So folks have pointed out that wealth of poorer nations is rising globally and so standard of living is rising. My rebuttal has thus far has been to question the way Gross National Product is measured. It does not take into account people's health amoung other important things.(?)
Eg: Perhaps a whole bunch of people from countries in the 'South' who have not been accounted for in the GDP historically because of subsistence living may suddenly be displaced. They may be forced to migrate to the edges of urban areas/slums and may directly or indirectly show up on the GDP. I.e. their standard of living may have plummeted but the government now considers them in the GDP because they are part of the wage economy. People partaking in the wage economy does not necessarily mean their standard of living is higher/better.
Does a big development project such as a dam increase GDP? If it does it may generate massive amounts of revenue but thousands of peoples lives could suddenly be made far worse to serve the interests of a few wealthy city dwellers. Thus GDP and a country's economic wealth going up does not mean its people or citizens are taken care of. Unfortunately as we demonstrate in Canada through systemic practice not everyone is treated equally in creating access to Canada's programs and "resourses."
Does this rebuttal hold any water?
Assumptions-
Gross National Product- GDP = consumption + investment + (government spending) + (exports − imports), or, GDP = C + I + G + (X-M) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gross_domestic_product
So any big expenditures are accounted regardless of how a country's citizens/people are affected.
Dam projects, sweatshops? What about when the money generated in a sweat shop leaves? Is it not accounted in the host country's GDP but another country's Gross National Income?
Subsistence-
Subsistence agriculture (also known as self sufficiency in terms of agriculture) is a method of farming in which farmers plan to grow only enough food to feed the family farming, pay taxes or feudal dues, and perhaps provide a small marketable surplus. Subsistence agriculture usually refers to a farm that is enough to feed the family but will not be enough for the family to participate extensively in the cash market. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subsistence_agriculture
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Trickle down effect?
So folks have pointed out that wealth of poorer nations is rising globally and so standard of living is rising. My rebuttal has thus far has been to question the way Gross National Product is measured. It does not take into account people's health amoung other important things.(?)
Eg: Perhaps a whole bunch of people from countries in the 'South' who have not been accounted for in the GDP historically because of subsistence living may suddenly be displaced. They may be forced to migrate to the edges of urban areas/slums and may directly or indirectly show up on the GDP. I.e. their standard of living may have plummeted but the government now considers them in the GDP because they are part of the wage economy. People partaking in the wage economy does not necessarily mean their standard of living is higher/better.
Does a big development project such as a dam increase GDP? If it does it may generate massive amounts of revenue but thousands of peoples lives could suddenly be made far worse to serve the interests of a few wealthy city dwellers. Thus GDP and a country's economic wealth going up does not mean its people or citizens are taken care of. Unfortunately as we demonstrate in Canada through systemic practice not everyone is treated equally in creating access to Canada's programs and "resourses."
Does this rebuttal hold any water?
Assumptions-
Gross National Product-
GDP = consumption + investment + (government spending) + (exports − imports),
or, GDP = C + I + G + (X-M)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gross_domestic_product
So any big expenditures are accounted regardless of how a country's citizens/people are affected.
Dam projects, sweatshops?
What about when the money generated in a sweat shop leaves?
Is it not accounted in the host country's GDP but another country's Gross National Income?
Subsistence-
Subsistence agriculture (also known as self sufficiency in terms of agriculture) is a method of farming in which farmers plan to grow only enough food to feed the family farming, pay taxes or feudal dues, and perhaps provide a small marketable surplus. Subsistence agriculture usually refers to a farm that is enough to feed the family but will not be enough for the family to participate extensively in the cash market. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subsistence_agriculture
hence not showing up in the GDP?
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