and the hype it generates once a quarter when the government reports the state of our economy. did it go up a point? did it shrink a little? cable news talks about it like it s life or death. and it s not all garbage. gdp. gdp. gdp. gdp is a good way to compare apples to apples. are there transactions? but we need to realize exactly what those apples are. gdp is commonly thought of as a balanced statement of our national wellness. how wealthy are we? but it s not. just look at the numbers. gdp has grown 46% during the past decade but the average american family income has actually gone down by 7%. the economy is more productive. it s bigger but that growth has not translated into more money for most americans. gdp lets politicians and big business grossly over state prosperity. the director of the media lab describes it as confusing your net worth with your income. gdp is kind of an income