Junior economics question II: what's this obsession with economic growth?

[Shannow]

They don't print it anymore, anyway.

I work all week, and get a numder accredited to my account. I take some out as cash, send some of it out using debit cards, or internet transactions, "earn" another percentage of what's left over as interest, and another amount is automatically taken out of my account to pay the interest on a mortgage. When I bought my house, I didn't see a cheque for whastever to hand to the seller, it just happened, and I ended up with a negative balance.

[this]

Hopeless wrote

How... can there be any economic growth from the increasing welfare state? If anything it's a debt accelerator.

Yes, in a bad system, more debt (credit) is good (or the only thing that will work). If you have a gas guzzler that runs lousy you give it more gas, not apple juice

[this]

Thumper wrote

but I thought inflation was a bad thing

what happens if we don't grow?

The whole system is bad, and can not be reformed. It needs to be replaced entirely.

If you don't grow, you stagnate. You get a recession, lay-offs etc. Starvation, war... etc.