GDP has been replaced by HOPE


G.D.P. replaced by H.O.P.E.

GDP – Gross Domestic Product
Or, as we are coming to learn (finally), Grotesque Demented Pointless
HOPE – HEALTH Of the POOR and the Earth
Wouldn’t it be great if we measured the World’s success it terms of things that make us all happy, rather than on what is essentially our ability to consume.

The UK (and other major wealthy countries) GDP has doubled over the last 30 years, but a recent survey of happiness found that we were 30% happier in the 1970s than we are today (ref N Gumbel The Alpha Course)
A conclusion could be that having more wealth and consumption of ‘things’ does not add anything to our quality of life, and that GDP has become a false idol.

So what would a HOPE measure look like ?
We could have a HOPE measure for every country, and also more importantly a GLOBAL HOPE measure. 
This latter index could and should be our overriding aim during our very small lifetime on this planet i.e. have we left the planet ‘our world’ in a better place than our predecessors ? 
Is there now a fairer and better way of living, than simply accumulating as much wealth for the Rich Countries ?

So what would be a HOPE measure actually measure ? 
There could be more, but let’s start with 5 :-
1. Does everyone get the opportunity for a healthy and varied diet on a daily basis ? 
Current score across the world 30/200.
    2. Is the air, water and land quality good ? 
Is Global Warming retreating ?
Is nature given far more prominence ?
Current score 40/200
3.   Are the richer countries giving generously to the poorer countries?
10% of a country’s income could be a baseline.
Are the richer getting richer, and disproportionally compared to the poorer ?
Current score 15/200  
4. Is life expectancy increasing ? 
Health provisions, education, sharing food etc.
Current score 50/200  
5. Have wars stopped ? 
Have we banned the production of weapons such as guns, bombs and missiles ?
Is the UN used to diffuse tensions before they become serious ?
Current score 15/200
             
The GLOBAL HOPE measure is currently indicating a score of 15% or 150/1000.  The good news is that there is plenty of scope for improvement.

Wouldn’t it be great if such an index was the measure of how we lived ?  A measure of how we treated our neighbours and our beautiful plant.  And wouldn’t that be worth celebrating ?

Love and Peace

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