Jon Stewart challenges Lawrence Lindsey and asks Lindsey about the viability of Stewart’s own plan – giving the bailout money to the people of the United States to pay of their debts, which in turn, brings liquidity back to the banks.
CNN Money Summit: Your questions answered “Why can’t we split the money among taxpayers?” – the answer is dismissive – that we would simply save the money and not spend it.
In what universe does that occur? Not America. It would get spent one way or another – and very, very quick.
Thanks to dangerousmeta for the common sense.
While something approaching libertarianism (letting the free market rule without reasoned oversight) got us into this – it just maybe something approaching libertarianism that gets us out.
As John Stewart and Garret say, “Give us the cash, let it trickle up.”
Karl,
Gonna have to disagree to an extent on this one with you. Simply printing checks to give to every American will be like giving a tylenol to a genshot victim – good idea but offers no pain relief nor does it stop the bleeding. If you figre 900 Billion dollars split amonst 250 million americans, a $3600 check while to us individually would be nice, what will it really solved. It may pay 3 months of a mortgage to an unemployed worker, but then what? It may buy some of the overstock of plasma tv’s from best buy, but what happens after that?
We need a stimulus, no doubt. But we need that money to be reinvested into sustainable new markets, to stablize certain current markets – this in turn will create jobs. Jobs in turn creates output of goods and services. People get paid for these things, thus paying their mortgages, buying TV’s which in turn keeps the economic engine turning. Simply giving money to people or tax cuts to companies or blindly handing money to the banks will never fix it. There needs to be a multi-pronged attack – shot in the arms stimulus (such as a smaller one time check to jump start some things) tax cuts to business with heavy conditions (i.e. no sending jobs overseas, using they money saved to reinvest and keep and create jobs – not just saving it or using it to pay bonuses), create new markets, obvious sustainable and renewable energy is a huge market that WILL create millions of jobs. Creating a real technological infrastrcuture that will securely and robustly connect critical care services like health care, government services, education.
And for the Neo’s out there who believe in cutting taxes is the only way – note to fools – a tax cut for someone who is out of work is like giving a doorbell to a homless man.
I see where you’re coming from and I don’t disagree – I was just putting this out here for discussion.