Fake an Alien Invasion, Save the U.S. Economy

[hermes]

After War of the Worlds, The Twilight Zone, Watchmen, Starship Troopers and Wag the Dog, people are too genre savvy to fall for it. They would need to show real aliens before they force that level of mass hysteria.

Then again, aliens are optional. They just need an external threat, and they sure used the hysteria after 9/11.

 

[Realitycrash]

..Twilight Zone? As everyone else has noted; Try Watchmen.

...The Twilight Zone predates Watchmen, as others have noted.

Fully aware, yet War of the Worlds predate Twilight Zone.
Point is that Watchmen seemed to fit his statement exactly.

 

[Danny Ocean]

What he's basically saying is stop get your knickers in twists and increase government spending.

It's basic mainstream economics to increase government spending in a recession, all he's really pointing out is that it would take an alien invasion to get the US citizenry (or at least the US congress) to even consider that option.

Yeah, because the two wars we were just in were SOOOO good for our economy. Wait no, that's why we just about had to default the other day... Shut up, Keynesians.

The Two World Wars were the best thing to happen for the USA, and the worst thing to happen for the rest of the world. They simultaneously reduced all major competition to rubble, indebted dozens of the worlds' richest countries for the next several dozen decades both monetarily and politically, and led to the largest level of debt, the largest level of taxation, and then the largest level of growth in US (and probably global) economic history, propelling the USA into the global economic and military hyper power it is today.

Here's a fun, relevant video:

 

[dfphetteplace]

Sure, WW2 was good for America, because afterward it was the only major first-world country that didn't have its infrastructure decimated by bombing, and therefore had a near monopoly on manufacturing. The post-war era sucked for the rest of the developed world. Try again, Krugman.

But this wouldn't destroy any infrastructure. No country would have to rebuild afterwords, because there would be nothing wrong.

 

[Double A]

Yeah, because the two wars we were just in were SOOOO good for our economy. Wait no, that's why we just about had to default the other day... Shut up, Keynesians.

He said buildup, not using stockpiles. US weapon stockpile is huge/

 

[scw55]

Pretty sure my mother's and father's childhood was pretty shit because they were born just after both world wars and no one had any money. I'm sure this repeating itself is a good idea.

 

[TPiddy]

We've always been at war with Eastasia.

If this post had a like button, I'd be all over it.... Orwell FTW.

 

[TPiddy]

Sure, WW2 was good for America, because afterward it was the only major first-world country that didn't have its infrastructure decimated by bombing, and therefore had a near monopoly on manufacturing. The post-war era sucked for the rest of the developed world. Try again, Krugman.

Well, that and Germany and Japan figured a good way out of war debt was to just print more money...

 

[TPiddy]

Wait, wait, wait...Watchmen, anyone?

Also, invade Canada!

Invade Canada? To take what exactly? Our.... jobs? Not sure how it would help....

 

[TPiddy]

Edit: this is a case where peace is hurting the economy because we are on too good of relations with those who would be considered adversaries to the point we keep sending them our manufacturing jobs. Places like Pakistan and China come to mind. Perhaps we could save the economy by taxing the hell out of any corporation exporting jobs out of the country equal to the amount they make by doing so. You would see one of two things occur. Either these companies bring the jobs back to the US in order to stay in business here Or the company would be more concerned with their profits and stop all relations with the US thus giving smaller companies in the US the opportunity to rise up and compete.

Seriously you dont have to go looking for aliens to save the economy, just look at the situation in front of you.

Of course, but a lot of Americans only want solutions that don't cost the rich any money for some reason....

 

[Alar]

I'm fairly certain the mistrust it would build in the government would cause more problems for the government than a sagging economy... would the people listen to anything the government had to say after this?

"Oh, sorry guys, aliens were fake. Didn't mean to get your hopes up. We were only doing it trick you morons into spending tons of money to save the economy! No hard feelings, right?"

That would not turn out well.

 

[370999]

Guys I don't actually think he is being really serious, I think it is more a jokey statement which makes his name a bit more famous and gives him some fun it watching people respond to it.

 

[Mr Dizazta]

Quickly now, somebody get Ozzymandias on the phone!

 

[honestdiscussioner]

Of course since he said it now we know it'll be fake.

That's just what the fake aliens want you to think.

 

[risenbone]

Won't work. America needs to cut Militery spending to get it out of it's financia woes it's already the biggest drain on it's finances at the moment spending twice the amount of the next top 10 countries combined 7 of which are their allies. The other part to this is in the past the manufacture of militery gear was produced by the general population of America. This simply isn't the case now 100% of all protective gear worn by American troops thats helmets and bullet proof jackets are manufactured in American fedral prisons.

As a side point but worth mentioning those cheep domestic electronics you buy in Walmart about 40% of them aren't manufactured in China or some other 3rd world country the companies have found a new cheep labour force to exploit and it's in the American fedral prison system.

 

[Hungry Donner]

We've always been at war with Eastasia.

If this post had a like button, I'd be all over it.... Orwell FTW.

I think that was the most important lesson I took away from that. Whenever I hear people talk about how well war rationing worked I pipe up with that comment.

(I then point out that the US has been at war for quite some time now and our situation isn't improving. Maybe, I don't know, it's because the government decided to slash taxes instead of finding a way to pay for the war it was getting into.)

 

[LeeshaJoy]

Sure, WW2 was good for America, because afterward it was the only major first-world country that didn't have its infrastructure decimated by bombing, and therefore had a near monopoly on manufacturing. The post-war era sucked for the rest of the developed world. Try again, Krugman.

But this wouldn't destroy any infrastructure. No country would have to rebuild afterwords, because there would be nothing wrong.

My point is, part of the reason the US was so prosperous during the '50s is because they did the manufacturing for everyone else. It's the same reason China's economy has been rising--they're exporting to other countries. It's a good way for a country to get rich at the expense of others, but not great for a global economy trying to get back on its feet.

 

[Shirokurou]

I had the same idea 35 minutes ago...

 

[PancakesSUCKTHEYDO]

So invade an obscure country in the Middle East?