University of British Columbia
Professor Emeritus in the Economics Department at the University of British Columbia; Co-Director of the Social Interactions, Identity and Well-being Program at the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research
PROFILE
John Helliwell
Guest
FROM John Helliwell
Which Way, L.A.?
Bhutan, the United Nations, and Gross National Happiness Forty years ago, the King of Bhutan, a Himalayan country of less than a million people, suggested that "happiness" should replace economic output as a measure of human advancement. Last week, his grandson – the current king – led a UN conference on " Happiness and Wellbeing : Defining a New Economic Paradigm." Which are the "happiest" countries? Who decides? What are the obstacles to reaching the UN's new goal?
To the Point
Gross National… Happiness? "Happiness" is a right enshrined in the Declaration of Independence. Is it a better measure of human "progress" than "Gross National Product?" The king of the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan proposed the idea 40 years ago, and last week, his grandson -- the current king -- led a UN conference on " Happiness and Well-Being ." Canada, France and Britain are among the countries agreeing that measuring economics is not enough. But how can "happiness" be measured? Can it be achieved through government policy? Does Bhutan itself offer a good example? What about the United States?
Recommended
To the Point
Trump plays scolder-in-chief with NATO allies At the opening of NATO’s dramatic new headquarters in Brussels today, President Trump acknowledged that Article 5 — promising that “an attack on one nation is an attack on all” -- has only been invoked one time: in the aftermath of September 11. But the President failed to provide what 27 other Alliance members have been waiting for: a re-commitment by America’s new leader to Article 5. Instead, they got a scolding.
To the Point
Who's to blame for the opioid crisis? Some of the lawyers who took on Big Tobacco are now going after Big Pharma. It’s all about the deadly epidemic of opioid use. Are the drug companies to blame? What about the users? Later, on today’s Talking Point: making sense of Britain’s upset election.
To the Point
Replacing Obamacare: Now you see it… now you don’t As the Senate deliberates replacing Obmacare, health coverage for millions of people is at stake. There've been no public hearings, and a draft measure won't be made public. Is the House version so unpopular that that Senate is hiding a version that looks much the same?
To the Point
Trump's new look at civil rights and global warming President Trump is reportedly ready to pull the US out of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. We look at the possible consequences. On the second half of the program, we hear about cuts in Obama-Era civil rights programs called for by the Trump Administration's first budget plan.