From The Utopia Playbook. Ayesha Ratnayake. 2023. Kindle online sample. Section 1.
From introduction:
If you've ever wondered what it would take to build a perfect world, you are not alone.
A utopia full of happiness, health and abundance might sound like a pipe dream.
But, if you look closely enough, THE WORLD IS ALREADY FULL OF UTOPIAS.
The Utopia Playbook explores the countries that top the world’s indices in all the metrics that matter.
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Tap the secrets of:
FINLAND, WHICH IS THE WORLD’S HAPPIEST COUNTRY
Hong Kong, which has the longest life expectancy
Bhutan, which is carbon neutral
Spain, which is the biggest organ donor
France, which has the least food waste
And dozens more countries that hold the keys to an ideal world
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Discover where people can safely leave their babies in strollers by the street and which nation has doubled its GDP – while halving its carbon emissions. Explore why the language you speak can make you more or less likely to save for retirement, how one country is creating a nicotine-free generation, and where drone technology is used to grow new forests.
Together, WE WILL EXPLORE THE PLACES OF PEAK HAPPINESS, HEALTH AND ABUNDANCE – and catch a glimpse into how they came to be the way they are.
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The Utopia Playbook is for everyday citizens who dream of a better world.
It is for current and future educators, activists, economists, policymakers, politicians and pressure groups.
Because whether you are suffering in a failed country or curious about how much better things could be, YOU DESERVE TO LIVE IN UTOPIA.
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From book sample:
Utopia /juːˈtəʊpɪə/ (noun): An imagined place or state of things in which everything is perfect.
I dream of living in Utopia.
A world where everybody leads happy, long and healthy lives.
A WORLD WHERE EVERYONE IS FREE TO ACHIEVE THEIR FULLEST POTENTIAL, bolstered by a society free from discrimination and an education system that inspires and empowers.
A world where we can all breathe clean air and take pride in the fact we aren’t destroying our home planet or harming its creatures.
A world where the environment is green, beautiful and accommodating of our needs.
A world free from poverty, bursting with abundance and generosity, with systems of governance that we can trust.
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I believe such a world is possible because I’ve seen it.
I’VE CAUGHT GLIMPSES OF IT IN THE CLASSROOMS OF FINLAND AND THE FORESTS OF BHUTAN.
I’ve spotted it in the busy corridors of Swiss hospitals and the cosy side streets of Colombia.
Yes, I’ve even shadowed it in parliaments, from Denmark to Rwanda to New Zealand.
Trust me. Utopia is out there.
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This book will be your guide on a tour of the world’s many mini utopias.
Read on to DISCOVER WHICH COUNTRY HAS A MINISTER FOR LONELINESS and where 40% of commutes are made by bicycle.
Learn how one nation used a chessboard approach to design a garden city and what the world’s lowest energy-per-kilometer rail system looks like.
Find out why one country has led the world in organ donation for three decades and how ‘sharing cities’ are transforming communities.
And uncover hundreds more insights to envision – and build – an ideal world.
We’ll explore the places of peak happiness, health, equality and abundance – and along the way, we’ll learn how these places came to be so special.
And more importantly, how we might be able to make any place a little bit more utopian.
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The Utopia Playbook is for everyday citizens who dream of a better world. It is for current and future educators, activists, economists, policymakers, politicians and pressure groups.
Because whether you are suffering in a failed country or curious about how much better things could be, you deserve to live in Utopia.
And through your actions – whether by smart voting, lobbying for change, becoming an entrepreneur, or running for office – YOU CAN CREATE A UTOPIA RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE.
I’ll show you where to look for inspiration.
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It goes without saying the inhabitants of Utopia would be happy and content.
But what does that even mean? Is it possible to measure happiness?
The creators of the World Happiness Report seem to think so.
According to Jeff Sachs, Columbia University professor and co-creator of the World Happiness Report, when researchers talk about “happiness,” what they really mean is “SATISFACTION WITH THE WAY ONE’S LIFE IS GOING.”
The measure asks: “Please imagine a ladder, with steps numbered from 0 at the bottom to 10 at the top.
The top of the ladder represents the best possible life for you and the bottom of the ladder represents the worst possible life for you.
On which step of the ladder would you say you personally feel you stand at this time?"
So, based on this measure, which country is the happiest?
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FOR OVER FIVE YEARS IN A ROW (AS OF 2023), FINLAND HAS BEEN NAMED THE HAPPIEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD.
On a scale of 1 to 10, Finnish citizens evaluate their lives at an average of 7.804.
After Finland, Denmark comes in at second place, followed by Iceland, Israel, and the Netherlands.
But why is a nation from the northern corner of the world, with a cold climate and six months of winter and darkness, the happiest in the world?
And what could it be that makes people in happy countries so happy?
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Is being rich the reason citizens of these countries are so satisfied with their lives?
According to research, wealth does have a role to play.
But perhaps, not to the extent you might expect.
While the Nordic countries do report high GDP per capita, countries with much higher GDP per capita are not nearly as happy.
For example, the average household disposable income IN THE UNITED STATES (WHICH RANKS 15TH ON THE 2022 WORLD HAPPINESS INDEX) is about USD 45,000, while in top-ranking Finland and Denmark, it’s around USD 30,000.
It turns out while not having money causes unhappiness, once you are able to meet a decent standard of living, an even higher income doesn’t generate as much happiness.
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While life expectancy tends to increase up to a per capita GDP of about USD 5,000 a year, once there’s enough to meet basic living standards GDP becomes less important.
Although lessened social issues can continue despite high GDP including child mortality, obesity, drug and alcohol abuse, depression, teen pregnancies, low literacy, crime, murder, low life expectancy, and social immobility.
THE UNITED STATES AND PORTUGAL RANK SIDE BY SIDE FOR SOCIAL ISSUES ALTHOUGH THE USA HAS MORE THAN DOUBLE PORTUGAL’S GDP PER CAPITA.
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So, if getting as rich as possible isn’t the key to a country’s happiness, what’s going on?
It turns out ONCE CITIZENS HAVE ENOUGH TO EAT, THE FACTOR THAT IS A FAR MORE EFFECTIVE PREDICTOR OF CITIZEN WELFARE IS EQUALITY.
As it happens, the Nordic countries, which rank at the pinnacle for global happiness, also tend to have cultures designed around the belief in human equality.
These countries strive to ensure citizens at the bottom of the socioeconomic ladder are able to lead lives of dignity and meet their basic needs.
For example, Denmark’s rate of child poverty is about a quarter of that of the United States.
Another leader in happiness, Iceland, has the region’s lowest poverty rate (9%).
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Finland too has very little poverty and there’s no need for anyone to be homeless.
FINNISH CITIZENS ENJOY FREE HEALTHCARE AND A FREE EDUCATION SYSTEM that is world-renowned and has been deemed one of the fairest in Europe.
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IN COSTA RICA CITIZENS ENJOY MORE HAPPINESS PER GDP DOLLAR THAN ALMOST ALL PLACES.
Some of the reasons include universal healthcare and education.
Most villages have free primary care clinics and, since 1869, primary school has been free and compulsory for every child.
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Beyond this, in happy countries, those at the top of the socioeconomic ladder seem to avoid showing off their wealth.
The richest people in Finland might choose to drive an old Volvo or a Mercedes, rather than splurging on a Lamborghini.
This attitude of modesty prevails in Denmark too.
It is sometimes referred to as the ‘Law of Jante’ based on the code of conduct in a work of fiction by a Danish-Norwegian author which demands ‘You are not to believe you are more valuable than anyone else’.
“IN DENMARK, FEW HAVE TOO MUCH, AND EVEN FEWER HAVE TOO LITTLE.”
- Nikolai Frederik Severin Grundtvig, 1820 Danish thinker and priest
(end of section 1)
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(own comment)
"For over five years in a row (as of 2023), Finland has been named the happiest country in the world."
Am hoping Vermont, led by Bernie Sanders, will lead the way by making Vermont a copy of Finland.
If a big success all states will want their states to be like Vermont, if a big failure people will be free to flee out of Vermont.
Finland has a population of 5.5 million, maybe deep-blue Minnesota with a population of 5.7 million would be a better candidate.
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What percent are taxes of GDP in the U.S. and Finland?
ChatGPT:
In the United States, the tax-to-GDP ratio is relatively lower compared to many other developed countries.
In 2019, the tax-to-GDP ratio for the United States was approximately 24.3%, according to data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
Finland, on the other hand, has a higher tax-to-GDP ratio.
In 2019, Finland's tax-to-GDP ratio was about 43.2%, according to the same OECD data.
Finland, like many Nordic countries, has a well-developed welfare state and higher tax rates to support various social programs.
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