Stimulus: The physics of our demise

Stimulus - (n) some act or impetus intended to elicit a response.

Well, here's my response to The Stimulus.

It's absurd.

It's godless.

It portends our nation's demise.

No, it's not multiple choice, but the answer is all of the above.

I cannot believe that the populace hasn't erupted against the ludicrous tax-burden that will crush us. Let's get this straight. I don't blame Barack Obama. He simply waltzed through the door that George Bush blew wide open for him. But, oh, the glee with which he walked.

Let's step through this inch by inch, and it may take a few days. Lousy bankers made lousy decisions with money that wasn't theirs. It was ours. Those lousy decisions lost our money and tanked those banks. Sadly, it wasn't just one bank. When banks begin to heave, folks sit on their money. When folks sit on their money, they don't invest it, and companies don't have the ability to expand and grow (i.e. create new jobs). In fact, if the storm gets bad enough, companies will downsize to protect themselves against an economic downturn.

That happened last spring through last fall. Here's where the former President stepped in. Rather than let than let the storm pass and let folks slowly, and wisely, begin to reinvest the money they had left, George Bush and many lawmakers (law makers, mind you!!!) figured we needed money in the marketplace NOW! No prudence. No wait-and-see. Hundreds of b-b-b-billions pumped into the economy.

Now here's the "absurd." Who got the money? Corporates who ran their ship aground!! That's like giving the captain of the Titanic the helm of the Love Boat. You might as well make Benedict Arnold the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. "You ruined your company? Here's $500 million." That's like giving the man in debt for $10,000 playing the slots another $8000 dollars to walk back in the casino. Are you kidding me???

Absurd, Part II. Who's money? Here's where things get vague, but I'm thinking the Saudi shiekdoms aren't coming to the rescue. Probably not Vlad Putin, either. Pry open that wallet, boys and girls! It'll be you and me. Taxes. Taxes and more taxes. Those hundreds of b-b-b-billions are coming out of our pockets!! And get this: If we pay more taxes, we have less money to invest in the economy. If we're not investing, companies aren't growing. Jobs are not being made, and again for preservation's sake, they're likely paring.

Absurd, Part III. Presidents Bush and Obama believe government slathering our money about will stimulate the economy. I asked the question to some co-workers, "Outside the military, what has the government done well." Cricket. Cricket. "The interstate highway system," one young man finally offered. Okay. That's one. Who do you think has a greater interest in seeing that your money earns interest, you or your congressman? Hmmm?

Our Founders did not create our federal government to dance in the economy. Even good brokers will only clear you 15% growth annually on a regular basis. Walter Williams wrote a great column the other day on the how buffoonish (and unconstitutional) the government is when it comes to matters of economics (read it here, it's a great read as Williams always is). How do bureaucrats determine who gets the money?

These folks didn't and won't invest our cash. Our elected officials steal when they take money from one group and give it to another.

That takes us to the godless nature of The Stimulus...next time.