In the US, without growth, the whole ideology to which he subscribes crumbles.

As such, he had no choice: pursue growth as an end unto itself. This being said, jobs growth in the US over the past near decade has been quite poor. And take reported statistics with a grain of Italian sea salt...the informal economy (undocumented workers) is notoriously underrepresented in US jobs stats, and this sector has been suffereing for quite some time, showing up no where.

I would be ashamed to admit that I had risen from the ranks. When I rise it will be with the ranks, and not from them Eugene Debs