This year, taxpayers will receive an Economic Stimulus Payment. This is a very exciting new program that I will explain using the Q and A format:

Q. What is an Economic Stimulus Payment?
A. It is money that the federal government will send to taxpayers.

Q. Where will the government get this money?
A. From taxpayers.

Q. So the government is giving me back my own money?
A. Only a smidgen.

Q. What is the purpose of this payment?
A. The plan is that you will use the money to purchase a high-definition TV set, thus stimulating the economy.

Q. But isn't that stimulating the economy of China ?
A. Shut up.

Below is some helpful advice on how to best help the US economy by spending your stimulus check wisely: If you spend that money at Wal-Mart, all the money will go to China . If you spend it on gasoline it will go to the Arabs. If you purchase a computer it will go to India . If you purchase fruits and vegetables it will go to Mexico , Honduras , and Guatemala (unless you buy organic). If you buy a car it will go to Japan . If you purchase useless crap it will go to Taiwan . And none of it will help the American economy. We need to keep that money here in America . You can keep the money in America by spending it at yard sales, going to a baseball game, or spend it on prostitutes, beer and wine (domestic ONLY), fast food, or tattoos, since those are the only businesses still in the US .

Cheers

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Or you can use it to go see other Pixies

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Let's see, Budweiser now belongs to The Netherlands, "American" cars are built in Canada & Mexico, while Japanese cars are being built in Ohio, Indiana, Tennessee, etc., all the hookers I see seem to be Hispanic, and yard sales? Talk about useless crap...

I give up

I'll probably spend my money on porn & drugs, and the rest I'll waste somehow...

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Plug me into somethin'

If the theory does not conform to the facts, then the facts must be discarded.

No good deed ever goes unpunished

Never argue with an idiot. He'll drag you down to his level, & beat you with experience.

Miller Beer is owned by a south African company, Coors is owned by a Candadian Company. You had better brew your own beer. But then the hops are imported also.


Quess I'll go eat worms.

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So the people that already have and are going to get the lions share of the bailout are the same ones that decided 25 years ago that we will become a "service economy".

I posted the joke as bait for discussion on long held thoughts I've had about an area of our (now global) society. Before you tell me this is not a topic that is my forte, remember that the financial 'EXPERTS' are the same accountants, bankers, brokers and money managers who's compliancy, contrivances, advise and short/long term greed got us here.

When 10 shoe shine stands are placed in a circle with a person getting a shine and paying $1 to the 'servicer' ahead of him, who in turn gets the next shine and passes the $1 along, it will only travel until the first 'servicer' runs out of polish. When the $1 has to be taken out of the loop for needed supply the "service economy" stops. I know this is a very simplistic example to a very complex and contorted system that has been created by 'the experts', but common sense (which is NOT their primary tool) says something fundamentally is wrong here.

We are still physical creatures existing in a physical environment that has basic requirements of shelter, food and clothing for survival. We add the needs of transportation, books, electric light, TV's, and so on to meet functionality in the societal norm. These are all TANGABLE quantities that we can not exist without. While the ratio of domestic beast and manpower to support and assistance has changed through technology, the requirement for physical goods has not. To believe that the rest of humanity will remain ignorant slaves bringing gifts to the all-knowing for their guidance is arrogance and ignorance beyond comprehension.

Please excuse this Doubting Thomas if I say I don't understand what they are doing and only am sure they don't either.

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There are as many ideas on who should receive stimulus (yes, we have one too) as there are people who can gouge it.

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Calm, quiet, smooth, devastating

Are we pouring water on a drowning man?

No doubt we have to do something for the system, from within the system in the short term (next decade), but the system is what I question. Have we (the world) reached another plateau where capitalism in this form no longer works for everyone involved? Do not question my strong belief in free enterprise or readiness for any other failed system, but is the goose that lays the golden egg been rode to death in the horse race to consolidate the wealth among the very few? Are we going to keep beating him and hope he turns into a peacock?

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You're a NUTBAR PF.

As far as the original post goes sure all those other countries may benefit, but last time I checked the people who actually work at the store I would purchase those items at are US citizens. I'm sure they would like to have the extra customers, because I know the retail store my wife works at has been cutting hours. Not to mention that one of the largest, if not THE largest, employer in my town is the Walmart distribution center, so most of my town relies on people buying all of those foreign made products so they can load trucks of more foreign made products.

The last stimulus check we got last year, went to install, breaker panel in my house to replace the old fuse box.

Also one of the industries to see a boost in sales due to the last round of stimulus checks was the porn industry.

Most of the people I know spent last years stimulus for catching up on bills. If you think about, if you give someone enough money to pay off their debts (right now anyway) chances are they would. At least pay them down anyway. Some of the top priorities in the basic household are keeping the house and the car. You give someone 200k they would pay off the car and get ride of a good portion of their mortgage. If they're smart they'll set aside 10k in a savings account for the rainy days up ahead. What we got last year was good, but not really enough to do anything considering the average debt of someone in their mid 30's.

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"BOY: On a hot summer night, would you offer your throat to the wolf with the red roses? GIRL: Will he offer me his mouth? BOY: Yes. GIRL: Will he offer me his teeth? BOY: Yes. GIRL: Will he offer me his jaws? BOY: Yes. GIRL: Will he offer me his hunger? BOY: Yes. GIRL: Again, will he offer me his hunger? BOY: Yes! GIRL: Yes. BOY: On a hot summer night, would you offer your throat to the wolf with the red roses? GIRL: Yes. BOY: I bet you say that to all the boys!" -Meatloaf

That is undisputed, jbh3.

BUT, the sad part is I'm here with as much creditability as all the financial 'experts'. This is not a single error or deceit by a small group or an individual. We are in the recognition phase of a system that is totally fucked!............ world wide. Every human that is not trading chickens and beads is effected, and not in a good way for most of us. This situation did not explode on us due to a natural disaster. It is the result of a loooong, evolved system cranking along with the deep involvement of millions of it's creators and maintainers. For then to act surprised actually endorses the ignorant prospective of the non-economic specialist, doesn't it?

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I'm sure there are many who would agree with this opinion.

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Eudaimonia

AMEN! Irish

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Irish---Better to be dead & cool,then alive & uncool!
(Harley Davidson & the Marlboro Man)

I hope you're not actually expecting a counter-argument from me.

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On the kinkometer, my kink measures as a sine wave.

GG, Banks are your friends and in this time of economic uncertainty you should be putting your stimulus money straight into the bank to allow another round of excessive bonuses.

This money would then be spent responsibly on drugs, hookers and $10,000 per night hotel rooms in St Tropez, stimulating both the bankers and the French economy.

Happy and contented bankers will then be better able to work out ways to further strip you of your hard-earned assets.

It's the natural order of things.

It's also a French plot.

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Calm, quiet, smooth, devastating