by Tanta on 2/04/2008 09:25:00 AM

All I can say is thank heavens that World Series thing is over so that those of us who couldn't care less about basketball can get back to important things, like deleting spam and serious economic analysis.

You know this whole idea is a scam just by the fact that the government -- which could just scale back what it withholds from our paychecks for a few weeks -- is making such a big show of putting checks in the mail. I wouldn't be surprised if they send Ed McMahon to our doors with those giant checks. Nothing would make me save for retirement more than seeing Ed McMahon in person and realizing that no matter what you do to your body, you might live into your mid-80s.

But the government doesn't want us to bank that money or use it to pay off debts. It believes we will go out and spend the money, and that will make our houses worth a lot again. The idea is this: Say, for instance, I got $600, and I spent it on strippers. Those strippers would then buy clothes at Bebe, and the person who owns Bebe would buy the crappy house I overpaid for and get me out of the financial predicament caused by unscrupulous mortgage lenders and not by my addiction to strip joints.