According to recent research by Nielsen, the countries where people are most pessimistic are:
1. Greece (hardly surprising)
2. Portugal (ditto)
3. Hungary
On the other hand, the countries with the most optimistic people are:
1. India (!)
2. Philippines (!!)
3. Indonesia (!!!)
Flabbergasted reader’s reaction: DUDE, WHAT ARE YOU ON??? (Can I have some too?)
Boadicea's Chariot 
If you ask the right questions, you can prove anything, innit?
On the other hand it does somehow make sense. Greece, Portugal, and Hungary are all in a bit of a bind at the moment with no light at the end of the tunnel. India, the Philippines, and Indonesia are all doing relatively well and have rising living standards with every reason to expect things to get better yet.
I also read on the Beeb site that Brazil has now ‘overtaken the UK’ in GDP terms. not sure why it’s so vital though, given that their GDP has to support a population three times bigger. Russsia is up there too, which proves the point, methinks.
Janus: it’s usually that way. Hype is so much more interesting than cool, sober analysis.
After all, that a Brazilian with a master’s degree with a good job in Sao Paulo earns
£12,000.00 per annum, not nearly enough to support herself, isn’t fitting with the
hype surrounding the BRICS.