We agree that lived outcomes matter. But if OECD data are valid for health and incarceration, they’re also valid for household income and housing space, where the US performs very well. You can criticize the tradeoffs without denying the gains.

GDP per capita helps the average citizen. That GDP isn't all rich people's yachts. The average person gets a fair amount of it.

Not the bottom 5%, 10%, maybe even 20% (and that is very much a problem). But the average does.

If you just look at how things work in most societies now and throughout history and use the model of 'the purpose of a system is what it does', then you could surmise that the the purpose of society/nation is to make sure the top 0.01% of people have amazing lives. Everything else is just an consumable input to achieve that goal.