The 'degrowth' mentality promises a world of poverty and misery

"degrowth" is a burgeoning philosophy arguing that humanity's pursuit of economic betterment is unsustainable and a threat to the planet.

Frida Ghitis: Degrowth is unlikely to become a governing model anytime soon, but it's best to debunk dangerous idiocy as it rears its head.

She says market-based economies create incentives that unleash human creativity and provide incredible abundance.

Ghitis says there is no "getting out" of economics; economics simply refers to the way that societies handle the question of production.

But poor countries need more growth, not less of it. And it's easier to find meaning in a world where we aren't spending all day scrounging for food and washing our clothes with a rock. This column was first published in The Orange County Register ..