Is income the most appropriate criterion for judging whether a person is...

It depends on the the person and what you consider to be 'success.' One thing to remember is that in our society, 'success' tends to be financially rewarded no matter what the field.
 
Two different questions.

To judge "success in life", you must determine the "aim in life". Probably the most universal "aim in life" is to be happy. Although income and happiness may go hand-in-hand for a lot of people, it would be unfair to judge success in the same way for everyone as different things make different people happy.

As for "success of government", again, you must determine the "aim of government". It is my personal view that the aim of government, in all cases, is to protect the freedom and rights of the people, and that's it. If you were to judge the success of government by income levels, then the government that taxes the most is the most successful, regardless of their record on protecting civil liberties. Several historically 'unsuccessful' dictatorships come to mind.
 
No, the only successful people are those that have achieved what they set out to do. That may be financial rewards or personal achievements. I earn less now than I did 10 years ago but both my Wife and I are a lot happier. Money helps but it isn't the be all and end all.
 
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