Money Can’t buy Corporations Happiness Because Corporations aren't People

Studies show that once you have covered basic needs, money does not increase levels of happiness. For people who can't make ends meet, money will definitely increase happiness levels. Thus, increased wages for the middle and lower classes will have a marked effect on national levels of happiness but increased income for the rich has no effect.

Why then has inflation outpaced wage increases while the wealth of the affluent increased exponentially in the past three decades? It certainly hasn’t been because our national agenda has been to increase the Gross National Happiness Quotient, despite the fact that this agenda is clearly stated in our constitution. Many other countries are now taking into consideration the Gross National Happiness per capita as well as the gross national product in their policy making but the United States doesn’t seem to be keeping pace with these nations. Doing so would mean a tremendous change in government policy as it pertains to wage increases and taxing the wealthy (reverting back to policies that were in place prior to the Reagon Administration would pretty much take care of it).

Until our country becomes smart enough to start making these policy changes, it is our responsibility to use our considerable influence to nudge it in that direction. In every study that I have read thus far, it is assumed that higher unemployment is due to a reduction in available jobs. I have not yet found any studies that have been able to determine the affects of intentionally reduced employment for political purposes. An intentional reduction of labor by the labor force would result in diminished supply of labor whereas a population that has lost jobs by force causes an excess labor pool. This is why it is so hard to wrap our minds around what it would be like if members of the middle class made a conscious choice to work less-it just hasn't been done.

A small percentage of the population is already intentionally unemployed, roughly 4%. They are not counted in the national unemployment statistics because they are not actively looking for work, therefore not considered unemployed. If that group became an organized political body and grew to about 15% I wonder what the landscape of our economic future would look like? Let's try it and find out! If worse comes to worst, we can all go back to letting corporations run our lives and things won't be any different than they are now.