Basic income - well being..related?

The last couple days have been fun. Talking about happiness and doing happy things and such.  It's time to work a bit..  Fun work..
I picked Tampere Finland for the tour because right now people from all over the world are meeting here for the BIEN Annual Congress.
BIEN:
The Basic Income Earth Network is a network of academics and activists interested in the idea of a universal basic income based solely on citizenship and not on work requirement or charity


One of my hobbies in recent years has been participating, learning, writing about basic income guarantees - what it could look like.....how it can happen.
Looks terrific..very easy in a sharing world...just need to find one.  Bien in French means good..in Scottish its prosperity..
In USA english it means - are u nuts?
This subject poses lots of challenges.. But needs to be explored.
Some of you may have read some of my musings about job eating robots.  My view is we need to evolve our economy to mitigate coming economic impacts from big job losses due to rapid advances in technological automation.  The purists at BIEN and its supporting orgs dont need excuses, they just believe it is the right thing to do.. Sharing for all..
Their argument is that the world should do the right and just things to support all human kind and that includes elevating everyone's well being and status to a fairer and more just level than what it is.... to the "be like Leo Level" for all, maybe...

I like that premise but I know lead balloons rise faster than America's willingness to share wealth and become a country dedicated to fostering real well being and social welfare support..u know..like the stuff the 10 happiest countries in the world do automatically....

So there is a big connection between the happiness tour...an investigation and more understanding of basic income guarantees and robots...
Our nation is so uninformed about the raving successes of other nations and their people its discouraging.. We have been propagandized heavily into belie toving our system is the best...and it absolutely is not..unless you are filthy obnoxiously rich..
We are unprepared to deal with the rapid movement towards technological unemployment. We have no options waiting..just crazy chaos...which we can avoid by learning about and engaging in some proactive policy options.

I met a bunch of great people I will be writing about .. And they have interesting perspectives about global next gen economy, politics and happiness.
More to come

Be like Leo..

I'm thinking this may be the last of the happiness thing puffy, not so serious posts... Starting tomorrow.. It's bedtime now here in Tampere Finland.. I'll get more serious...maybe...

I have to admit,  with great humility and appreciation of lots of support, good luck, good health, hard work and long term vision, planning and a few smart moves, I'm doing ok.  I retired after 40 years in the salt mines.  I achieved emancipated wage-slave status 5 years ago. I have a pension, savings,  house, cars, kids and health care and no debt.  .. And I get lots of vacations...
They are all components of my American dream that has become my everyday reality. And for that...I am happy.. And thankful..
I cringe to think that I am becoming an endangered species as dream-livers in this country are on the path to extinction.

Our American social and economic dreams for far too many are becoming nightmares.  People work their whole lives, struggle to save and get dashed by misfortunes... The greedy boss steals the pension.. Your job is consumed by a robot..or is off-shored to foreign robots... An unexpected illness wipes out the assets... a family tragedy creates a  need to rear a new family.  And when bad stuff happens - our safety net options are getting more challenging with bigger holes to fall through.

That's a sad statement about what I see trending in America.  The closer to home these stories get the more one gets scared that they might be next.  We have a vulnerable and fragile economy and nation.
How can that be? We are the richest nation...with more for the rich than most others.. We have the best health care...accessible more for those with the money to buy it.  We have the smarts and brains to do great things...and only a lucky few reap the rewards of that greatness.

Don't want to be a downer...but.. we  as a nation are trending wrong....I'm not happy about that..no one should be.

Of course it's not just USA that is tilting out of kilter - but it's not everyone.  Many countries have mitigated a lot of the bad stuff by investing more in its people than hedge fund tax breaks.  Many countries invest in health care, social pension plans, raising wages, creating good jobs and helping workers through transitions and they actively help  support families. Those countries that want everyone to grow and prosper, feel secure and enhance human well being make it to the top tier of the happiest countries list....How come we don't do that?

They know what it takes to diminish the struggle to survive a long life on earth...and they do it.  That's a good thing...we should try it..
Some of them make it a goal to do more for the benefit of the people rather than for the benefit of the uber-enriched few....that too.

We can do that. We can change our misdirection on the social and economic front.  There's plenty of evidence and ideas and successes and best practices and support...if we want to do it.

My pursuit of happiness World Tour is taking notes..with instructions... More to come..seriously..

 

Emoticon America

So do we naturally place a smile face next to all references of America?  Are we a happy camper nation?  In the 2018 World Happiness report *USA was ranked # 18 in the field of 156 countries that are part of the study.  First is Finland. Last is Burundi.  With all it's news craziness Israel # 11 and Costa Rica # 13 get higher scores than our nation. Go figure that.  USA was # 14 last year but dropped to 18 this year.  May have something to do with the permeating attitude and conditions that helped spark the 2016 election outcomes..maybe..

By many accounts, our smile face index is trending down to frowns..  Why. We are the biggest, kick-ass, fattest, richest MFs in the world - yes?  We are on the MAGA path!  Where's the smiles?

Well. it's complicated. The best, and only, measure of planet earth happiness is found in the annual report compiled by a bunch of smart folk who look at trends, polls, surveys, analyses, reports and all kinds of data that might paint a picture of emoticonnectivity running the range between happy face nations and tearful ones.  The criteria used says a lot about human needs, desires and fulfillment.  It's the components that support a feeling of well being for humans that are counted in this measure.

To support "well being" they measure:
   -   income - who's got it who doesn't - money breeds smiles - erases frowns
   -   healthy life expectancy - who feels good - who doesn't - why? are we cared for - do we care for
ourselves - good health is positive
   -   social support - do family and community help folks in need? Are support systems in place with more than shoulders to cry on  in
frowning times? knowing one is secure - knowing someone's got your back feels good -
   -   freedom - are we free - or are we locked up in social and economic confines - are rights equal?
   -   trust - we all feel better in crime and corruption free areas and where the government that's honest fair is helpful and cares about us and our families.
   -   generosity - we give more and help more when we feel its meaningful and helpful and when we have something to give thats more than what we need.

Are these things that support well being good things?  Should everyone be able to pursue happiness by earning, owning, snagging all of these things?

The countries with the highest scores overall have the most of this stuff ..for everyone.

If you can think of any of the well-being criteria that USA falls short on -  and we're getting shorter on all of them every day - think of how we can push the needle in the other direction.

It makes me happy to think we could trend better to smiley faces if we can get more of these well being criteria working better...for everyone.

Centuries of happiness, or not

Pardon my musings on the pursuit of happiness tour.  We're headed to a few of the "happiest " countries on earth.. But.. It's not clear in my mind yet how to define happiness...
  It is a human condition..relative..subject to lots of conditions....and timing.
 A few hundred years ago the Declaration of Independence proffered the prologue for the big show on the happy stage that was to become America.  "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

Those words became etched in the foundation of our nation, but it always made me wonder if  at the time of the writing the rebels vision was enhanced by a Back to the Future trip in Doc Brown's DeLorean or if what they were expressing as a definition of pursuing happiness, for instance, may have been felt differently back then.

In the northeast, in the winter, in the 1700's pure happiness could have been achieved by having a pile of wood large enough to heat the digs til April or maybe a frozen deer carcass big enough to feed the family for a while hanging in the shed.

We live different lives than the Colonialists who penned the Declaration.  Did Thomas Jefferson ever envision a US president pursuing happiness on a daily basis in 280 characters?   Not sure the pursuit of happiness declaration over 4 centuries sustained comparable meaning. The criteria used in the 2018 World Happiness Report focused on  measurement of six key variables: income, healthy life expectancy, social support, freedom, trust and generosity are more than slightly different by definition now than when our pursuit of happiness was launched.  The 158 countries that are measured mostly didn't exist back then.

All that aside, we are still in it to explore and confer on happiness, in ourselves, families, community, state and nation...and world.. as we head down our path in the hunt for smiles.

Mean time..we're in Donabate at my fav beach hotel gazing out on the Irish sea riffled by a passing shower, siping tea. I'm crosswording.. Sue reading.. while absorbing the ionic darts of happiness finding their way to spark our smile senses.


  
 

On the road...

We arrived a couple hours early so I wrote a lot....

Our Pursuit of Happiness tour includes doing new things.. Its fun to explore.. and learn.. and road test stuff.
To start..we tried a dirt cheap airline.. No frills..
Norwegian.. They just opened a route from Stewart Airport in Newburg NY to Dublin.. We went cold turkey on frills.. Made me nervous..
No checked bag...no seat assignment..no food...no drinks or peanuts..
Just to see what its like...and learn.
Norwegian was about $500 less for 2 seats to dublin than any airline out of Bradley..not as convenient..a 2 hour ride .. But Stewart is easy to get to..except Waterbury traffic on I84...easy parking..no lines..its not JFK..BOS or EWR...thats good..
I worried about bags. Heard lotsa stories of folks getting smacked for bag fees because they were over size or weight.. I worried about seats..we didnt reserve and all that was left to buy were 2 separate last row middle seats..what if my knees were crushed in short seats..
I worried about getting bumped..its a full flight..and we couldnt check in until we arrived at airport...i worried about a 115 mile trip down 84 during rush hour..
We heard the radio report about a flipped truck near a waterbury exit..and big delay.
Ok..my head was ready to explode...anxiety overdose..

I dont travel as much as i used to.. So im not in the flow.. I questioned the price of cheap... Is it worth it?
Is all the anxiety worth the stress on happiness for the adventure..

Well.. We got to the airport in plenty of time...bypassed the big accident on 84 on a google map reroute back road.

Aaahh...but..
We were pulling into the airport and our Cape Cod House renter called and
told us the water hose to the washing machine burst and flooded the cellar..
BOOM..
Exploded head...

Got to the gate...right when the buses arrived so that line was long... And texting everyone..trying to manage a crisis and high travel anxiety.. Is this fun?  What else could go wrong..

Then like magic...good karma landed at Stewart....

 My wonderful renters bail out the cellar, fix the washer hose..pull the rugs so they can dry..set up fans and crank up the dehumidifier.. They got it covered..wow..we have always had the best renters...very happy about that..
Then...after 25 minutes in the Norwegian line.. Our bags passed muster.. We got 2 seats in row 14 next to each other.. We were the only ones in TSA line...got a beverage and food to go..and boarded in group C - with plenty of overhead stowage...
Boy, was I happy..my wonderful wife and happiness tour travel mate was happy... I felt it ..we shared it... Bigly..
The stress relief and elation cocktail I was served was better than any bar drink buzz producer I ever had..
Woo hoo..

This is a long story and connected to our Pursuit of Happiness..
We can control lots of outcomes...we can guide some...and there are lots we can't.  But we should always make efforts to try.. And not give up..
On the happiness meter.. As we may set new benchmarks, I ask if happy outcomes we control register higher or lower on the scale than the unexpected ones...?

Things don't always work out the way we hope..or wish.. But a lot more happens when we guide and push..

So far the first lap on this happiness road test has been great..

I will try more brevity moving forward...

....Epilogue...
Easy flight...breezed thru customs in DUB..got a taxi and a quick ride to the hotel..
And..they put us in the honeymoon suite..
Im happy...

Pursuit of Happiness - World Tour Launch

What makes you happy?

What is happiness? How do we find it?  Is it here - or somewhere else in the world? Does it blossom from pleasures?  Security? Good health? Contentment?  Coffee?  Sunshine?
All of the above?

It's different for everyone, that's human.  Finding happiness is hard because there is no meter to measure standard happiness to see it or compare it.  Is happiness just in the eye -brain, gut or feeling of the beholder.  Can people share happiness if it is not a physical thing?

So where is it?.

That's our mission.. A quest to find happiness.  And have a bit of fun writing about it.

To start the mission, we'll travel to some designated happy places and do some happy things.  There is a  measurable happiness standard by which countries are compared.  It may not be what we use to determine our happiness but it's one means to measure and compare -  World Happiness Report 2018..    and pretty much the only measure in the world.

We're off.. the Tour is launched.. Our first stop this trip is Ireleand...only ranking #14 on the 2018 report but I have a favorite hotel in Donabate - on the beach - looking out at the Irish Sea and Lambay Island just off the coast.  It's a transitory stop on the way to happier nations - but I am happy to visit as often as I can.

Then it's off to Finland the top of the heap in the world for happiness,  On the way we'll lay over in Stockholm a few hours - Sweden is #9 happiest.

After Finland a day in Oslo - Norway is # 2 and a quick stop in Amsterdam -#6 - before trekking back home thru Dublin..and a final tip of a fresh Guinness...that makes me happy.
 In October we head to Australia -#10 and New Zealand #8..

Why do this at all ?   I like to travel - I want to write more and share what I find..  I'm retired. This kind of stuff makes me happy.  And besides, The Waterside House Hotel in Donabate and Guinness drinking aren't included in the measurable criteria for the report.. I like to bust out of the box - lets set up our own standards.. In Pursuit of Happiness.