not end up getting stabbed or shot.
19. skeev - April 8th, 2008 at 6:28 am
Using the theory that a place is safe if you stay out of the bad nieghborhoods and on the beaten path is true wherever you go.
There are ethnic nieghborhoods in European countries that make some of the US ghettos look like a Disney vacation.
20. Sharki - April 8th, 2008 at 6:32 am
And what’s with this crap line, “Militias, hate groups and other right wing radicals all spread their message of violence and are known to throw around the odd pipe-bomb.” With the exception of the Oklahoma City bombing anti-government militia groups are of no real threat. I’m more afraid of the ELF buring donw my house than I am of any militia or right wing group.
21. Mom424 - April 8th, 2008 at 6:32 am
Kiwiboi; Oh yeah, exporting democracy. We’ll just see how long it takes Iraq to have anything resembling democracy; a mealy mouthed rubber-stamp leader picked by the American administration does not count. America doesn’t export democracy, they just trade anti-american bastards for pro-american bastards. It is a pattern of behavior that hasn’t changed for a hundred years. (ok maybe a little less than 100)
22. pluis - April 8th, 2008 at 6:35 am
thanks for helping out with my holiday plans. I’ll consider this list for my holiday plans next year
23. cparker - April 8th, 2008 at 6:42 am
Dude come on, I would much rather live in the USA than Antarctica. I have a great job here, nice house, etc…Antarctica kills you in an hour! I have beebn alive here for 25 years. Like the USA entry says the numbers dont lie! It’s relative I suppose.
24. jfrater - April 8th, 2008 at 6:42 am
Just before I posted this list to the site I told DentShop to be prepared to answer debates about the inclusion of the USA
I am sure he will be here before long to do so!
In the meantime - I have enjoyed my holidays in the US very much - though I was advised to not walk from my hotel to the city center at night (I was in San Francisco). In New Zealand (where I come from originally) there is not an area of my city (in fact there are probably none in any of our major cities) where i would need to advise someone to do that.
Having said that - the city was great and the people were some of the friendliest and earnest people I have met. I would have no qualms living in the USA.
25. otay - April 8th, 2008 at 6:47 am
Many of you living outside the United States would not be eating bread if it weren’t for the wheat and grains exported from the United States…….oh and let’s not forget those delicious juicy beef steaks!!!
26. Mom424 - April 8th, 2008 at 6:49 am
Otay; I agree, rural areas in North America are safe. Rifles and shot guns are prevalent here in Canada. They are tools used for hunting and for killing varmints. Hand guns and machine guns are for killing people. If you are not at the gun club shootin’ targets (my niece is a black powder junior champion), there is no reason to have them. The easier it is to legally carry hand guns, the easier it is to obtain them illegally. We have a problem now with our Jamaican/Asian gangs obtaining hand guns from across the border. It’s just too easy.
27. otay - April 8th, 2008 at 6:55 am
Mom424: I completely agree with your views on handguns and “assault-type” rifles. They were designed and made for killing people. My hand guns are used as side arms during hunting. Any wounded animal can be very dangerous, and if you get close to them (claiming and tagging your kill) they can attack, having a side arm is a nice thing to have in this situation, though it is a very rare situation to begin with.
28. Rob - April 8th, 2008 at 6:57 am
The US has plenty of problems, but do you really think we’d have the highest total number or percentage in the world if every country out there truthfully reported their numbers?
You really think there are less total people imprisoned in China? Russia? North Korea?
Perhaps the solution is to just do what they do to criminals in most other countries, where “justice” is swift and final.
29. kiwiboi - April 8th, 2008 at 7:02 am
“Many of you living outside the United States would not be eating bread if it weren’t for the wheat and grains exported from the United States…….oh and let’s not forget those delicious juicy beef steaks!!!”
otay - it cuts both ways. Many of you (in the US) wouldn’t be driving your SUV’s and trucks if it weren’t for the oil produced outside of the US. At the very least the cost would be prohibitive.
As for the beefsteaks…I think that Argentina, Australia, New Zealand etc. etc. are able to adequately compete in this area. But, yes, I do enjoy a Texas steak when I get the opportunity
30. jfrater - April 8th, 2008 at 7:06 am
otay: America exports beef? In NZ we eat our own (and export the rest) and in the UK I eat British beef which is very high quality. I have never eaten American beef.
31. mandysparky - April 8th, 2008 at 7:09 am
Oh thank you, you have fucking scared the shit out of me, and im going to Rio in Brazil at the end of the year!!!
32. jfrater - April 8th, 2008 at 7:10 am
mandy: just keep away from the bad bits
33. Sharki - April 8th, 2008 at 7:13 am
Mom424: So it’s our fault that people in Canada are brekaing Canadian law? If illegal guns are crossing the boarder then take it up with YOUR customes or YOUR boarder enforcement agencies, don’t ask us to give up our freedoms just because you don’t like hand guns.
34. Randall - April 8th, 2008 at 7:13 am
DentShop:
Dented head perhaps? Come on. I am NO patriotic jingoist… but placing the US at #3 is just absurd. I’m all for honesty and admitting that we are one fucked up nation–we are. We’re a sick society in a lot of ways, and yes, much too freakin’ gun crazy. But NUMBER THREE on a list like this, ahead of places like Afghanistan… and on a list that leaves off HAITI? Come off it–that’s not just disingenuous, it’s childishly anti-American, playing fast and loose with the facts so the writer can make his/her “cool points” (it’s trendy to be not just anti-American these days, but *irrationally* anti-American)–and that kind of thing I do NOT like. It amounts to cant. And irrational, childish cant only ruins what is otherwise a good list.
Are there places in this continent-sized nation that I wouldn’t go? Sure. But they’re vastly in the minority in a land where *geographically,* one feels perfectly safe in about 95% of it. Don’t wander around certain sections of Detroit, for instance… or Philadelphia. But the same could be said for sections of Brindisi, in Italy, or up until just a few years ago, Marseilles in France. Or sections of certain cities in the UK.
No, the inclusion of the US in this list–let alone in the THIRD position, is just grossly silly and stupid, and only shows the list writer off as politically biased to the point where he/she doesn’t really care about weighing the truth in a considered way, but rather is far more interested in making a dishonest point. It gives me the feeling that DentShop wrote the entire list from the very beginning with the idea of scolding us Americans on our uncivilized behavior, and then just created a list to go around it, cloaking his/her intent (barely).
RUSSIA is FAR more dangerous than the United States for tourists, let alone its own citizens, for chrissakes.
35. Sharki - April 8th, 2008 at 7:14 am
Mandysparky: Stick the tourist areas and you should be safe.
36. rneiderman - April 8th, 2008 at 7:17 am
Wow! I live in the third most dangerous place on Earth! I guess I’d do just fine in Afghanistan. Maybe I’ll finally go live in Antarctica with the penguins.
Here’s a thought: it the US (where US Marines come from) is more dangerous than Somalia, why would Somalia be “too much for the Marines”?
37. Asher - April 8th, 2008 at 7:21 am
USA at number 3?
Where is France? I don’t see ‘youths’ rampaging through the streets burning over 100 automobiles every night in America.
Have you been to Russia? If you are on the streets after midnight, you likely to be relieved of your cellphone and cash. The good news is that you can buy your own phone back the next day down at the flea market.
Tibetan protesters might also disagree with this list. But you might have trouble picking them out in a crowd, since European governments are harassing them along the torch route and confiscating their t-shirts and banners.
I tell my friends to visit Europe sooner rather than later. Sharia law isn’t all that great for tourism…although it sounds like the author might feel ’safer’ under the Caliphate than that nasty American freedom.
38. Yarr - April 8th, 2008 at 7:22 am
The U.S. at number 3 is pretty immature. Yeah, the “numbers don’t lie” but look at what is in your numbers. ‘Violent Crime’ reported in the U.S. is not the same as in other countries. Two guys fighting at a bar will get arrested and charged with assault– violent crime on the stats, but c’mon now…
If you beat your wife here, you go to jail, however you will go to jail if you *don’t* do it in the Middle East.
You also used automobile accidents and suicides to inflate your numbers. Except for the occasional maniac, accidents are accidents and have no bearing on crime stats. There again, ‘vehicular homicide’ is written down as a violent crime when someone is drunk, and while I’m not an advocate for drunk driving, I challenge you to find any ‘intent to harm’ in most of these cases. Avoidable, yes. Intentional, no.
I guess if you’re running a classification of *actual* death or injury without regard to intent, then perhaps your placement is correct, however, if it’s crime and random acts of violence, you are way off base.
Including Antarctica, however, throws this argument off. What’s the name of that island off Australia that is the exclusive home to some of the deadliest plants and animals in the world?
For that matter, nobody can survive for more than a minute or two without apparatus if they go more than an inch below the surface of any body of water. What’s the crime rate in Antarctica? What’s the guns to no guns ratio?
Is it more ‘dangerous’ to live in Florida with their hurricanes? Or California with thier cornucopia of disasters? Breadbasket with their tornadoes? Pacific islands with psunamis? Aids and Ebola in Africa?
Did you include these deaths in your stats?
The incarceration rate is high here because other countries EXECUTE or publicly torture and humiliate petty criminals. Or, the cops just beat them up and take their money and the crime is ever reported, though in reality you just got two for one.
Yes, we still have the death penalty, but even those people are housed for decades before the system cleans them out. In other countries that impose capital punishment, they knock them off the books pretty quickly.
Seems like you just have a healthy dislike for the U.S. to put us on here.
39. Bob - April 8th, 2008 at 7:23 am
The whole list was obviously planned around the US entry. Irresponsible liberal nonsense masquerading as information. I’ve yet to find out why liberals, who hate the US so much, don’t just go north to Canada. That place is more your style, eh?
40. jfrater - April 8th, 2008 at 7:24 am
Geez: I am wondering if I ought to remove the US from the list even though I didn’t write it.
41. rhummer37 - April 8th, 2008 at 7:26 am
One of the more worthless lists here, due to a pathetic biasness which lead to confusion around the terms “dangerous place”.
My reasons have already been posted by others (Randall).
I was going to take a vacation to Florida in the Summer, maybe I should go somewhere safer, like Afghanistan instead.
42. Mike - April 8th, 2008 at 7:27 am
I don’t get how you could feel more safe in Afghanistan than the United States.
43. tokabul - April 8th, 2008 at 7:30 am
Awesome list. However, I would just like to point out one thing. The broad generalization of the US doesnt do us justice. Yes everything you listed is true, but most of what you pointed out is centralized within relatively small urban areas of our country. There are many other places a person could visit without any real threat of violence. For instance if you are in Watts or Compton you are much more likely to see a violent crime than if you were visiting a place just a few miles south like Newport or Huntington beach. Its a shame that the violent reputation of a small portion of our country makes the whole place look bad.
44. kiwiboi - April 8th, 2008 at 7:31 am
“I am wondering if I ought to remove the US from the list even though I didn’t write it”
jfrater - dunno, depends on whether you want to take the heat or not if it is left on there.
However, I think every rational person reading this list will surely agree that the US shouldn’t be on it. As someone else said, it sould have been an interesting - though still controversial - “honorable mention” at best. I’m a little surprised at how calmly the American posters are reacting
Also, I am not sure how the criteria “dangerous” can be equitably applied in a list like this ?
45. JLo - April 8th, 2008 at 7:34 am
One question: Is Dentshop from the U.S.? Earth? Actually, I know the perception of America is that we are a rather violent culture (especially by directors like Lars Von Trier who makes many films deriding America but has never actually been here), but this is clearly our blood thirsty media and Hollywood sensationalism. Dentshop needs to see the movie God Grew Tired Us and consider revising his list.
46. longball - April 8th, 2008 at 7:34 am
http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/.....endment02/
The second amendment folks. read it and weep. the day they take our right to defend ourselves is the day this country becomes number one on the list. yes, its easy for criminals to get weapons here, but if you take away our own means of protection they will get them form other countries and then we will be f*cked because of all the wealth this country has to offer to poverty stricken people from around the globe.
47. Chaz - April 8th, 2008 at 7:36 am
Well said Randall. Pipe bombs from right wing groups? What a crock. The last major publicized bombing event in the US was the Time Square bombing of a Marine recruiting station. Perpetrated no doubt by a radical left wing idiot. In my neck of the woods (NW), you have the stupid ELF movement (As if humans are some evil blight occupying the earth).
As for jfraters comment about SF which was generally positive (it is a great city), my only thought was that you were in a big city where some regions are less safe than others. I had similar comments made to me while in Paris.
48. Mom424 - April 8th, 2008 at 7:39 am
Sharki; I was illustrating a point, and it is a true one. Ease of access to handguns makes it easier for the criminals to obtain them illegally. I don’t dislike hand guns, they should be strictly controlled and used only at licensed venues (the gun club). If there are fewer hand guns in circulation there will be fewer available for the bad guys. Common sense.
That said, you are correct, our border security is a sham. We let the guns, Somali war lords, and Ex-South African human experimenters through, but we inform the CIA when one of our Citizens is ripe for kidnapping and whisking off to Egypt for interrogation/torture. It is shameful.
49. islanderbst - April 8th, 2008 at 7:40 am
US=Safest place on Earth. Period. I live in a city that has been called one of the supposed murder capitals of the country and I still have no qualms about going out late at night.
Also, I dont have to worry about suicide bombers at the market, I have fresh water to drink, and our protests tend to be peaceful (hello, France).
What I cant figure out is why other countries cant figure out how to live peacefully. We had a civil war, got through it, built our economy, and now I can live next to a Muslim, Jew, or Mormon and not worry about one of them starting a jihad on me, or I can live next to a Libertarian, Socialist, or Reformist and not worry about a bloody coup happening.
50. giann - April 8th, 2008 at 7:43 am
i was expecting my country,
but now i feel so blessed.
51. tokabul - April 8th, 2008 at 7:44 am
jfrater: I dont think that the US should be removed from the list, I just think it should be narrowed down to the places that are actually dangerous. Places where wearing the wrong thing in the wrong neighborhood will get you killed as opposed to areas where the only firearms are owned by people intending to shoot nothing more than deer or birds.
52. Arabella - April 8th, 2008 at 7:45 am
I will never leave Canada!
53. jfrater - April 8th, 2008 at 7:47 am
I have changed the list and replaced the USA with Russia. Though I see that the original list was likely to cause much debate. Alas.
54. otay - April 8th, 2008 at 7:52 am
The United States exports alot of beef, more than i, myself realized. I am a nurse by profession, currently employed as a live-in, private duty nurse for a cattle rancher that was paralyzed from the neck down due to an ATV accident while rounding up some stray cattle. He is a top breeder of Black Angus cattle, and he is “age and source verified” to export his cattle to Japan….which is no small feat, as Japan is very tightly regulated as to what cattle they will import. The US has NO occurances of “Mad Cow Disease” that have ever orignated here. The few occurances that have been found here were imported from outside the US, most recently Canada.
Just a bit of trivia, lol: There are more cows in Montana than people…. true!
55. tokabul - April 8th, 2008 at 7:52 am
jfrater: thank you for doing so… now we dont have to shoot at you and throw pipe bombs through your windows :).
^ sarcasm by the way
56. ace - April 8th, 2008 at 7:53 am
your list is biased, judgmental, and narrow-minded which left absolutely no room for the redeeming qualities of these places. yes, these claims do hold some degree of truth in them but the way they were presented gave the impression that these places are hopeless hell-holes.
57. longball - April 8th, 2008 at 7:53 am
JFRATER!!!!! what have you done!!!! editing a list that was so ripe for heated debate!!! And how is russia more dangerous? it wasn’t even on the list to begin with! Hell make it a top fifteen, include USA and the dishonorable mentions at least. don’t just change it at whim. holy crap…tyranny!!!!!
58. jfrater - April 8th, 2008 at 7:59 am
Okay okay okay! I have now put Russia in position 10 (as it was number 11 previously) and have put the original USA item as a bonus so people can still read the original text. No more edits!
59. jfrater - April 8th, 2008 at 8:01 am
ace: I was actually tempted to add a “on the bright side” section for each item to show some of the nice parts of each country (when possible). I decided to leave it as it was written by the submitter though.
60. Csimmons - April 8th, 2008 at 8:01 am
Wait, the USA was taken off jfrater? I live here and I guaruntee you a lot of major cities are very dangerous. New York, Los Angeles, San Diego, Chicago, etc. But crime rates are going down so I see why you did that. Well in Kentucky anyways.
61. longball - April 8th, 2008 at 8:02 am
godmoding is bad. lol
62. Chaz - April 8th, 2008 at 8:02 am
I wouldn’t change it either. As a US citizen I’ll defend everyone’s right to freely express their thoughts - first amendment baby. But they better be able to articulate the reasons for their arguments, and respond in a civil manner to any disagreements. Especially when the facts are grossly manipulated to make a point on cherished political assumptions. Let it stay - we’re big enough to be the world’s whipping boy, and then come to your aid both economically and militarily when your country is going to hell in a hand basket.
63. kiwiboi - April 8th, 2008 at 8:02 am
“There are more cows in Montana than people”
otay - interesting. It’s kinda like the fact that there are around 10 sheep in New Zealand for every person (there’s some 45 million sheep). And as for the obligatory sheep-shagging jokes…forget it! Every NZ’er has heard ‘em all…more than once !
64. tokabul - April 8th, 2008 at 8:02 am
jfrater: how dare you put the US back up there?!?! I should kill you!
65. Csimmons - April 8th, 2008 at 8:03 am
jfrater: That’s hard for Iraq, might as well say “It may be a dangerous hell-hole to go to, but hey, you can get a sweet tan for free!”
66. otay - April 8th, 2008 at 8:04 am
I would love to travel the world, and yes, most of the places on this list are definately places to avoid. However, the US does not even remotely belong on this list. There is NO other country on this planet to which id rather be a citzen. I feel lucky and blessed to be a natural born citizen of the greatest country in the world….The United States of America!!!!
Ps - Yes, my opinion is obviously biased, but you couldnt pay me to live elsewhere.
One last note: Tourists to the United States are extremely safe here. Tourism boosts our economy and our arms are wide open to tourisim.
67. kiwiboi - April 8th, 2008 at 8:06 am
“we’re big enough to be the world’s whipping boy, and then come to your aid both economically and militarily when your country is going to hell in a hand basket.”
Chaz - you mean you need a reason to offer military “aid” ? Gee, the people of Iraq would be glad to hear it
68. Csimmons - April 8th, 2008 at 8:06 am
jfrater: YES! USA! USA! what wait, a bonus!?! We deserve #10, I’d rather go to Russia than New York.
69. Randall - April 8th, 2008 at 8:07 am
jfrater:
I sympathize, pal. Not a nice position to be in. On the one hand, this is your site, and so these lists to SOME extent reflect upon you. On the other hand, censorship is never fun–unless you’re a total dick who enjoys silencing those who say the unpleasant things that need saying…
But in this instance, look….
The thing is, you know me by now, that I am no “America Always Right” type. Far from it. I spend more of my day bashing my own country than I’d care to admit (because it’s depressing). I’d even have no problem, therefore, with the US appearing on a list of dangerous places, if it had been done intelligently and honestly. A list of SOME length would possibly include it somewhere… certainly it’s a subjective call… but I could see it.
But ONLY with honesty and a clear desire on the part of the writer to keep to the facts and not slip over willy-nilly into bullshit land. And a list of TEN dangerous places that puts the US at #3, while leaving FAR WORSE places off the list—I mean, that’s just beyond the pale. As I said, it leaves me with the distinct feeling (I don’t see how it could be otherwise) that this list was written from the start to bash Americans—with the falsity of a list created around it—or else the list writer is some total kid who just doesn’t know any better. I doubt the latter, having read the list.
I don’t know how to advise you on this (not that you’re asking MY advice). It is, after all, just a list.
70. melfuK - April 8th, 2008 at 8:07 am
im glad i live in california…even though it could be pretty dangerous as well
my family comes from el salvador and guatemala, but i am scared of experiencing the richness of my ancestors, for fear of being kidnapped, mugged, raped, or murdered
71. otay - April 8th, 2008 at 8:07 am
kiwiboi - lol, ive heard em all too!
72. kakazed - April 8th, 2008 at 8:09 am
well done jrafter you have bowed down to US pressure just like every Arab leader and every spineless western leader…
I live in south africa, and i must say its worse than the list describes it to be. I’ve holidayed in USA and Brazil and i must say at least u feel safe as a tourist in USA and Brazil, in this place tourists are easy targets.
That being said, with a bit of common sense you can have a brilliant holiday in SA, just fly to cape town and the kruger national park and stay THE HELL AWAY FROM JOHANNESBURG(which is where i live…)
73. pwnstar - April 8th, 2008 at 8:10 am
I completely agree with this whole list.As a native of South America myself, i wasnt surprised that Brazil and Columbia were on the list.Brazils a paradise if you stay by the beaches, or to a lesser extent, in the rainforest.If you’re European or American, god help you if yougo into a bad area though.I was fine, but there are actually sometimes guys just walking around with AR-15s and such.
74. jfrater - April 8th, 2008 at 8:12 am
kakazed: I have? I thought I was modifying the list to make it more accurate - the US shouldn’t be in the top 10 - so I added it as a bonus as people had already read it and were debating it.
75. Csimmons - April 8th, 2008 at 8:14 am
pwnstar:They walk around with AR-15s?!? In the USA you’d be in jail after three steps out the door!
76. chris - April 8th, 2008 at 8:14 am
The US is not all that dangerous. I have been to NYC countless times and have never witnessed or been victim of a crime.
77. jfrater - April 8th, 2008 at 8:20 am
Randall: I think the compromise of leaving it on the list for reading but excluding it from the top 10 is the best I can do really
I removed an item from another list once and it ultimately upset more people that I changed it. It was a tough call with this one for me - I really was in two minds about removing that entry before I posted it - but I thought I would gauge the reaction. 74 comments before 8:15am says a lot 
78. pwnstar - April 8th, 2008 at 8:21 am
Csimmons:Yep, but Peruians are safe from most kidnapping/mugging, theyd rather do that to their own kind then us.oh lord and i havent even started on Columbia.Back when i still lived in Peru(I sort of migrate back and forth a few years at a time)we had a few Columbians in our town, because Peru, like most northwestern SA countrys, we dabble a bit in cocaine too.And they are some crazy bastards, I’ll tell you that.
79. AT86 - April 8th, 2008 at 8:22 am
Chaz sounds like the Miss South Carolina chick (sure everyone knows who im talking about
) living in their own little dream world. I dont understand where Americans get this idea about their country being magnanimous. I agree that America is the most powerful country in the world but please dont be so obsessed by your country to believe that it is motivated by anything other than greed
Sorry but its true. But i guess you dont reach that position in any other way
80. Mom424 - April 8th, 2008 at 8:30 am
jfrater; Glad you took my advice
It didn’t belong on the list except as a bonus. You actually have a higher chance of being beaten up in New Zealand or Canada. The ridiculously high murder rate in the USA skews the stats. I just betcha that Second Amendment thing in the Constitution is responsible for the disparity; that and the ghettos and the gang culture they inspire.
81. Kreachure - April 8th, 2008 at 8:31 am
Wow Jamie, this is quite something, to say the least.
Just wow.
First of all: I’m Colombian. And I live in Colombia.
So…
NUMBER 2!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
Seriously? RIGHT UP THERE NEXT TO IRAQ????
FRICKIN IRAQ?????
That was quite a shock. So I live in a country that’s the most dangerous in the world, were it not for a country currently in a frickin WORLD CONFLICT.
Let me clear it up for the rest of the world: Colombia is mostly jungle and mountains and coasts, all very beautiful, but, believe it or not, it’s also peppered with a handful of cities that have nothing to envy from, say, Chicago. I live in one of those cities, Bogota, and the neighborhood I live at is perfectly safe. I have all the commodities you can ask for: a nice peaceful 5th floor apartment, clean tap water, Internet, and even Satellite TV. Not too shabby for the second worst country to live in the world, huh?
In other words, I don’t think Colombia is worse than Sudan, Somalia, and definitely not Afghanistan. Those places are hell, there are true humanitarian crises there, and it’s getting worse by the day. Those are the countries you see in the news almost everyday, with unrestrained violence, famine, and worse things I wouldn’t want to imagine. I guess I shouldn’t speak for those countries, but I do speak for mine.
Colombia is beautiful, as you said. And yes, it might be dangerous at rural areas and the jungle, with guerrillas and paramilitary groups stalking small towns at certain areas of the country. But Bogota, the capital city, is not even close to what is happening in Baghdad right now. Bogota and other major cities are not darn warzones. Nor is there massive famine in the streets. You get my point. Just run-of-the-mill, stay-out-of-dark-alleys-and-red-light-districts kind of cities. IT’S NICE TO LIVE HERE!
I thought this list was going to be “the most geographically dangerous places in the world”, like antartica, and next to a volcano or something. But seriously, I’d rather live at my 20°C cozy apartment and watch TV in bed than live in Antartica and die of hypothermia within a week.
If anyone from Sudan or Somalia can say the same, then I stand corrected.
No hard feelings, though.
By the way, changing USA was a cop-out. I guess it’s more scary to live there than I thought, huh?
82. Randall - April 8th, 2008 at 8:33 am
jfrater:
You did good, Jamie, though I feel no less uncomfortable about it than you do. I totally understand.
83. Kreachure - April 8th, 2008 at 8:36 am
More scary to live there than I thought, because you feel the need to refrain to call your country dangerous out of threats of people there, I mean. Kbye
84. Joss - April 8th, 2008 at 8:39 am
Really? Wow.
85. Randall - April 8th, 2008 at 8:39 am
AT86:
Come now… the comment by Chaz that *I* read was nicely balanced, calm, and fair. YOU, on the other hand, sound over-the-top and ill-informed.
The US motivated ONLY by greed? Please. At times, sure. Much of the time, 80% or so, maybe. Maybe more. But GREED didn’t motivate the US to go to war finally against Nazi Germany and Japan. GREED didn’t inspire the US to follow up that war with the Marshall Plan, which rebuilt Europe.
We are a schizo culture. We like to help people… and at the same time, steal from their back pockets when they’re not looking. Call us on that, but don’t skip over the whole truth while doing it.
86. otay - April 8th, 2008 at 8:49 am
RE: #69 Randall - Well said. This country is very far from ideal, god knows we have more than our share of problems. But over all, the United States is probably one of the safest places to live in the world.
87. AT86 - April 8th, 2008 at 8:50 am
Randall:
As far as i remember Pearl Harbour triggered a US response in the second world war. one of the most sophisticated armed forces in the world wasnt quite going to retreat in its shell after being attacked. the us involvement before that was purely superficial
Jews have always been influential in the usa so there was no surprise in them declaring war on germany.
and with there being no chinese or indian economy at that point in time, the us couldnt exactly sit back and watch all its allies get destroyed.
so again im sorry to say none of these reactions were in any form utilitarian.
in my own view, i wouldnt expect any country to put itself under risk (financially or militarily) unless there was an obvious benefit there.
and i wouldnt have brought up this point if i hadnt read someone try and portray the US as the world’s watchdog.
88. troyfamu - April 8th, 2008 at 8:52 am
Mom424: You do realize that taking away the 2nd Amendment would lead to alot more murder, don’t you?
89. jfrater - April 8th, 2008 at 8:52 am
Kreachure: I don’t doubt that almost every country on this list has safe places in it for sure - the list might have been slightly better if it had focused on the specific regions (as someone above suggested) rather than just lumping the entire country in.
90. DiscHuker - April 8th, 2008 at 8:57 am
jayfray: i thought you said that the author would be on here to defend his position?
probably not interested because his position has been exposed, left wing nut. even the typical lefties on here have distanced themselves from this sort of over the top bashing. guess he has never had apple pie or been to a baseball game.
91. troyfamu - April 8th, 2008 at 8:58 am
jfrater: I guess it also depends on your personal definition of dangerous. What is in dager: my life, my money, my freedom, my job, my mind? The US would be number one in some categories and certainly near the bottom of others.
92. chemical_echo - April 8th, 2008 at 9:05 am
Good list, but there were a couple instances of sentences not making much sense.
Some editing work would have helped.
“Mass murder and mayhem compete with environmental problems are the biggest headaches for the people of Burundi.”
93. Randall - April 8th, 2008 at 9:07 am
AT86:
You’re clearly a semi-illiterate bigot who A) knows little of the facts of history and is influenced in what little he DOES know by his bigotry B) doesn’t even use the word “utilitarian” correctly (in the context in which it’s used) C) has no grasp of logic—OF COURSE no one takes a risk *without some kind of BENEFIT* you moron–the question is who it benefits and HOW it benefits them… D) you also expose yourself as a fraud, a bigot and an utter asshole by your offensive statement about “jews being influential” in the US.. and E) I’m not at all bothered by calling you these names BECAUSE of that disgusting statement.
You don’t belong in civil society. And as ever, I’m appalled by the fact that I have to share mine with people who say the shit you said.
94. SlickWilly - April 8th, 2008 at 9:08 am
Randall: I notice it has also become quite fashionable in other countries to have this irrational hatred of America. I never really considered myself a patriot, but the amount of anti-American rhetoric I see all the time from some snobbish, arrogant Europeans really polarizes me. I think it’s quite odd that many of those countries whose population professes to hate us actually depend quite a bit on our financial and military support.
95. Chaz - April 8th, 2008 at 9:12 am
Not sure who the Miss South Carolina chick is, but let the record show I have plenty of concerns about my country. There are indeed troubling levels of violence, a saddening number of kids being raised in single parent homes without the influence of fathers, and a frustrating tendency to allow the mind-numbing influences of wealth and entertainment to define one’s life. I am concerned about the tendency in both political parties to destroy the foundations of our constitution, the increasing virulence in our civil discourse, and the unfortunate tilt towards the politicization of all things.
That said - loose use of the facts in the original list was frustrating. Even the picture is manipulative. Hardly do you see cops walking around in full swat gear - even in the big cities. I can’t pretend to know why that picture was chosen, but it inadvertently conveys the idea that our police force has had to militarize to keep the “violent” population in check. For what it’s worth, I’ve seen similarly dressed law enforcement in the Metro in Paris (a lovely city by the way, and a lovely country that I like to visit often).
I hardly think that the US response to disasters and conflicts is motivated by greed as AT86 would conclude - at least for the average citizen I know this is not the case. There is indeed a largeness of heart that compels many US citizens to send cash, resources, and even individuals using their vacation time to respond to needs around the world. But I’m also not naive enough to know that many others on our globe do the same. In fact I’ve argued loudly with many of my friends and countrymen that we don’t always do enough, and that as a percentage of GDP what Americans give is often less than other countries.
Of course I wasn’t so sure what to make of AT86’s ad hominem argument. In some ways the list (like most of the lists) is open to lots of good subjective debate as Kreachure’s post makes evident. Here’s an individual apparently living in the 2nd most dangerous place on the planet, and feeling quite safe. You could probably find one or two Iraqi’s that would say the same . . .
96. Yogi Barrister - April 8th, 2008 at 9:20 am
Yeah Baby! We’re Number one! We’re Number One!
97. jfrater - April 8th, 2008 at 9:22 am
DiscHuker: I suggested he be here - he may be in a different time zone though - I am not sure where he is (though I am guessing it ISN’T the US)
98. downhighway61 - April 8th, 2008 at 9:23 am
wow, i was late in the comments. no fair!
anyway, yes numbers DO in fact lie. statistics can be very tricky.
“200 million guns in the USA”- sounds kinda scary. but we don’t know who owns these guns. gun clubs? civilians owning them legally? criminals?
if this had read “200 million criminals with guns,” i’d be nervous.
“leads all nations with incarcerations now standing at 2.3 million” -is this a per capita number, or just a straight number? we have a huge population, way bigger than many countries. of course we’re bound to have more criminals?
a little more perspective on these numbers:
“50 murders a day” = .000016% of the population (x364= 18,200 a year)
“5000 people die a year in truck crashes, about 6000 pedestrains die on the streets and 31000 people end their own lives” = .014% of the population.
so… more people die by accident every year (or because they want to, which i’m not exactly against) than are murdered.
and too whoever said NY was a dangerous city: no, it’s not. it’s one of the safest big cities and i would much rather be in new york than LA, chicago, detroit, miami, houston, or any other city. Buffalo, NY is more dangerous than nyc, and newburgh, ny (a city of about 60,000 residents) is more dangerous than NYC.
99. AT86 - April 8th, 2008 at 9:25 am
Randall
wow. i have to agree that your last argument belongs in the same “civil” society that you do.
i am not sure exactly what has offended you that much but i certainly dont see anything i could possibly respond to.
if as you say my facts are wrong, id rather you use the opportunity to correct me. instead all i have got from this is a list of expletives which make me wonder whether you understand the word utilitarian.
as for what my point is, i do not claim that every individual american is greedy but what i disagreed with is the “we are always treated wrong while we try and do good” kind of sentiment that Chaz made in #62.
frankly im quite surprised with this response that i have just typed. it is more for the sake of everyone else. Randall there are so many more things id rather say to you…..
100. Chris - April 8th, 2008 at 9:31 am
I completely agree with you downhighway. I have been to NYC countless times, and I have never witnessed a crime or been victim of a crime.
101. downhighway61 - April 8th, 2008 at 9:33 am
well i have witnessed crimes there, but i don’t think underage drinking and other things like that count, especially because i was part of them
102. skeev - April 8th, 2008 at 9:35 am
“Nearly 5000 people die a year in truck crashes, about 6000 pedestrains die on the streets and 31000 people end their own lives.”
I thank God I can visit any other country in the world and not die in a car accident or crosswalk or commit suicide. Evil USA.
On one hand we’re calling some countries on the list dangerous because I have a high probabilty of being mugged, kidnapped or gunned down due to civil unrest, but in the USA entry I have a chance of being one of 42,000 people to get hit by a car or truck or feel the need to commit suicide.
How is this not still a biased tone even it was moved off the list?
103. Blogball - April 8th, 2008 at 9:39 am
Interesting list but obviously biased and with an agenda. Too bad it could have been a good list.
When I reading the description of the US and Iraq I thought the list was written by.
Barbra Streisand Rob Reiner Jane Fonda, Sean Penn, Alec Baldwin, Susan Sarandon & Michael Moore.
104. Peanut - April 8th, 2008 at 9:42 am
It doesn’t matter whether you are George Bush, Pele or Chuck Norris - you are not safe in Iraq.
Best line from this list!
Good list.
Enjoyed reading it!
Totally agree with most of them.
105. skeev - April 8th, 2008 at 9:43 am
I do have a couple questions though, just questions and not instigations for fighting.
When were posting this list from Dent, how could you not see the overly biased tone used in the USA entry that was not used in the other countries? Everyone here jumped on it immediately so I just curious if you missed it or felt that it would be better to spur debate.
How could you post a list that you weren’t willing to stand behind? This refers to the post editing done to the list. Why would you not have rearranged it to begin with? That answer probably will tie in directly to the first question.
I’m not trying to criticize you, I’m just curious about how this all works. I know that you said you told the author that he could expect a reaction but as the person running the site do ever ask the author to redo aspects of their lists when they contain what everyone here feels is an overly biased judgment concerning a topic.
106. Qlovelee - April 8th, 2008 at 9:43 am
Dont think you should have removed the US due to adult babies
107. SlickWilly - April 8th, 2008 at 9:47 am
Qlovelee: It wasn’t removed because people were offended, it was removed because it wasn’t factual. Saying that you would be safer in Afghanistan or Somalia than the US is false. Violent crime against tourists (and natives, for that matter) is much higher per capita in those countries than the US.
108. otay - April 8th, 2008 at 9:56 am
I’m feeling that maybe i live a pretty safe and sheltered life here in rural USA. I do not lock my doors at night, which is not out of the norm for where i live. I can drive my truck to Walmart and leave it running (in the winter) while i run in for one or two items, knowing that it will be exactly where i left it.
109. Yogi Barrister - April 8th, 2008 at 10:03 am
Although the USA is ranked way too high on this list, I’m glad Dentshop included it. The debate it sparked is an important one, much more important than an accurate ranking of all the countries in the world. If we only considered first world industrialized nations, how high would the US be?
Dentshop was also correct to include traffic accidents and other causes of death. Our roads and bridges are crumbling, we refuse to pay the money to fix them, so the death toll climbs. We ignore environmental concerns, particularly in regards to our water and air, so we get sick. Our health care is a disaster, one in six people don’t have insurance, so their lives are at risk. If you’re an American soldier, your government is more likely to put you in harm’s way, same thing for mine workers or anybody who has a dangerous occupation.
In other words, the primary function of government is to ensure public safety. If you have a government like ours, one that is committed to Reaganism and the concept that government should do as little as possible, let’s face it folks, your, I’m mean our lives are at risk. I believe our average lifespan is at or near the bottom of all industrialized first world countries. Doesn’t that mean the US is a dangerous place to live. It’s no more pleasant to die in a car accident or from cancer than from a terrorist’s bomb.
110. Osama bin Laden - April 8th, 2008 at 10:06 am
“Saying that you would be safer in Afghanistan or Somalia than the US is false”‘
Not from where I’m standing
111. otay - April 8th, 2008 at 10:11 am
Qlovelee - United States had no business being on that list to begin with, has nothing to do with “adult babies”. I agree with Randall, we are a screwed up country, however the theme of this list is “most dangerous places on Earth”. The United States is by far, among the most safe places to be on this lovely planet of ours!!! I have a greater chance of having a dangerous encounter with a wild animal, than another human being!
112. Frank - April 8th, 2008 at 10:15 am
There are many things in the US would have liked to see. Maybe take a drive across on a long vacation or something, seeing all the great sights. But now that I’ve grown up and looked around me in the world, I realize it is not worth the risk. The US really haven’t got much to offer, it is just another middle class country - albeit one with a really big military unit trying to make them look like a big boy in the sandbox - and to be honest I’d rather go somewhere less fascist, more civilized, and where a tourist can go out after dark without fear.
Yes, it is ‘popular’ these days to bash the US, but maybe you people who get all up in arms about it need to start to take a long hard look at your country and wonder WHY it is that people look down on the way you do things. I know a lot of nice Americans, tellingly most of them wish they could move out.
113. DiscHuker - April 8th, 2008 at 10:16 am
yogi: are you really complaining that if you are a soldier or mine worker or “anybody who has a dangerous occupation” that you should expect to work without danger?
are you blaming the government when someone in a DANGEROUS job meets with a DANGEROUS situation?
one bridge collapses last year and “our bridges are crumbling”? tell me how many other bridges have collapsed causing death recently.
we don’t fix the roads “so the death toll climbs”. please site the number of accidents and deaths CAUSED by a shoddy road.
perhaps the 1 person who doesn’t have insurance should GO GET insurance instead of waiting for the government to provide it for them.
i thought this was an interesting comments section until i saw this sort of drivel.
don’t just spout your leftist leanings without backup.
114. SlickWilly - April 8th, 2008 at 10:18 am
Yogi: I don’t disagree with the US being an honorable mention on the list, or an addendum as is, but to say that because some of our bridges and roads are in relatively poor condition (the countries on the list are far worse about road maintanance and safety than we are), or because the US has been slow about reacting to environmental health concerns that don’t pose an immediate and imminent threat to our lives, or because we have soldiers stationed in dangerous places throughout the world (and in countries where state military and paramilitary groups engage in as much or more violence than our soldiers), or because Americans are fat and unhealthy because of a national trend of eating a lot and exercising little, to say that we deserve to be among the most dangerous countries in the world is asinine. Call me crazy, but things like kidnapping, torture, rape and murder pose much more of a radical and immediate threat to life, health, and security than potholes, high gas emissions, and occasional foreign skirmishes.
115. DiscHuker - April 8th, 2008 at 10:18 am
frank: well that is the beauty of freedom, they can do whatever they wish. tell your friends that if they need help packing to give us a call. i’m sure the insurgants in iraq or the gorillas in columbia will help unload the truck.
116. Lizim - April 8th, 2008 at 10:21 am
Somehow the thought of taking a holiday in Burundi never crossed my mind. I wonder why?
117. Randall - April 8th, 2008 at 10:22 am
AT86:
“You’re not sure what offended me”? I spelled it out for you.
“Jews have always been influential in the US.” You said that. (And that, you added, is why we fought the Nazis–it was no surprise to you, seeing how we’re so “jew influenced”).
You don’t see how that’s offensive? Bigoted? Incorrect? STUPID?
I won’t waste another moment on you. Go away and don’t bother responding.
118. skeev - April 8th, 2008 at 10:22 am
I always find it interesting when, because of some recent highly publicized bridge accident in the US, everyone assumes that our bridges and roads are crumbling. Bridges have been falling down all around the world but when they happen here, we hear about them.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L.....date_order
Also, since when was mining a dangerous occupation especially in the US? It’s dangerous everywhere and when accidents happen here you can bet that people like OSHA are going to be there to find out what went wrong and penalize those who allowed it to happen if indeed it was negligence. If I worked in that field I would much rather work in the US where there are safety regulations in place then, say, China who frequently seems to have large mine explosions killing hundreds.
According to the BBC China’s coal mines are the world’s most dangerous, with more than 3,000 deaths reported every year.
Being that I’ve had some experience in construction I can tell you we have some pretty tight safety regulations set forth by the local, state and federal government and when accidents happen it’s not the government coming in and saying to hell with the workers, it’s the workers/contractors saying to hell with the rules. When the dust settles it’s the government that fines them or shuts them down so they don’t do it again.
119. Frank - April 8th, 2008 at 10:23 am
DiscHuker: The dollar is so ridiculously low that they can’t afford to move. Could you? And seriously, imagine the US as being undesirable for them since they want to move out… what makes you think they would move to another wartorn third world country? I am pretty sure they would be smart enough to move to a place that is a bit more stable, like anywhere else in the world. Europe is always a good bet, since the Euro has been a stronger currency than the dollar for the bast couple of years it shows financial stability at least.
120. Yogi Barrister - April 8th, 2008 at 10:38 am
Dischuker, first of all I wasn’t complaining, I was making an objective observation. What I expect from my government is to enforce the laws protecting workers’ safety. Bush put an anti-labor mine owner in charge of mine safety, so now mine workers are more likely to die. Bush decided to send our troops to Iraq without properly armored vehicles, and didn’t issue the marines helmet liners so their lives are more at risk. Bush decided to appoint Michael “You’re Doing a Heck Of A Job” Brown to head FEMA, we know how that turned out.
As for the roads and bridges. You are apparently the only person in the country that doesn’t understand how important it is that we begin to repair our infrastructure. I don’t have time to research this for you, get off your lazy ass and look up the numbers for yourself. It wasn’t just the one bridge in Minnesota.
Dischuker, you are a foolish man who puts your fellow Americans at risk with your vote and your anti-social attitude. I bet you’re a lousy, agressive driver as well. So answer the question I posed. Considering only first world countries, where does the US rank in terms of danger?
121. otay - April 8th, 2008 at 10:47 am
I’m wondering if maybe DentShop uses another name here….. My personal opinion, if it even matters… Don’t post a list like this if you are not willing to stand up to the heat it will generate. Pathetic!
122. Cedestra - April 8th, 2008 at 10:48 am
Good thing you have that “by submitting you give listverse.com permission to reproduce…” clause at the bottom of submissions, Jamie.
This list would be a bit more fair if we listed cities versus countries. As 81. Kreachure said, most of his/her country is nice. I have no idea what percentage of Iraqi towns have murder issues, but Baghdad is pretty intense. Put those numbers against most of the cities in America? I don’t think even St. Louis or Detroit could match them.
123. Csimmons - April 8th, 2008 at 10:49 am
I find it funny that Antartica is on here, I guess it makes sense due to the conditions, but if global warming keeps up, it might uncover a vacation paradise
124. AT86 - April 8th, 2008 at 10:49 am
randall man you’re such a complete moron.
what i meant by jews infuenced is that america had a jewish population that it cared for.
therefore they jumped in.
its like saying british had an english population, thus english influenced.
dear god. america has one of the largest jewish population in the world. why wont it try to help? and get your language right mate. its “spelt” not “spelled”. i have to retort to such things because you’re acting so incredibly idiotic.
125. skipps - April 8th, 2008 at 10:51 am
The USA (specifically New York City) IS one of the most dangerous places on Earth, in my opinion. If you think about it, the USA is ALWAYS the target of super-villains. Alien invasions and monster attacks are regular occurrences. And it is where major catastrophes/Armageddon strikes first! The people must be living in fear everyday.
126. Csimmons - April 8th, 2008 at 10:52 am
AT86: Wow, you just insulted the granddaddy Randall, prepare to get burned.
127. nuglyman - April 8th, 2008 at 10:52 am
AT86, my shotgun was used for hunting. Its people like you who automatically think “Oh no, he’s got a gun so he’s out to kill people”. Also, it was a Christmas present, not a birthday present. I’ve known many people throughout my life who own guns yet they aren’t killers. I find it fascinating that people like you think that removing guns from the hands of law abiding citizens are somehow going to convince the criminals to not use guns. Are you that naïve? It’s funny, knives aren’t allowed in prisons yet I hear of people getting stabbed all the time in prison.
Lastly, during elementary school my class was required to take a hunters safety course which includes gun safety. I’ve been around guns my entire life and know how to handle them. So I agree with you, I’d rather someone like me own a gun rather than someone like you, AT86, since you act like you don’t know which end is the dangerous end.
Here is a statistic for you; in 2005 there were 43,510 traffic fatalities, of which 17,602 were alcohol related, yet there were 12,682 violence related gun deaths. I say get rid of cars and drinking alcohol.
128. Yogi Barrister - April 8th, 2008 at 10:53 am
Frank and Dischuker, the political battle in the United States pretty much boils down to this; one side wants the US to be more like Canada and Europe, one side wants the US to be more like Mexico and South America. One side wants to protect and expand the middle-class, one side wants no middle-class at all.
129. Csimmons - April 8th, 2008 at 10:54 am
nuglyman:I’m not sure that would sit well with oil and car companies and every beer company
130. Csimmons - April 8th, 2008 at 10:55 am
Yogi:You pretty much nailed it, but there’s one side that wants the US to be like Victorian times with the unsexiest TV ever.
131. otay - April 8th, 2008 at 10:57 am
“Club Med” Antarctica?
132. nuglyman - April 8th, 2008 at 10:58 am
Well, we are getting screwed by the oil companies, foreign or domestic. I don’t want to hear the debate about how CHina is a growing economy which is why gas is so expensive. I just find it funny how the oil companies, who are “barely making it”, are making huge profits every quarter.
133. nuglyman - April 8th, 2008 at 10:59 am
Oh, and I drive a good Japanese car (Honda).
134. Deguchi - April 8th, 2008 at 11:01 am
Like everything, lets not get a wrong idea of the whole just because of some parts. Rio and Sao Paulo (not PAOLO) are dangerous cities, on some neighborhoods. Rio’s south zone is safe and very beaultiful, but north zone really not that good… and piranhas? how’s that?
135. Yogi Barrister - April 8th, 2008 at 11:02 am
AT86, you don’t know what the Hell you are talking about. The US didn’t get into the war with Germany because of our Jewish population. The prevailing attitude in America during the Thirties was virulently anti-Semitic. Henry Ford, Charles Limburgh, Father Coughlin, and the Bush family were all staunch supporters of Nazi Germany. Before Pearl Harbor, the country was pretty evenly split between those that favored Germany and those who favored England.
Open a history book for crying out loud and stop believing everything you read on the internet.
136. Chesty-Puller - April 8th, 2008 at 11:03 am
VChaz - you mean you need a reason to offer military “aid” ? Gee, the people of Iraq would be glad to hear it
Kiwiboi- they were, i was there, and they still are. If you dont beleive me, go to iraq, and ask the first citizen you see.
137. otay - April 8th, 2008 at 11:03 am
Heres a little “food for thought”. I graduated from high school in 83. It was common for us to take guns to school (never took them in the building). Hunting coyotes and other “scavenger” animals was something we would do after school for fun. It beneficial to the ranchers as well as fun! BTW, i drove my own car to school…obviously a gun would not be allowed on the bus!
138. guilherme.kinni - April 8th, 2008 at 11:11 am
I live in Brasil, in Rio de Janreiro we have a joke:
The red signal is to recommend stoping, not demand.Because if you passes too much time in the signal you are robbed
139. nuglyman - April 8th, 2008 at 11:13 am
otay, I graduated in 86 in Mississippi. We weren’t allowed to bring guns onto campus. We couldn’t even bring a pocket knife but I did anyway, mainly to stick it to the man. I will say though that even if a kid did bring a gun to school, it would probably be his (or her) shotgun since he (or she) probably came straight from the deer camp to school.
140. kiwiboi - April 8th, 2008 at 11:14 am
Chesty-Puller - so tell me…what was the reason for the US invasion of Iraq ?
141. Randall - April 8th, 2008 at 11:14 am
AT86:
Don’t pretend you didn’t say what you said. It doesn’t sound like English is a second language for you—so there’s no excuse saying something like “Jews have always been influential in the usa so there was no surprise in them declaring war on germany.”
If you want to back off now and say you didn’t mean that to sound vaguely anti-semitic and bigoted, then do so. Because I’m telling you it DID come off that way. And I’m quite sure I wouldn’t be the only one to think so. And no, I’m not Jewish, nor am I overly-s