re: #297 thedopefishlives

In particular, as has been pointed out here frequently, now is exactly the wrong time to cut spending. Government spending in a recession helps reduce the damage and speed recovery, as it injects cash flow back into the economy. Basically, the government spends what the citizens cannot yet afford to spend, to keep the wheels turning until the consumers can pick up the slack.

True enough, but we’re contending with a very insidious and dishonest philosophy, namely “Starve the Beast.” Whose adherents believe that now is exactly the right time to be cutting spending, arguing that doing so is the “sign” that the economy is looking for before it will magically become healthy again.