Economic stimulus: 'Sugar high'

I don't think the stimulus package was designed to help get the credit markets unfrozen. That was more the point of TARP and other moves the Fed has made to bolster banks. The stimulus package, full of state aid for food stamps, unemplyment benefits, etc. I think was more designed to help alleviate the harshness of the recession until the economy recovers. It's an attempt at a bridge to hopefully better times, as the jobs created are as temporary as the funding for them.

Nice analogy. Unfortunately, the younger generation is going to become diabetic.

I see no improvement in the lives of Americans from the trillions of dollars wasted and pumped into the American banking system, into other nations banking systems, and into Wall Street. We continue to loose jobs and homes. All I see coming down the pike are 20% interest rates and continuation of very difficult times for many, many Americans. Our politicians blew it. They all need to be voted out of office. Think of it--how have American lives improved since the first B.S. Paulson TARP on up to now? All has been a set-up to make us all tax paying zombies until we die --for nothing in return. Economic stimulus = bondage for average Americans = gravy train for The Buddies of both parties.

@herbie h.
You obviously have no idea what "get the credit markets unfrozen" means. Let me enlighten you. The government holds the opinion that America cannot flourish without people adding more and more debt to their balance sheets. The "stimulus package" was supposed to stimulate job growth. It hasn't done that because 1) the gov't is very inefficient and 2) corrupt. Theoretically, more jobs = more people spending and borrowing money which = unfrozen credit markets. The truth is that the stimulus was a payback for votes. Please, everyone, stop letting the tyrannical government divide us. Just step back and use some common sense. obama said the stimulus would "add or save 3.5 million jobs." Add or save? How would you prove that? The fact of the matter is that between bush and obama America has lost some 5+million jobs in the last 8 months. It is both of their faults (and, of course, congress). The sad part is that $700b could have served the people well, but we will never see that. The money has been stolen by our masters. WAKE UP!!!

The only way out of this recession is to create jobs. Companies continue to ship jobs overseas and not enough new jobs are created. Not enough to balance the lost. Certainly, those countries could careless about us, anyway.

And, using the funds to train for the new jobs that will be created is a good idea too. But again, without jobs, training is a moot point. So, far, little of it has been created. Which means a Depression is certain.

Oil prices has spiked due to speculations. The tankers are bloated with oil with no where to go, yet the oil prices remains high. Nothing has been done to remove the oil speculators. Just like the housing market speculators. This will kill the economy for sure.

The investment with our taxes has been poor, also. None or little has gone to projects that will give us returns. Instead, it has gone to supporting the corrupted states and their social programs, who has been overspending these last decades without saving a single penny for the rainny days. The voters can never vote them out because of their war chest. The only thing left to control corruption is term limits. Totally irresponsible, I say!

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Posted by: Liberty | May 30, 2009 9:39 AM
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I mostly agree with what you have written. I do have two points of disagreement, though.
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First, you underestimate Herbie H. if you think he doesn’t understand what’s going on.
I’m sure he does. Actually, both of you appear to agree (correctly, in my view) that the “stimulus package” was merely a pretext for accomplishing long neglected parts of the Democrat agendum.
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Second, I disagree with your suggestion that “we” have “masters.” We do not. In America, we are citizens, not subjects; and we have governors rather than rulers. Some might think the distinction is trivial. It isn’t. We have governors because governors (as opposed to rulers) are appointed by a higher, sovereign power. Here, that sovereign power lies with “We the People,” and not with those who temporarily occupy public office. We must occasionally remind ourselves that our appointed government officials are neither gods nor sages. They are merely our agents. If they conduct government business foolishly, or abuse their offices, then it is both our right and duty to replace them with people better suited to secure our freedom and happiness.
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We will recover from this recession, if at all, despite the efforts of government, and not because of them. However, the abuses you mentioned, which now threaten the financial standing of the United States, will not provide any grounds to oust our current batch of poor governors unless a viable alternative exists. That is where the trouble starts. Many people are disillusioned with the “other” party, and for good reason. Maybe it’s time for a new party that rejects the excesses of the two major parties.