This

maximize the general welfare of society by focusing on economic growth

is a fallacy.

Not all growth is good and per capita grow maximizes individual welfare not corporate welfare.

Unsustainable growth is destructive and hurts general welfare. Growing the population without properly preparing the infrastructure is destructive. Build the housing and schools before you invite more people. The infrastructure is already over burdened.

Smaller can be better, we don’t need more people we need fewer people but we need to raise each of them up to a better standard of living, not replace them with some educated foreigner.

The broader general welfare (world wide) would be improved if we do not drain the brains of the developing world. Better it would be for talent to stay in their home country so that is could develop and advance.

GDP is a poor and inaccurate measure of the general welfare of society. Even GDP per capita is flawed. GDP measures production and consumption not happiness or wellness. GDP and GDP per capita do not measure the growing income inequality that growing the economy causes as most of the fruits of labor flow to capitalists not laborers.

TEK