The concept of growth is much misunderstood popularly with the various unsustainable growth memes. Growth isn't just more raw resources and finished goods but also development which makes things more efficient.

Importantly even if the goal is more environmental sustainability it isn't the enemy. Apply growth in productivity and less land is needed for production and more can be preserved. NYC has more value from Central Park than say the area as a gold mine now.

The automation job losses are themselves a sign of it - keeping the same number of employees and adding even more capacity would be wasteful.

To go without growth is to surrender entirely and doom oneself to decline. If everyone is working towards something and not experiencing growth by definition something is wrong - that level of effort should lead to improvement over time even if they are just a chain of masters, journeymen, and apprentices.

The cycles are a result of phantom growth from phantom values - even if the production is real returns may diminish more than expected.