Imagine you have an extra three quarters of a trillion bucks . . . . .

[Stinky The Clown]

. . . . and you're looking for someplace to spend it.

Let's say you're a government official looking for someplace to spend it.

If you're an insider, you might choose to spend it on a big party for a few of your supporters. That would be one epic party, huh? They might even cover the guests on Entertainment Tonight. Imagine how thrilled the little people will be, all snug in their shanty town shanties watching it on the big screen teevees. They will all, no doubt, utter appropriate oooos and ahhhhs as their favorite pirate, brigand, and trust fund kid makes their way down the red carpet, elbowing a harried Wolfgang Puck to the side, ordering him back to the scullery to kill and clean more lobsters and sturgeons.

If you're a person who is a little more to the progressive side of things, you might take that three quarters of a trillion and spend on the country, in ways that gives something back to as many people as possible. You'd go out and buy new, green, efficient, state of the art government buildings to replace the ones that are crumbling. You would also buy some serious modernization of the landmark government buildings that were built during the last Great Depression; you would remake them on the inside to be as modern, efficient, and state of the art as the new ones.

You would also buy some new roads and bridges to replace the ones that are in danger of collapse. But maybe more important, you might invest in a whole new transportation system. One that would at least keep pace with the Chinese's new system.

You would also want to save a few bucks to invest in new ways to generate the electrical power that those new high speed trains will need. And you know, while you were at it, you might even wish to best the Chinese at both power generation and power distribution for those new high speed trains by completely changing the train paradigm. How about investing in maglev?

Imagine all the jobs that would come of this. Imagine all the investment in engineering and manufacturing that such a purchase would generate.

On the day of John Lennon's death, but 30 years hence, in a different context, roll that word around.

Imagine.

Imagine the new schools that money might buy. Imagine the classrooms full of computers and television windows on the world.

Imagine hospitals with totally computerized record systems and, more importantly, access to everyone.

Imagine.

Imagine what we *could* have done with three quarters of a billion dollars instead of tax cuts for the top 2%.

Imagine.

[Subdivisions]

1. That's all 97% of us get to do anymore...Imagine. n/t

[Edweird]

2. Yep. Your infrastructure dollar goes further today than it did 10 years ago.

Due, paradoxically, to the down economy. That being said, it never goes as far as people imagine - infrastructure is expensive. But worth it. And necessary.

[Javaman]

3. I imagine feeding people.

I imagine clothing people

I imagine housing people

Those are basic needs.

They aren't being met.

The rich have all those basic things.

The poor do not.

Imagining such things is only a fantasy when our government no longer works for the people.

Once upon a time, our government represented us.

Then we imagined going to space.

Then we imagined civil rights.

Then we imagined no nukes.

The we imagined...peace.

How far we have fallen.

[unblock]

4. i think we should give it to a billionaire to invest in india

so we can employ indian workers.

the increase in demand for indian workers will eventually lead to wage increases, leading in turn to increased indian savings and increased indian demand for chinese imports.

the increased demand for chinese imports will push up the price of chinese goods, making american goods cheaper by comparison. or would, to the extent china ever adjusts their currency.

eventually this means that a british person looking to buy a good curry mix will wander through the indopak store and say, "crikey, this is expensive!

a rich tourist travelling from texas will overhear this and say, "hey, i happen to have some curry mix right in my suitcase! sell it to ya for a buck! i mean a pound! ya think more brits would like this?"


and just like that, a new small business is born. after a few months of internet success, our nascent curry exporting business is booming so much it needs to hire someone to help keep track of all the money the rich owner is making.




that's what i think should be done with the money.
it's all about the jobs, you see.

:snarcasm:
:snarcasm:
:snarcasm:

[Stinky The Clown]

6. Hehehe

You and I both know that is actually what the plan is. Except for the rising wages over there.

The plan is drive us down to third world levels.

[Laelth]

5. k&r for a painfully obvious good idea that seems to escape our so-called "leaders." n/t

-Laelth