GDH

Unless you read the article in yesterday's New York Times, you probably haven't a clue to what this acronym is: Gross Domestic Happiness.

And it sounds like a good idea.

The tiny Buddhist nation of Bhutan, hidden away up in the Himalayas and with only 700,000 people, is probably the most innovative government in the world right now. Not only did it's king voluntarily resign last year from what had been an absolute monarchy, but he did it against the wishes of his subjects. It was he who promoted a new democratic Constitution and a shift to refocus national goals on the pursuit of happiness rather than the pursuit of profits.

They emphasize that happiness is to be defined by each individual, not a government-mandated form of happiness. The government's role is to create the conditions wherein each person finds his own happiness.

They have even confronted the need for a way to measure the program's success and have devised an elaborate formula to measure things like psychological well-being, community vitality, ecology, health, education, living standards, etc.

What might work for a homogenous nation with less than 1/6th the population of Atlanta, and with essentially one religion that promotes serenity, non-aggression, and enlightenment, might not be possible for the rest of the world.

But it will be an interesting experiment to watch and to learn from.

Or maybe to escape to.

Ralph