But What If It Works?

Nothing in life can be successful without optimism and confidence. Wether the stimilus plan is effective or not, a positive outlook can and will make it better. Consumer confidence drives the economy not necessarily logic. Another perspective is that all the bad ideas implemented during the depression must have worked eventually, because it ended.

LIZ, LOVE YOU DEARLY BUT YOU KNOW THAT YOU CAN NOT SPEND MONEY YOU DO NOT HAVE. THE UNITED STATES IS USING A GIANT CREDIT CARD THAT WILL SOON COME DUE. IS THIS NOT THE REASON WE ARE NOW IN TROUBLE? MY FATHER WHO LIVED DURING THE DEPRESSION ONCE ADVISED, DO NOT LIVE BEYOND YOUR MEANS(MONEY).

Watch! This is going to lead to the perfect opportunity to devalue our currency and wipe out all of that debt.

I pray it works. I own a small business with a family of employees and we only have enough capital to stay afloat for another 4 weeks, forget about profit. I haven't taken a salary in 4 months to keep it running and we're living off of savings. We're hoping the temporary infusion of money into govt projects will mean that we can sell to the govt and survive until the credit markets unfreeze. The long term plan of giving us "tax breaks" only works when we're profiting (which we were for 8 straight years). How do tax breaks help us when we have no profits? By the time tax breaks could revive the economy, we'll be out of business, and then it'll just be another 6 months before we run out of our savings to keep our home.

What if this thing works? What? You, the media think it will work; that is why we, the average American, knows it will not work. This is the fourth bailout/stimulas put out of congress and things are worse than ever. Capitalism works; socialism punishes those who do work. And that is why it will not WORK.

...but what if the moon were made of green cheese??

EmpFab Let's hear your specific suggestions, I don't recall seeing any recommendations, only criticizing what has been done.??

22-56 Months from now this recession will be over - when it ends we will not be looking back to see what worked. Politicians will scurry to say that they did the right thing and bend the facts to suit their philosophy - The faster we turn away from D.C. and back to NYC for financial leadership the better off all of us will be.

the problem is, what and see ,and that is all we can do because this is done.unfortunately a 13 yr old is right{on this blog}how is he going to pay for it.it will be along time repairing because the old routine of buy now and pay later has just hit anew extreme and getting something for nothing still doesnt work.on the same token no matter what happens the politicians are NEVER wrong(cya).I have to take care of my family first today and in the future as a reponsible adult .On that note the government failed to analyze their customers needs for now and 4yrs done the road(cash is king and queen)

We will never be able to agree on whether it works or not. By saying things like it will create or "save" 3 million jobs Obama has set himself up to spin the results. If we lose another million jobs, he will say we would have lost 4 million without the stimulus. The democrats who support him are so delusional that they will believe and defend the spin.

I find it shocking that people who clearly understand nothing about economics come on to these blogs and wax polemic as if they're experts. "Government spending of this type has never worked..." I suppose that the 60% reduction in unemployment during the New Deal (before WW2

I find it shocking that people who clearly understand nothing about economics come on to these blogs and wax polemic as if they're experts. "Government spending of this type has never worked..." I suppose that the 60% reduction in unemployment during the New Deal (before WW2, so don't use that excuse) was just accidental? If anyone had actually looked at any numbers concerning prices, demand, inventories, slack capacity, etc. they would know that all indicators are trending towards deflation, not inflation. Additionally, everyone who keeps claiming that we are horribly debasing our currency might want to actually take a look at the currency market some time. The dollar is up against virtually every currency in the world right now. This crisis is hitting everyone in the world, so the US isn't losing any relative position. Finally, I would like everyone on here to remember something. During the Bush Administration, everyone on Fox thought that we were witnessing fantastic economic management that was resulting in unprecedented prosperity. Then everything wrought by his policies completely crashed. Yet here are the same people that heralded the last eight years of mismanagement as a boom, claiming that they have the authority to judge these policies. Judging by your miserable track record, forgive me if I think that you don't know what you're talking about in the slightest.

The profound lack of virtue among the business and political leaders in our country with the implicit "little good can come from"same, lead to the certain conclusion that lost people often have lost leaders and that is our lot. A catastrophe is indeed looming on the near and far horizon. Liz, it is going to be stimulating to watch it come.

So, I'm going to earn 35% less, but still spend 65% more? But don't worry, I doubt the tax cut parts survive through reconciliation so they'll just be spending more.

No. I'm not an american nor a brit nor a native of the english language so if u ask me I'm a third party watching and knowning that throwing money or building bridges to nowhere isn't going to work at all. The US has to pay it's debt but the problem is lack of savings and production that will ensue the rebuilding of the once - great american industry. It's time for americans to grit their teeth and let the develerging continue - because what your President is doing is bringing only one thing - inflation and the erosion of the dollar.

This is only the beginning, there will be a whole lot more. The Market might not like Mr. Geithner's working carefully around the edges, but the people see a man that wants to get it right. this recovery will take years and most serious students of history see Mr. Obma as a man that inspires the populace,(unlike GWB) This test will be won, and prove to the world, the America is truly the world leader, in all things that are good and positive for all of mankind.

Why are we going to spend 17 BILLION in Puerto Rico? Has anyone seen that huge pile of PORK? This is the hijacking of America. What an embarrassment!! I don't mind paying a 'fair' tax, but I truly think this nation needs a TAX REVOLT!!! These so called 'elected officials' don't listen to their people, they are totally controlled by special interest groups and lobbyist............and down the drain we go.........

My question back to you is: "What if WHAT works?" The bill in question is so full of so much that is unrelated to itself that it will be completely impossible to determine what each part actually did. We all agree that not everything in the bill is designed to be "stimulus", so how will be measure the impact of that spending? The size of the smiles on government workers? This is the problem with Obama calling himself "pragmatic". Being pragmatic means that one puruses policies that have been proven to work, not simply a willingness to "experiment" with what might work. It's also the problem with his claim that he is not ideological. Without a theme to govern the bill, how can one evaluate what worked at doing what? One simply can not measure anything about this bill's effectiveness. After all, what how can one measure "saving" a job? It's complete insanity.

The economy - and the stock market - is what's known as a "non-linear dynamical system". Chaos theory in the vernacular. That means it is not controllable or predictable within the natural boundaries, among other behavioral aspects. You might want to read up on it. Of course, any improvement will no doubt be attributed to the stimulus, and conversely a failure of of it will blamed on poor execution, too little too late, etc. ; but either will be a false claim. These kinds of systems do not respond well to attempts at control.

Thirteen dollars per week? Yup! That's right! $13.00 per week! Times two and my wife and I can buy a pizza pie and side salad for our family of four one night per week. Gee! Thanks be to Congress and Mr. Obama! They get a golden parachute beyond belief with free top-of-the-line healthcare for life. And, my family gets a pizza dinner once a week for two years. Hmm...is anybody out there getting the picture????

What it does work or doesn't work? that is the question as Shakespeare Hamlet would ask. The monetary number of the stimuli have been questioned. Some say is it too small or not large enough. Frankly and I'm being brutally honest here Congress and the president have stepped into the UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY. This idea has been rushed and not throughly thought out where it will work or not work. Pork barrel projects shouldn't be in a stimuli bill. Econ Advisor Larry Summers said on Fox News Sunday that a stimuli bill should be tempory,targeted. And the congressmen weren't of both parties weren't listening.

They are spending money they don't have, effectively trying to get something for nothing. This money has not been earned yet. Consider whether you would support this thing if you were forced to take your share (potentially tens of thousands of dollars) out of your savings or 401K account and send it in to be used to pay for all this nonsense. Would you borrow on your house or sell your car for it? Would you think it was worth a try then? It's ironic that the government thinks it can be fixed by doing on a massive scale, exactly what started the whole thing - the taking on of unaffordable debt. We're in big trouble folks.

i am 13. all i know is that whether or not this works, im still paying for a lot of it. the politicians that are on this spending binge are going to be either retired or 6 feet under by the time the US is going to have to pay for all of this. that leaves the younger people, the ones that had no say in this, to foot the bill.

Hello Liz. My question to you is "What if this thing does not work?" $892B or whatever it is this round is a lot of money that is not mine to make decisions with. Bad business decisions need to bear the consequences. I am quite fed up with all the rheotric and fear tactics being thrown out to enlist the publics approval for another round of stimulus without a shred of evidence to back up their statements. To me that is just nothing but one persons opinion. We need facts. The first few round have done nothing but line the pockets of the people who put the current regime in office. It did not work then and it's not going to work again.

I think in time it will work but am gravely disappointed by Geithner's lack of detail. Many details were simply not addressed or simply omitted. I was shocked when I heard his speech. My thoughts are from an economic standpoint. Jim Picerno's had a good take on this yesterday. I definitely concur with his thoughts. http://www.greenfaucet.com/economy/geithners-plan...