GDP sucks. But you can definitely take GDP and, say, compared it with GDP (PPP) and draw some interesting takeaways. Of course, if you want to adequately understand the material conditions of a society you can't stick to any one or two measures. You have to make a serious and overarching study of the economy.
The knowledge that GDP includes stuff like rent and financialization kind of demonstrates that Cuba - a socialist country with high house ownership and under a near total blockade - shouldn't be able to explode their GDP per capita in two years.
GDP sucks. But you can definitely take GDP and, say, compared it with GDP (PPP) and draw some interesting takeaways. Of course, if you want to adequately understand the material conditions of a society you can't stick to any one or two measures. You have to make a serious and overarching study of the economy.
The knowledge that GDP includes stuff like rent and financialization kind of demonstrates that Cuba - a socialist country with high house ownership and under a near total blockade - shouldn't be able to explode their GDP per capita in two years.