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I predict we will need to stop using GDP as a measure for progress. It was invented as a measure for production in war time (WW2) and was incredibly useful for
by cycomanic 6y ago
I predict we will need to stop using GDP as a measure for progress. It was invented as a measure for production in war time (WW2) and was incredibly useful for its purpose. However initially it purposefully did not include banking, advertising, military spending..., because they don't add to a countries production capabilities.
It is a terrible measure for human well being. Many things which are actually detrimental increase the GDP (accidents, obesity, depression, pollution...). The inventor of the GDP
Simon Kuznets even warned against using it to judge progress, but instead it has become this metric that is the be all.
- eru 6y agoPeople have tried alternate measures. But basically everything good anyone cares about is usually so strongly correlated with GDP that you might as well measure GDP. See eg https://voxeu.org/article/defence-gdp-measure-wellbeing https://voxeu.org/article/defence-gdp-measure-wellbeing Btw, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gross_domestic_product#History https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gross_domestic_product#History suggests a more nuanced history of the concept.