David, a long-time contributor to the blog, recently raised an issue in a private email that I thought warranted discussion.
When is it ‘patriotic’ (or at least in the public interest) to intentionally spend money in order to help revive the economy?
President Bush encouraged Americans to ‘go out and spend’ in order to get society back to normal, and stimulate the economy, soon after the attacks of September 11, 2001. Granted, this pandemic is not a single event, but a phenomenon of global proportions. And it’s not over yet.
Still, I think I’d like to hear everyone’s thoughts about spending money on things that would not otherwise be purchased in order to help the community and the country.
It’s completely contradictory to everything we talk about on this blog. But do circumstances ever warrant it? If so, how much would you spend? Where would you spend it? How often? And for how long? Does it really help? Or does it just make us feel better?
Is it just propaganda from public officials, supporting corporate interests? Is it just a way for us to do some ‘retail therapy’ and rationalize the behavior?
Looking forward to hearing your comments. Be safe.
- BGT