The myth of the Stimulus bandaid

Ok, so as I am currently a new member of the 500k people that lost their jobs last month, I have so time on my hands. Now with a big fat tax return, unemployment payments, some money on the side things arent that bad, but Im not kidding myself. I know that it wont last forever.

So I picked up a few papers and there were only 10 jobs listed in the help wanted section. 2 of which were work at home scams, 2 more were OTR truck drivers and the some cook needed in a nursing home and a bar.

A little low on possibilities....

So Ive been watching the news even closer now. In comes the stimulus package. It makes no sense to me. If Im wrong, please correct me. This is only a theory after all..

Ok, so the gov. wants to throw hundreds of billions of dollars at this. Infrastructure and what not. Ok, by infrastructure that wont help the common man. It will help the union workers who are under contract already. Fair enough, they need jobs as well. But all this money is money that we already have. How are we stimulating NEW money?

It seems that every time this happens to the economy, some new technology comes along and saves the day (for a few years, at least). After WW2, there was the housing boom and manufacturing boom. That lasted till the late 70's. The recession happened. Along comes the 80s and everything started to become computerized. That lasted for a decade then starting in the early 90s we were in the same sinking boat. Along comes this thing called "internet" and BOOM!! It takes off again.

Now everyone has it, all the scams have been figured out. People know whats legit and whats crap. So some stay and prosper but most wash out and here were are again.

So it begs the question, whats next? What is the next "big thing" that will spur a new economy? I feel its the only way out.

I think its part of Obama's plan. The whole "green" movement. You need windmills, solar panels and all that. With that comes maintenance, sales of parts, distribution warehouses and the rest. Its a whole industry unto itself.

But lets go back for a bit.....

I think they said the unemployment rate is hovering around 8%. Ok, well thats the people that are currently receiving benefits. That number doesnt include people whose benefits have expired or arent receiving any. Factor in that cost and suddenly your looking at 10 or 11%.

So that means there are aprx. 30 million people out of work here.

30,000,000.

Thats a problem.

Windmills can only help so much.

So what to do? I hear "kick out all the illegals" or "repeal nafta". I dont think either are possible. The only pleasure I gain from this was watching all these other countries basking in our misery suddenly feeling the same pain.

I remember Russia and Germany proudly proclaiming that old "American" system was dead. Well guess what? We consume the most, and if we aint buying your cheap crap, guess what happens to YOUR economy stupid?

So it seems the world is coming to a grinding halt.

Is this the begining of the age of the Amero? Will we be taking to the streets? I dont know. The media keeps preaching gloom and doom and either its real or I am starting to fall for it.

Im not saying I am to good for 7 bucks an hour but I can live on it. Not with a wife, 2 kids, rent and the rest. I would love to move to someplace cheaper but they are gone. Apartments are a premium now. Our rent is 850 month. Granted, heat and water is included. So its really not unfair, but 8 bucks an hour would only cover the rent. Forget about eating and driving, I suppose.

So while I hear all this crap about stimulus this and that I'm afraid that they are simply putting a bandaid on a bullet wound. It may slow the bleeding, but you're still going to die.

Does anyone see a positive end to this, or is this the begining of the end itself?

spliff4020,

i was thinking in a similar way, but your detail really fills in my perspective. If there is a new prosperity engine, that's what I'll call it, like the past ones, i don't see what it can be either. And I'm no stranger to science.

Besides, as the population of the world depletes resources, there is less and less material available to construct a new prosperity engine out of.

I understand what you are trying to say here. I agree that the next big wave of technology will be the 'green' tech. The writing has been on the wall for a long time. Since people weren't really buying into it over the past 8 years we have seen more and more pressure. I bet when it really kicks off and we look at who owns most of these companies we will once again see who is pulling the strings.

Anyway, not to make light of the number of unemployed (especially that of yourself which I give you my best wishes that you make it through and get the job of your dreams), the 10% of unemployed will not equate to 30 million. It will be closer to 20. We have to remember that a good portion of our population are children not of working age.

Doesn't make much of a difference though because it is still too much. And now we are being presented with this bailout with the man that I have been trying to defend on this site stating that if it does not get passed now that we will permanently damage our economy and we will NEVER recover. What? I haven't ever been blackmailed before but that sure as heck sounds like blackmail to me.

I'm curious that with all of the alleged missing and lost trillions of dollars in the stock market, that this isn't than actually that same money they're now using? As far as the other socialist countries are concerned, this seems to play into their style of politics, not ours. But in the end, it's their casino style game and we're just the patrons playing for their amusement.

Maybe stimulous money should be given to local communities and they could come up with a plan that gets voted on by the public.They should know best what their local needs are.Community organizataions might be able to form to help with projects so we can get the best value for our money.All the federal government would have to do is insist they keep within certain guidelines and enforce them.

Originally posted by dariousg


Anyway, not to make light of the number of unemployed (especially that of yourself which I give you my best wishes that you make it through and get the job of your dreams), the 10% of unemployed will not equate to 30 million. It will be closer to 20. We have to remember that a good portion of our population are children not of working age.

Kids arent included in that figure. Its adults of working age. But lets say its "only" 20 million. That a lot of jobs. But at this rate the kids will need to start working to help the family too.

Where we are at right now is a point where my wife is seriously considering having her brother, sister and son, along with us and our boys and her mom, all moving into together. While it would be crowded, it seems that there are little other choice available. Thank god ther are no diapers involved.

I refuse any sort of public welfare. I will accept my unemployment, as my employers pay that tax and its there fault that Im in this boat. But foodstamps and the rest? Forget it. I'll eat mac and cheese and raman before I resort to that. I just wonder how long this is going to last.

If civilization could overcome the natural drive for predation present in human genes, we could limit or end economic boom-bust cycles. It would be another way we advance by altering nature.

With cooperation replacing the present driving force of (predatory) competition, we should all be able to move forward together. Eventually, work should be something we enjoy and want to do, like play. Unemployment would be a past problem.

We should teach cooperation instead of competition against other people.

reply to post by spliff4020


I, like you, find myself in a bad spot. I was laid off back in june of '08. I still haven't found any work. Every interview I have been to I have been turned down. I'm either over qualified or under qualified or the wrong color (white).

This "stimulus bill" is not going to do anything to help the nation. You called it a "band aid" I would not call it that because a band can eventually help. I call it "hair of the dog". It might make things better a little bit, but the headaches soon return.

The Democrats have been out of power for a long time and now they have the reins. They are acting like a teenage girl at the mall with daddy's credit card, and they are going on a spending spree of orgasmic proportions.

Theres always the military route?

What blows my mind is how the corrupt and incometent are rewarded while the rest of us suffer.

Example.
I had a "something" in my head awhile back.

I thought it started from possible infection above a tooth that was one of two that lost it's inlay and I put it off.

I had no tooth pain nor nerve damage, since he tested my pain threshold), but I went to a dentist and he had temporary fillings installed.
and he wanted to have me come in twice more and only fill one filling each visit.
The next opening was two months.

The head pain moved from there to my neck and the pain was severe.

I went to the hospital and they gave me a shot for temp pain relief and did some flexing tests and gave me antibiotics and ibuprofen.

It continued to get worse. I went back to the hospital and they ( the original doctor and two specialists) gave me a catscan and found nothing. more ibuprofen.

It continued to get worse and I went to a different doctor.

He said it sounded like whiplash, yet, I could feel the pressure move in my head to my neck, only on the right side.
He gave me a neck brace and ibuprofen.

It got so bad, I had to sit up most nights for when I lay down, it was unbearable. The brace helped a little. Mostly from the heat build up rather than support.

I kept a daily record of every pain, position, etc..

The doctors wanted to tap my spine and check for meningitis, but I knew I didn't have those symptoms. No loss of movement, etc... just unbearable pain and pressure.

I decided to see another dentist because I was not going to let them tap my spine, amd brought my daily record.
It had been 9 weeks now.

The dentist, who I wanted to check me out and replace the temp fillings decided to check for nasal problems and took a full set of xrays.

He found nothing and rather than repair my teeth, wanted me to go back to the first dentist and find out what kind of temp fillings they installed.

I asked, "why? you're just going to remove them and put permanent fillings in."

He seemed concerned with my ailment and didn't want to work on me.
Almost as if in fear of a future malpractice for mis-diagnosis or such.

So, I left.

I researched and could not find any symptoms that were identical anywhere.

I began my own attempt at a cure, and used diet and natural remedies.

It slowly got better and finally was gone.

It had been 13-1/2 weeks.

When I started work again, I had pain later but not like it was and thought if it was only that much for life I would be happy.

After the last week, working only part time, I was cured.


My point is, 4 doctors and two dentists had no clue. Tests, pills, and wasted visits and stupid charges for expensive tests and xrays.

If I had milked a customer repeatedly and not properly diagnosed or "cured" their problem, I would be out of business.

With these certified professionals, all I got was huge charges and attempts to schedule more high dollar tests and procedures.

On top of that, I told every one of them I thought it started above a tooth and moved to my neck and felt pressure, but non of them listened.

It was like I was talking, but they were deaf.

Even the 2nd dentist, (japanese with broken english) after reading my notes and I, telling him I thought it started above my tooth, but I had no tooth pain said just prior to me leaving, " maybe that is why you have tooth pain"

I don't even know why he said that because I never said anything, let alone that would promt that response, and had already told him I had no pain in my tooth.

I'd tell you what I was charged for all this, I will only tell you it was over 2K and under 5.

The 2nd dentist actually sent me a checkup coutesy card later too.

Bah..

Another time it took 3 specialists to huddle and figure out how to fix a teat in an ear, after attempting to stitch cartalege failed, (as well as novacain did not numb the area but hurt like hell. These were at a large hospital downtown. in the ER.

I'll tell you the fix that time in case someone comes across this one.

A baseball line drive one hopper curved and hit my ear and ripped it open. The fix that the 3 doctors came up with?

They put a wad of gauze behind my ear and wrapped my head pushing the ear forward closing the tear. I had to wear that for a week. No showers or new dressings. It worked though.

That is my example of the corrupt or incompetent getting rewarded. I emptied my wallet and they took my money.

i was typing away and suddenly, it posted multiple times

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