[Alberta's Child]

I don't know what your background in economics is, but these are the five key components of GDP as I understand them:

1. Consumption
2. Investment
3. Government Spending
4. Exports
5. Imports

Exports and imports are measured as a net calculation (Exports minus Imports). Interestingly, "production" doesn't show up anywhere in this calculation ... since the contribution of any given product to the GDP is measured when it -- or its components -- are purchased/sold.

[FirstFlaBn]

I don't know what your background in economics is, but these are the five key components of GDP as I understand them:

1. Consumption 2. Investment 3. Government Spending 4. Exports 5. Imports

Exports and imports are measured as a net calculation (Exports minus Imports). Interestingly, "production" doesn't show up anywhere in this calculation...

You mangled it pretty badly in your intital claim - which I reacted to. That "$42 billion of crap" that you hyperbolically declaimed is netted out by subtracting value of imports (unless you can figure out a way to get China to send us stuff for free). Otherwise, by your method, if I take a dollar out of my left pocket and put it in my right pocket, I am a dollar richer.

You might want to crack the books as the expenditures approach, presented by you in an incomplete and misleading way, is one of several ways to calculate GDP. Best stick with the simpler production approach (that even I can keep straight - most of the time).