Above suggestions was made by Kurt Vonnegut tonight, in an interview with David Branccacio, on the NOW program on PBS.

Vonnegut observed that the present U.S. Administration has no understanding of science, in particular of such issues as global warming and the fact that we very soon will be running out of petroleum; presidents of our companies, in particular energy companies, all what they want is to make a lot of money and right now. We never had a Secretary of the Future and we rather need one desperately now.

Above observations reminded me that the Israeli Parliament, the Knesset, has established a “COMMISSION FOR THE FUTURE GENERATIONS”. That Commission, though not part of the Israeli executive (government) does nevertheless provide a place where one can bring up such questions as “what kind of a land are we leaving to our children?”.

I can envision how a Secretary of the Future could be allowed to put the brakes on an excessive emphasis on GDP and GNP in order to allow for the inalienable rights of the future generations to have a livable environment and resources to answer their needs. He should have also the power to establish needed measurements of the happiness of the population in light of a concept of Gross National Happiness.