Jeppy

I wonder what a different world we'd live in if we didn't measure "growth" by numbers on a spreadsheet?

Wouldn't change much by changing measuring. Recessions would still feel the same. Booms would still feel the same too. Just the response might be different and less accurate.

If the focus was on health and happiness for all rather than disproportionately and ridiculously high wealth for some the world would be very different.

First of all wealthy people do the most investing and that leads to more businesses and greater output. Profit is a reward for supply something cheaper and better than the rest. Secondly if we measured on happiness and health we wouldn't get very far in development.

Excess profits that are creamed of and hidden away from taxes are an anathema and are pretty common amongst the wealthy. Trickle down economics doesn't work. Boom and bust is a result of rampant misguided speculation. As for development? Clearly you misunderstand the word.

As for development I do understand the word and I also understand that growth is a necessary but not a sufficient condition for development. Try find a single development economists who doesn't believe in that statement and then tell me that growth is pointless.

I was pointing out that focusing on nothing but economic growth in a world with such incredible gaps in wealth health and happiness is clearly wrong. A world where people starve whilst others throw away food and millions are homeless whilst others have 6 homes is unjustifiable.

I understand that. But through focusing on growth is the best way of solving absolute poverty, health problems and income disparities is through economic growth. Look up the Kuznets curve which won a Nobel Prize in economics.