For You, What You Measure Counts The Most

The other day, Mr. Trump delivered his first State of the Union speech.

For me, there were only two sentences that mattered…
“So let us begin tonight by recognizing that the state of our Union is strong because our people are strong. And together, we are building a safe, strong, and proud America.”

I agree with those statements. But I totally disagree that Mr. Trump and his administration has even in the most itty-bitty way had anything to do with making our people strong.

On the contrary, he is sucking the very soul out us all in the U.S. and throughout the world. It is without a doubt his policies, his decrees and his appointees through which he has done his very best to destroy our quality of life and lower it in comparison with other nations, a fraction of our size and wealth.

Under Mr. Trump’s direction we have made a sudden u-turn. We are heading backwards in nearly every measure, especially quality of life.

That matters to me. 

I’m sure it does to you, as well. Because it is what you measure that counts the most. And, our quality of life measure is sliding backwards.

Here’s the proof

“The World Economic Forum’s Inclusive Development Index (IDI) is an annual assessment of 103 countries’ economic performance that measures how countries perform on eleven dimensions of economic progress in addition to GDP. It has 3 pillars; growth and development; inclusion and; intergenerational equity – sustainable stewardship of natural and financial resources.”

“The IDI is a project of the World Economic Forum’s System Initiative on the Future of Economic Progress, which aims to inform and enable sustained and inclusive economic progress through deepened public-private cooperation through thought leadership and analysis, strategic dialogue and concrete cooperation, including by accelerating social impact through corporate action.”

This is the WEF’s 2018 report on the USA:
“The United States’ performance, ranking 23rd on the IDI, is rather uneven. Indicators relating to Growth and Development are driving the country’s performance in the Index. The country performs relatively better on measures of GDP per capita, labor productivity and employment, all of which have improved over the last five years. Though following a positive trend, the average healthy life expectancy is among the lowest in advanced economies, pointing to the need to tackle broader challenges with regard to access to healthcare, education, and economic opportunity. The United States is lagging behind most other advanced economies in economic inclusion (28th). Poverty rates in the country have been falling but remain among the highest in advanced economies at 16.3%, surpassed only by Israel (19.3%). In parallel, the median household income level has also declined, which may be the result of the economy generating a larger number of low-wage jobs, thereby increasing the number of working- poor households. The United States also displays the highest levels of economic inequality among advanced economies, a trend that has continued to rise over the last years. Though the country also ranks low on measures of Intergenerational Equity and Sustainability, its score has improved, notably due to higher net saving rates and a decline in carbon intensity. Unfortunately, the recent tax reforms put forth by the current administration are likely to increase the size of the country’s public debt and further widen economic and social inequalities in the long run.”

Please go here for the full report.

So, realistically, what is the state of our union? Sen. Bernie Sanders has a good understanding.
Please watch his statement.

Bernie Responds to the State of the Union - 30 Jan 2018