Offered for consideration

[MajGenl.Meade]

[Bicycle Bill]

I'd love to see a chart that compares the US response for that time period (11/20 ~ 12/04) vs. the one immediately before it, as well as the next two afterwards.

-"BB"-

[Gob]

Depends how you define "things" one supposes...

[MajGenl.Meade]

Depends how you define "things" one supposes...

They ain't what they used to be

[Gob]

What are they then?

[Burning Petard]

Note somethings about this survey, before you start to make conclusions
Total respondents less than 20 thousand, spread over 27 countries. Which means the sample from each country was small and therefore very tough to make it representative.

The value for each direction is undefined, I believe each respondent was free to use their own definition. Which means 'the right direction' in Australia is very different from the right direction in Saudi Arabia.

snailgate

[MajGenl.Meade]

What are they then?

Well, it use ter be fun dinnit? Dad and old mum paddling dahn at Soufend, right?

[ex-khobar Andy]

Note somethings about this survey, before you start to make conclusions
Total respondents less than 20 thousand, spread over 27 countries. Which means the sample from each country was small and therefore very tough to make it representative.

The value for each direction is undefined, I believe each respondent was free to use their own definition. Which means 'the right direction' in Australia is very different from the right direction in Saudi Arabia.

snailgate

True of course but I think there are still enough to make some general conclusions. It does not surprise me that Saudi Arabia is at the top: despite MBS's involvement in the murder of Jamal Khashoggi and the Yemen disaster (and I am well aware that these are not insignificant events) his overall freeing of society, especially the rights of women, appears to be welcomed by the Saudi public. And yes, there are many illiberal (to say the least) actions along the way including the detention and execution of activists. If the scale of freedom is 0 to 100 and you are moving from 2 to 10, it looks like enormous progress.

So for example Sweden is 2/3 to 1/3 in favor of 'wrong' direction. But I think that most of us would rather live in Sweden than Saudi Arabia. Bearing that in mind, I don't think that there are any real surprises in that survey.

[Joe Guy]

Depends how you define "things" one supposes...

[ex-khobar Andy]

That's interesting in the light of the Saudi result. For a long time Coca Cola products were banned in the Arab world because of the perceived support of Israel - I think dating from the 1968 war. I don't know when it was lifted but certainly during my first two relocations to the Middle East (late 70s, early 80s) Coke products were not to be found. All Pepsi and other lesser known brands. By the time of my third relocation (2001) my recollection, at any rate, is that the ban had been lifted.

[Big RR]

I recall the same thing Andy when I was there in 1984,they had pepsi and other brands; as one of my colleagues explained it to me, Coca Cola was viewed as a Jewish business, indeed, the screwed with the trademark to make a Coca K cola; I presume that went away after coke came in.