If such theories were right, the government ought to be able to "create" ten million new jobs by simply using taxpayer money to have five million people dig holes and five million more fill them back in, and the budget would thrive on the taxes they pay. Think about it.

Government money has to come from somewhere, and if it isn't taxpayers who generate real wealth, it'll be thin air. The results of the latter are never good.

I liked your first link. "Forecasting unemployment rates as high as 9 percent..." Is anyone surprised that businesses might want a big chunk of taxpayer money if it's being passed out? Nobody said they were economists.

From The Economist