Iron Lady Challenges the Happiest Countries on Earth

The Most Powerful Woman on earth, Angela Merkel, appears to be hell bent on challenging the Happiest Countries on Earth, such as Vanuatu, Columbia, Costa Rica, and Dominica of Panama. Countries which have up to now feature high on the Happiest Planet Index.

In Aug 2008, Forbes Magazine announced their 11th annual list of the top 100 most powerful women in the world. The magazine's criteria for power are based on a composite of public profile, how often the women were mentioned by the paparazzi and how much financial clout the women wielded. Women however, hold only 15% of the top corporate jobs. Less than 3% of USA's largest companies have female chief executives and only one out of six company directors are female.

It is said that the women on the list, manage in the vicinity of $26 trillion dollars. They are women who are defined by their jobs, rather than by who they are. Some, it appears, take home an annual pay of $11 million plus.

The amount of money the woman controls, job title, past career and accomplishments, are all taken into account. The magazine draws comparisons between the relevant financial realms the women operate in, so as to assess the women on an even playing field.

- Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany, tops the list in 2008 for the third time in a
row
- Second was Sheila Bair, head of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp
- PepsiCo's Indra Nooyi came in third, gaining two positions over last year
- Angela Braly head of the health insurance Well Point retained fourth position, same
as last year
- Condoleezza Rice, U.S. Secretary of State came in seventh
- Ho Chin, Temasek Holdings and wife of the Prime Minister of Singapore, was No. 8,
dropping from 3rd place last year
- Gail Kelly, head of Australian Westpac Bank came in No. 11
- Hilary Clinton, with the highest media profile, ranked 28, dropping three places from
last year
- Oprah Winfrey ranked 36, dropping all the way from 8th position last year
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Nick named the 'Iron Lady, Angela Merkel is following in the footsteps of ex British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Both women even having similar agendas. People's Republic of China's Vice Premiere Wu Yi, is also known as the 'Iron Lady'. Wu Yi, held third place last year, having been in the top rankings of Forbes 100 list, since 2004. This year she dropped from view. She resigned her position in March.

Angela Merkel has been crusading to unite the governments of the world in a Tax Cartel, in order that a heavy-handed fist can be brought to bear on all tax havens. Confidential client data of alleged tax evaders, stolen from a Lichtenstein bank, was purchased recently by Merkel. This has highlighted her crusade against the tax havens. It is said the Lichtenstein bank sold the data several times over, bringing the bank a tidy profit.

As tax important role in driving the tax rate down in high-taxed countries, Merkel's crusade could cost the world more than her crusade is worth. Without the alternative competition afforded through tax havens taxes would soar.
OECD quoted personal income tax as averaging 67%, in 1980. Top personal taxes now average only 40%. Corporate taxes have been driven from 50% in 1980 to a meager 27%.

Some claim tax havens are an open highway for money laundering, but the intensive regulations in tax havens can make money laundering impossible.