Angela Merkel The Most Powerful Woman on earth is hell bent on challenging the Happiest Countries on Earth, such as Vanuatu, Costa Rica, Columbia and Dominica of Panama. Third world countries they may be, but they have appeared 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. It appears the magazine's criteria for power is based on a compound of public profile, how often the women were reported on by the paparazzi and how much financial influence the women wielded. Only 15% of women hold the top company positions. USA’s largest companies have less than 3% female chief executives and only one out of six company directors are women.
The magazine estimates the women on the list, control in the vicinity of $26 trillion dollars. Women who are defined by their jobs, rather than by who they are. It is reported that some take home an annual pay of $11 million plus.
Past career, job title, accomplishments, as well as the amount of money the woman controls, are all taken into account. The magazine drew comparisons between the different financial industries the women operate in, in order to attempt to assess the women's position 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 WellPoint 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
•First Lady Linda Bush ranked 44.
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.
Tax havens play an important role in driving the tax rate down in high-taxed countries. Merkel’
