25/10/2005 9:25:16 am
New Job? In the latest edition of The Economist, there is an ad where the UNDP seeks someone to fill the position as Chief of Statistics, Human Development Report Office in New York. I sincerely hope that a rational, scientific, person will apply. Every year when they publish their index it shows high-tax and hence low-growth countries at the top and countries with a somewhat other model, like the US, further down. One reason for this is that GDP per capita is attributed less weight for rich countries. Why? Because this is not science, according to the UNDP - it is an instrument to advocate a certain policy. And the policy, that is mainly directed towards poorer countries, is that a big state with high taxes is a good thing. And the proof of that being an index with which they have manipulating. I think there is a need to have a scientific view of human development and not a policy instrumewnt. Hopefully a new person at that position shares that view.