Sure, gross domestic product (GDP) and unemployment rate have traditionally measured how well a country is doing economically. But when it comes to how well the citizens are being served, these two indexes are not it.
In fact, the top two world economies (US and China) are ranked No. 24 and 100 (respectively) among the 168 countries in the 2021 social progress index. The US ranked the lowest among its comparable industrialized nations while China is ranked behind Ghana.
Surprised by the ranking? Let’s check our pride and leave the nationalism. The US maybe the strongest in economy and military, but look at how we are handling the Covid pandemic after three years with over one million plus casualties.
In comparison, Norway, Finland, and Denmark, the top 3 countries, have 4,571, 8,431; and 7,982 casualties respectively. Not that I will move to the Scandinavia. No offense. Merely offering a gut check on how our government is performing and what we should prioritize.
Running with Buddha 