Satanic Paradigms - 1

In modern usage, paradigms are widely embraced often tacit assumptions or articles of faith guiding human conduct. They may be so pervasive for so long as to seem like the unavoidable natural order. Pondering what we humans are doing to the earth and its inhabitants (ourselves and our descendants included), thoughts of lemmings come to mind. We seem unable to examine the paradigms leading to future misery and destruction, unable to explore more widely satisfying and sustainable variations and alternatives.
Economic growth. What would happen to a candidate for municipal, state or national office who opposed economic growth? States and municipalities offer tax breaks and other incentives to lure big businesses, especially manufacturers. Government officials making those offers recognize that the citizens and established businesses are either powerless or willing to make up the taxes for anticipated increased earnings or prestige. This is unfair to many who do pay normal taxes. The tax break is a subsidy giving the recruited business an unfair advantage over its competitors, and it detracts from the benefit that the recruited business could bring to the community. Certainly the total happiness/satisfaction of the nation is indifferent to which state and community lures a given business. The tax-break/subsidy for recruiting business should be a federal crime.
Is economic growth always good--for the environment, resource reserves, sea life, climate, etc? Is the average pre-Dell Nashvillian happier by virtue of our recruitment of Dell Computer? What would be the consequences of steady economic activity? Could we adapt to it? How much of current economic activity is trivial waste? What if population expansion could be checked? Are there limits to economic growth--locally, nationally, internationally? What will life be like as such limits are approached?