You're still missing the point. My family in Gaeta knows the economy has been rough for a while, and yet their (and Italy's) strong social ties have kept socie

You're still missing the point. My family in Gaeta knows the economy has been rough for a while, and yet their (and Italy's) strong social ties have kept society together in ways GDP and unemployment figures can't measure. Contrast with China, where growth is less than double digits and everybody's losing their mind. GDP doesn't explain why someone on the street dying from a car crash can be ignored by hundreds of people who walk by because they don't want to get involved in something that isn't their problem (punitive laws that potentially transfer liabilities to involved bystanders don't help). Society is more than economy. People often choose benefits to their society that tax economic growth, like preventing acid rain. If something seems irrevocably inconsistent about someone's decision, then I question the extent to which you choose to think from their perspective.