I believe Noam is arguing that the US is one of the few countries that does not compile a batch of statistics into some sort of Social Health Index - something that takes into account developments that do not show up in GDP, productivity numbers, etc. There are many private efforts, like William Bennett's Index of Cultural Indicators or the Mirignoffs' Index of Social Health, but apparently not a major federal composite.
Is the US really unique in this respect?
Jeff
>
> Ian Murray wrote:
>
> > >From Noam Chomsky, *Propaganda and the Public Mind* (South End Press,
> >2001), pp. 174f.:
> >
> >> India, unlike the United States and like practically every other
> >> industrial country outside the U.S., keeps regular social
> >statistics.
> >> The U.S. is maybe the only industrial country that doesn't do this.
> >> India has a regular publication of social indicators
> >=========
> >Exskweeeze me, the US doesn't keep social statistics?
>
> Missed that the first time around. What the hell is Noam talking about here?
>
> Doug
>
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