{
    "href": "/post/2009/02/09/fundamental-error-in-the-so-called-stimulus-approach/",
    "relId": "2009/02/09/fundamental-error-in-the-so-called-stimulus-approach",
    "title": "Fundamental Error in the So-Called \"Stimulus\" Approach",
    "author": "pmjones",
    "markup": "html",
    "tags": [
        {
            "href": "/tag/government/",
            "relId": "government",
            "title": "Government",
            "author": null,
            "created": null,
            "updated": [],
            "markup": "markdown"
        }
    ],
    "created": "2009-02-09 14:44:10 UTC",
    "updated": [
        "2009-02-09 14:44:10 UTC"
    ],
    "html": "<p>Congressmen, Senators, the President, and all the high advisors feel that \"we need to do something!\" about the current economic crisis.  Leave aside that government action is at least 50% the reason we got into this mess (I'd rate it closer to 80%).  These guys are succumbing to a major critical-thinking error:</p>\n<p>1. We must do something!</p>\n<p>2. This (the so-called \"stimulus\" package) is something.</p>\n<p>3. Therefore, we must do this.</p>\n<p>Merely that it's something to do doesn't mean it's a good idea.</p>\n<p>I'd rather seem them subscribe to this:  \"Don't just do something -- stand there!\"  Government doing *nothing* is almost always much better than government doing *anything*.</p>\n"
}