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the war got us out of the depression, so i hope you are not suggesting another war to help out this time. (though you have to wonder with all the escalation in afghanistan, colombia, and pakistan).
I love it when people make this argument. They complain about government spending never ending a recession/depression, and then cite MASSIVE government spending as the means that finally ended the Great Depression.
Remember, wars are government spending. During the height of WWII, government spending accounted for more than 1/3 of the GDP.
If you look at the statistics, except for a blip in 1937, FDR helped cut unemployment in half before the war (no small feat for it being just one aspect of a vast economy).
That said, I have no idea why the stimulus money isn't getting out. It's really frustrating me. If we're going to pay for it, let's at least get it out so we can honestly assess its value, not just have a meaningless popularity contest of what the public "thinks" might happen.
I love it when people make this argument. They complain about government spending never ending a recession/depression, and then cite MASSIVE government spending as the means that finally ended the Great Depression.
Remember, wars are government spending.
If you look at the statistics, except for a blip in 1937, FDR helped cut unemployment in half before the war (no small feat for it being just one aspect of a vast economy).
Now, I have no idea why the stimulus money isn't getting out. It's really frustrating me. If we're going to pay for it, let's at least get it out so we can honestly assess its value, not just what a popularity contest of the public "thinks" might happen.
It's an education issue.
The public just doesn't understand these facets because they slept during US History and Civics I.
Generally speaking, the average participant in a survey such as this one knows jack about the economy.
Is it working? I'd imagine that wherever this stimulus money is going might take a while to show any real benefits. Naturally, there is a lot of bureaucracy involved with getting this money into the hands of the people that could spend it in the right places. It is too early to tell.
No, I'd like to see us get out by using social means- the NRA (not the gun nuts, the program of the 30's) the CCC, socialized health care and school assistance (college).
But, if you look back at the 30's, the history is again repeating, only a bit worse:
Obama (closer to Grover Cleveland than FDR) is underfunding the social stim programs by 2/3.
He also allowed the Auto Industry to offshore
These facts make a jobless recovery a given.
So, just like the late 30's,( post-'36) when the new Congress forced FDR to be fiscally responsible, to concentrate on the deficit rather than unemployment, we will flouder, and extremism will grow.
Remember they were storing guns and food for the coming revolution in Iowa! for god's sake. Prior to Pearl Harbor.
Today, nobody can say for sure what will happen left unchecked; if you notice the GOP is not a beneficary of the ginned-up hatred among our masses.
But it will not be pretty.
And that's both a shame (over the missed opportunity) and a major cause for fear.
those programs require increased spending and china is not funding increased spending. if china did liquidate their bonds, they could presumably tank the united states economy. (although a highly unlikely scenario).
what our country needs is not more spending, but more production (in other words, more income!)
i don't think that either party has considered the american worker in their quest for global growth. we have allowed outsourcing to ship work out and illegal immigrants to undercut american workers at home. since neither party will address the issues, we are probably doomed to be in economic stagnation for years, with no recovery, jobless or otherwise.
I love it when people make this argument. They complain about government spending never ending a recession/depression, and then cite MASSIVE government spending as the means that finally ended the Great Depression.
Remember, wars are government spending. During the height of WWII, government spending accounted for more than 1/3 of the GDP.
If you look at the statistics, except for a blip in 1937, FDR helped cut unemployment in half before the war (no small feat for it being just one aspect of a vast economy).
That said, I have no idea why the stimulus money isn't getting out. It's really frustrating me. If we're going to pay for it, let's at least get it out so we can honestly assess its value, not just have a meaningless popularity contest of what the public "thinks" might happen.
it was not massive government spending, it was MANUFACTURING! we actually produced things that other countries wanted and our GDP benefited from that.
we have shifted to being a consumer nation and now we are just borrowing, not producing, and there is quite a difference.
Should we really care what the average Joe has to think about the stimulus plan? How many of them understand macroeconomics? A similar poll of economists would be more interesting.
those programs require increased spending and china is not funding increased spending. if china did liquidate their bonds, they could presumably tank the united states economy. (although a highly unlikely scenario).
what our country needs is not more spending, but more production (in other words, more income!)
i don't think that either party has considered the american worker in their quest for global growth. we have allowed outsourcing to ship work out and illegal immigrants to undercut american workers at home. since neither party will address the issues, we are probably doomed to be in economic stagnation for years, with no recovery, jobless or otherwise.
Point is, government spending is the ONLY way out of a Depression.
History is conclusive on this.
And while we should finance our deficit (most of it piled up by useless taxcuts and Oil Wars) by reindustrializing the US, at this point, any way we do it is a good way.
When you are hanging over a precipice, it does not matter who throws you a rope, you see.
Should we really care what the average Joe has to think about the stimulus plan? How many of them understand macroeconomics? A similar poll of economists would be more interesting.
it was not massive government spending, it was MANUFACTURING! we actually produced things that other countries wanted and our GDP benefited from that.
we have shifted to being a consumer nation and now we are just borrowing, not producing, and there is quite a difference.
And who sponsored the "manufacturing" in the 30's?
And 40's?
B-17's, Liberty Boats, Norden Bombsights.
Sound familiar??
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