Both liberals and conservatives whined on social media that the $600 checks aren't enough. Who knows? Maybe they're even right. But what difference would any amount of money make when governors and mayors are still keeping closed down all the places it might be used at, including bars, restaurants, and entertainment venues?
The mass closure of restaurants, many of which will be permanent, isn't a minor inconvenience. That's a chain of millions of jobs. Per Forbes, "It's the delivery people and the transportation companies that dispense to the restaurants; the farmers, brewers and distillers that create, grow and cultivate the goods sold to the restaurants; and the technology platforms that provide social media, sales systems and reservation methods for the restaurants."
Disposable income should be going to such businesses up and down the supply chain, but it's not because the consumer-facing part of this industry has been forced to shut down. It is instead going toward buying a bunch of plastic garbage made in China.
The New York Times last week reported that Chinese imports are "surging" thanks to the stay-home orders. "The surge in imports is another byproduct of the coronavirus," the New York Times said, "with Americans channeling money they might have spent on vacations, movies and restaurant dining to household items like new lighting for home offices, workout equipment for basement gyms, and toys to keep their children entertained."
In other words, the bulk of all that "stimulus" money we are sending out the door is likely to go toward more stuff to keep people home. That's not stimulus. That's stagnation.
Everyone can complain about $600 not being enough. But their energy would be better spent pressuring their elected officials to stop the lockdowns.
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