The idea of "use stimulus to get the poor out of debt" has several flaws. One, the jobs created are temp jobs, and being a temp is like being unemployed, you can't make plans or build much savings. Two, often stimulus money just goes to enrich companies which are already making good business; the smart fast businesses who can bend rules to their favor, these are the companies which then apply for stimulus money. And adding money to rich people doesn't help the rich or the poor or the economy in general (the rich save a lot). Three, there are several industries devoted to making poor people poor, the credit card industry being only one.
It's hard for someone who's never been a temp, or racked up huge credit card debts, to understand the systemic problems affecting the poor. The only thing we can say about stimulus money is that it would build physical infrastructure, and it's good to do that sort of thing when labor and materials are cheap.
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branchandroot
no subject
Date: 2011-07-03 06:51 pm (UTC)