One of the most basic falsehoods projected about capitalism and individualism is that it precludes voluntary cooperation. Of course many great things are done by people cooperating with each other.

But it makes a hell of a difference if you join a team, as opposed to someone putting you on one whether you like it or not.

As for the Human Development Index, I see nothing suspicious about it, but I know you can do a lot with statistics if you are allowed to work the assumptions.

There are other factors not considered. How many immigrants do the nations above us on the list absorb every year? How about population differences? It's a hell of a lot easier to create a Nanny State in a nation with 30 million people than one with 300 million.

Rifkin might lie with statistics, too. I can't get at the Global Fortune 500 statistics without being a subscriber, but how many European companies near the top of the list are government-owned or run? Size isn't everything. What percentage of the wealth generated by those companies comes out of the United States?

And maybe living standards aren't everything. A lion in the zoo lives a lot longer and healthier life than one out on the African plains. Regular meals, good medical care, no danger, and females flown in during mating season. What's not to like?

Go for it, Canada. Join up. The Free Lunch beckons. When the size of your cars, the operation of your industries, and everything else down to what you can call your cheese is decided by the Lords in Belgium, don't come crying to us.