[tylerdurden]

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Again, I can hire a guy to dig a ditch and fill it back up again. This will raise the GDP, but won't do anything to increase wealth.


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No, you are wrong. A ditch is not a good. A ditch does not count in economic output.


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Digging a ditch is a service, and DOES count towards GDP. Do you think it doesn't count if you just have one dug then filled in? GDP doesn't take into account the motivations for production. Mind-reading is not part of economics.