Prostitution

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ScrotieMcB wrote:

My answer to that, regardless of whether the issue is prostitution or not, is:

The ultimate goal of economics is to assign human time (aka life) to tasks in such a way that value is maximized -- without forgetting that assignment is a task itself and costs life.

The nature of government is to compel certain behavior, or avoidance of behavior, through threat of force. The ultimate goal of government is to create a system of coercion that brings about the ultimate goal of economics -- without forgetting that deciding which behavior to coerce, how to coerce it, and implementation of that plan are tasks themselves and cost life.

So assuming GDP is a fairly accurate measure of aggregate value, I'd say whatever policies result in the highest GDP long-term are best. Many of those things you listed (ex: human trafficking) could impact this in less than straightforward ways.

I would like to point out that GDP isn't accurate measure of value. I would look at improvement to quality of living standard and benefits to the population and cilivians as more important factors over GDP. A production can produce high GDP growth but provide little benefits to local civilians. Then there is negative consequences and effects of that production that aren't show on GDP, that out weight the benefits. There are production that show little GDP growth but provide great benefits to the residents that aren't shown as GDP.

You can have 2 cars but the GDP might double but its doesn't produce as much additional benefits above your first car. You can have two burgers but it doesn't provide that much additional benefits above your first burger, or it has the negative benefit of making you fat. Someone can have a few hundred dresses but does that provide as much additional benefits above the one they are wearing. Just some of the problems of GDP focus, consumptionism and planned obsolescence, it inflated the value and create wastage rather than benefits.

Is paid sex with a prostitute better than free sex with your spouse? Free sex with your spouse isn't a GDP. We are for promoting family value and promoting healthy relationships rather than promoting prostitution.

I couldn't agree with you more, but we need a good scale to measure QoL that will be acceptable to many/most. Our familiarity with GDP makes it a tool that we can easily work with. Its value though can be questionable when applied beyond its scope.