QotW: Will the stimulus work?

***Racenut*** · 02-19-2009, 06:29 PM

$787,000,000,000

Is it going to turn things around? Is it even going to make a dent?

Orb · 02-19-2009, 07:00 PM

Who knows!

**DOPPLER** · 02-19-2009, 07:02 PM

I don't know. But looking at the amounts of money they are talking about for the stimulous, auto bailouts and the like make me wonder...where the fuck is the money coming from?

**Opie** · 02-19-2009, 07:06 PM

I don't think any of the money is going to who needs it to help stimulate the economy.

Orb · 02-19-2009, 07:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DOPPLER

...where the fuck is the money coming from?

It's great when you can print your own money, no?

Loki · 02-19-2009, 07:33 PM

Let's do positive thinking....yes!

Many say that this will help but I think people expect too much of this. Most don't understand that you can't undo the last 8 years in 6 months. It's how everyone expects Obama to change everything NOW. It will all take time and probably at least a full presidential term to see real appreciable change. I think this stimulus thing and the economy will be along the same lines.

**DOPPLER** · 02-19-2009, 07:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Orb

It's great when you can print your own money, no?

Doesn't priting money like that weaken the dollar against other monies?

Orb · 02-19-2009, 07:57 PM

Not if everybody else is doing it too.

***Racenut*** · 02-19-2009, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DOPPLER

Doesn't priting money like that weaken the dollar against other monies?

Why do you want a strong dollar?

Seems to me all a strong dollar does is make it easier for companies to justify sending jobs somewhere else. Build factories somewhere else. How is that good for you? Sure Chinese shit at Walmart will be cheaper, so what?

Orb · 02-19-2009, 08:46 PM

A weak dollar can lead to inflation if you are not an export economy.

Medusa · 02-19-2009, 09:01 PM

we're getting the money by raising bonds -- bought by both international and american buyers.

***Racenut*** · 02-20-2009, 12:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Orb

A weak dollar can lead to inflation if you are not an export economy.

Yeah, all that imported shit costs more. At some point you go back to making it yourself. Plenty of jobs for everyone.

rewboss · 02-20-2009, 03:01 AM

Printing money causes inflation.

Things have value due to their rarity. Gold is valuable because there's so little of it around, and what there is is hard to find. If the alchemists of old had succeeded in turning lead into gold, they would have had to have kept it a secret, otherwise the value of gold would have dropped to the value of lead. That's inflation.

Dollar bills have value because of their rarity (that's why they're made to be difficult to forge). Print more of them, and they become slightly less rare, and then they start to lose value faster than they would normally. People may have slightly more dollars in their bank accounts, but they won't have any more spending power, because $1 will only buy them as much as 97 cents did a couple of months ago. This is experienced as a rise in prices, and so people start agitating for more pay. This puts prices up again, and... Well, you can see where this is heading.

The extreme case is Zimbabwe, which has an inflation rate of something like 200 million percent. Yes, there are many other factors involved, but part of the vicious circle is that high inflation rates are forcing the government to print more money which in turn fuels inflation. During WW2, Germany printed huge amounts of counterfeit British banknotes and planned to use them to bring the British economy to its knees.

As for hoping that a weak dollar will encourage more jobs for Americans, that's not necessarily true. There's no point in having jobs if prices are so high that people can't afford to buy the products. You'd need to lower the price of the products to encourage people to buy domestic products instead of cheap imports, but lower prices means cutting costs, which means reducing your labour costs, which means either lowering wages or making people redundant, which means less disposable income for people to buy the products. Your only hope is to export them, but at the moment American products abroad don't have a particularly good reputation, which is one reason the car manufacturing industry is in the state it is.

CJSTora · 02-20-2009, 09:32 AM

Not one thing is going to be the magic pill. No one thing is going to be a single factor that brings America out of the crisis it faces. It's going to require a combination of several things, each one of which are critical to the success of economic recovery.

You know who said that? Your president (paraphrased)

It's funny how some people's view of the bailout package has completely changed just because it's now a different guy in the white house pitching it.

Orb · 02-20-2009, 11:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rewboss

Printing money causes inflation.

You should dilute that a little bit. Printing money CAN cause inflation. Inflation is not a beast with only one reactive nerve. Just printing money, yes, pretty much guaranteed you'll create inflation. The value of your currency vs the international lending rate you can get out of it is another major factor that can have an impact on inflation (or deflation). So does the jobless rate, so does taxation. You should not use wide sweeping comments like that.

I agree with CJ's statement that it will take many different approaches to find our way out of this mess and it is a question of which combination of levers and balances we use.

fahfooh · 03-28-2009, 05:03 AM

Quote:

Most taxpayers who received the economic stimulus payment last year [ED: who and where are you] will not qualify for the recovery rebate credit on their 2008 federal income tax return. However, some individuals who did not get the economic stimulus payment, and a smaller number of those who did, may be eligible for the recovery rebate credit. If you didn't get an economic stimulus payment in 2008, you may be eligible to receive the recovery rebate credit in 2009.

To determine if you are eligible for the recovery rebate credit you will need to know how much your 2008 economic stimulus payment was. Our online tool, How Much Was My Stimulus Payment?, can get you the answer right away.

Visit the Recovery Rebate Credit Information Center for details.

D.opilm · 10-28-2009, 03:32 PM

How many more board members are going to quit?

Interesting that just a few months ago they were eager to serve and work for our community. It seems like those dropping off are the ones that promised much but delivered the least.

JWSahara · 10-28-2009, 04:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by D.opilm

How many more board members are going to quit?

Interesting that just a few months ago they were eager to serve and work for our community. It seems like those dropping off are the ones that promised much but delivered the least.

Is this what they used to call criss-crossed wires?

**JoJoJoey** · 10-28-2009, 06:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by D.opilm

How many more board members are going to quit?

Interesting that just a few months ago they were eager to serve and work for our community. It seems like those dropping off are the ones that promised much but delivered the least.

Why are you digging up random old threads?

darth meowth · 11-04-2009, 07:43 PM

Well there is a zombie movie out now that is popular. Maybe in celebration of that we have some good old zombie threads....

02-19-2009, 06:29 PM	#1
*Racenut* Watcher Join Date: 03-18-2001 Location: In the driver's seat Age: 40 Posts: 22,481	QotW: Will the stimulus work? $787,000,000,000 Is it going to turn things around? Is it even going to make a dent?

02-19-2009, 07:00 PM	#2
Orb Pinto Alegre Join Date: 11-20-2001 Location: K-bec Age: 51 Posts: 19,136	Re: QotW: Will the stimulus work? Who knows! __________________ “Music is what life sounds like.” - Eric Olson

02-19-2009, 07:02 PM	#3
DOPPLER B.S. Veteran Join Date: 09-21-2000 Location: Seeking understanding in a world of fear, and beauty in a world of hate, so wherever that is. Age: 29 Posts: 15,667	Re: QotW: Will the stimulus work? I don't know. But looking at the amounts of money they are talking about for the stimulous, auto bailouts and the like make me wonder...where the fuck is the money coming from? __________________ ...In the fell clutch of circumstance I have not winced nor cried aloud. Under the bludgeonings of chance My head is bloody, but unbowed. Beyond this place of wrath and tears Looms but the Horror of the shade, And yet the menace of the years Finds, and shall find, me unafraid...

02-19-2009, 07:06 PM	#4
Opie Designated E.L.F Join Date: 07-25-2001 Location: HMD Age: 26 Posts: 17,057	Re: QotW: Will the stimulus work? I don't think any of the money is going to who needs it to help stimulate the economy. __________________ Its OK to be afraid but it's not OK to let the fear stop you

02-19-2009, 07:33 PM	#6
Loki Mischief Maker Join Date: 08-16-2002 Location: In my mind Age: 38 Posts: 16,723	Re: QotW: Will the stimulus work? Let's do positive thinking....yes! Many say that this will help but I think people expect too much of this. Most don't understand that you can't undo the last 8 years in 6 months. It's how everyone expects Obama to change everything NOW. It will all take time and probably at least a full presidential term to see real appreciable change. I think this stimulus thing and the economy will be along the same lines.

02-19-2009, 07:57 PM	#8
Orb Pinto Alegre Join Date: 11-20-2001 Location: K-bec Age: 51 Posts: 19,136	Re: QotW: Will the stimulus work? Not if everybody else is doing it too. __________________ “Music is what life sounds like.” - Eric Olson

02-19-2009, 08:46 PM	#10
Orb Pinto Alegre Join Date: 11-20-2001 Location: K-bec Age: 51 Posts: 19,136	Re: QotW: Will the stimulus work? A weak dollar can lead to inflation if you are not an export economy. __________________ “Music is what life sounds like.” - Eric Olson

02-19-2009, 09:01 PM	#11
Medusa my bananas. mine. Join Date: 10-17-2001 Location: beyond the pale Age: 31 Posts: 5,171	Re: QotW: Will the stimulus work? we're getting the money by raising bonds -- bought by both international and american buyers. __________________ I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain. Bene Gesserit Litany Against Fear.

02-20-2009, 03:01 AM	#13
rewboss Elite Moderator Join Date: 07-17-2000 Location: Lower Franconia, Germany Age: 40 Posts: 20,400	Re: QotW: Will the stimulus work? Printing money causes inflation. Things have value due to their rarity. Gold is valuable because there's so little of it around, and what there is is hard to find. If the alchemists of old had succeeded in turning lead into gold, they would have had to have kept it a secret, otherwise the value of gold would have dropped to the value of lead. That's inflation. Dollar bills have value because of their rarity (that's why they're made to be difficult to forge). Print more of them, and they become slightly less rare, and then they start to lose value faster than they would normally. People may have slightly more dollars in their bank accounts, but they won't have any more spending power, because $1 will only buy them as much as 97 cents did a couple of months ago. This is experienced as a rise in prices, and so people start agitating for more pay. This puts prices up again, and... Well, you can see where this is heading. The extreme case is Zimbabwe, which has an inflation rate of something like 200 million percent. Yes, there are many other factors involved, but part of the vicious circle is that high inflation rates are forcing the government to print more money which in turn fuels inflation. During WW2, Germany printed huge amounts of counterfeit British banknotes and planned to use them to bring the British economy to its knees. As for hoping that a weak dollar will encourage more jobs for Americans, that's not necessarily true. There's no point in having jobs if prices are so high that people can't afford to buy the products. You'd need to lower the price of the products to encourage people to buy domestic products instead of cheap imports, but lower prices means cutting costs, which means reducing your labour costs, which means either lowering wages or making people redundant, which means less disposable income for people to buy the products. Your only hope is to export them, but at the moment American products abroad don't have a particularly good reputation, which is one reason the car manufacturing industry is in the state it is. __________________ Technically, the city of Ankh-Morpork is a Tyranny, which is not always the same thing as a monarchy, and in fact even the post of Tyrant has been somewhat redefined by the incumbent, Lord Vetinari, as the only form of democracy that works. Everyone is entitled to vote, unless disqualified by reason of age or not being Lord Vetinari. Terry Pratchett Unseen Academicals Why not visit my website while you're at it?

02-20-2009, 09:32 AM	#14
CJSTora Assholicious Join Date: 07-24-2002 Location: Canadia, eh? Age: 40 Posts: 16,278	Re: QotW: Will the stimulus work? Not one thing is going to be the magic pill. No one thing is going to be a single factor that brings America out of the crisis it faces. It's going to require a combination of several things, each one of which are critical to the success of economic recovery. You know who said that? Your president (paraphrased) It's funny how some people's view of the bailout package has completely changed just because it's now a different guy in the white house pitching it. __________________ ESCHEW OBFUSCATION If something is in me which can be called religious then it is the unbounded admiration for the structure of the world so far as our science can reveal it. - Albert Einstein I heart stem cell research

10-28-2009, 03:32 PM	#17
D.opilm Banned Join Date: 10-01-2009 Location: United States Posts: 8	QotW Will the stimulus work How many more board members are going to quit? Interesting that just a few months ago they were eager to serve and work for our community. It seems like those dropping off are the ones that promised much but delivered the least.

11-04-2009, 07:43 PM	#20
darth meowth Prince of Cats Join Date: 05-11-2001 Location: Almost on the Island of the Moon Age: 10 Posts: 10,841	Re: QotW: Will the stimulus work? Well there is a zombie movie out now that is popular. Maybe in celebration of that we have some good old zombie threads.... __________________ This board is afraid of me. I have seen its true face. The forums are extended gutters and the gutters are full of blood and when the posts finally scab over, all the vermin will drown. The accumulated filth of all their sex jokes and Wal-mart shopping will foam up about their waists and all the whores and fantasy football players will look up and shout "Save us!" And I'll look down and whisper "No."