08-18-2015, 09:17 AM
Is it an understood maxim that economic growth (measured by GDP, I presume?) is tied to population growth? It would seem to me that rising wages, or rising efficiency (increased automation), or lower cost of debt (spurring an increase in expenditures) would also move that number up.
That being said, I'm not sure economic growth should be the only goal. I would be okay with stagnant GDP (in real terms, to keep this statement slightly less controversial) if it meant an increase in the social safety net, better ecological protection, and all those other hard-to-measure non-monetary factors in standard of living. With those at acceptable levels, we can then reach out and help other nations.
That being said, I'm not sure economic growth should be the only goal. I would be okay with stagnant GDP (in real terms, to keep this statement slightly less controversial) if it meant an increase in the social safety net, better ecological protection, and all those other hard-to-measure non-monetary factors in standard of living. With those at acceptable levels, we can then reach out and help other nations.