GEORGE DUBYA BUSH recently tried to kick-start the American economy by sending each and every tax payer in the States a cheque for up to* twelve hundred bucks.
The hope was that patriotic Americans would spend their windfall on made-in-the-USA products, heading off the inevitable recession at the pass.
But it seems that our colonial cousins were more interested in taking matters into their own hands boosting spending on internet porn sites instead, according to the Adult Internet Market Research Company.
In fact, since the free wonga was sent out in May, there has been a 30 per cent increase in growth of sign-ups and renewals to subscription sites for one-handed surfers.
So much for stimulating the economy. µ
* Updated due to frothing comments from barking mad American readers with nothing better to do on the Fourth of July than to point out eroneous mathematics in a light-hearted article. See below.
$600
At this point I'd say the people that form the economy are quite well stimulated, a good 30% more stimulated in fact. Ergo the economy is stimulated as it is nothing more than the sum of its parts.
I think the figure was half that given, and we all know the rebates were to help Bush's family and friends viz oil profits at the expense of the already indebted US treasury.
While I'm sure that many of my fellow countrymen would be quite happy if the government was giving out free money to everyone, that is certainly not the case. The "rebate" checks are actually only $600 (married couples who file only one tax return for both people can get $1200, but it's still $600/person). In fact, the checks aren't even rebates, they are an advanced payment of your tax refund. For example, if you you had $1000 more than necessary deducted from your salary for taxes, at the end of the year you would receive a refund check for only $400 instead of $1000 since you were already given $600 from your refund early. Conversely, if you were short on the money deducted from your salary by $1000, you would need to send the government a check for $1600 plus pay a fine and interest on that amount. Suddenly this doesn't sound like such a great deal does it?
and one handed pr0n surfers. fnar fnar.
"sending each and every tax payer in the States a cheque for twelve hundred bucks." Fuck no they didn't. They sent us checks for $600 each. Not $1200. Even if they had sent us checks for $1200 then that's still only equates to about 50 pence of your eurobucks.
Well at least something got stimulated. GZ
"GEORGE DUBYA BUSH recently tried to kick-start the American economy by sending each and every tax payer in the States a cheque for twelve hundred bucks." No, it was based on depencies and income. Some people received $300. Others $600, while families with specific income received $1,200. Where's the Ed when you need him/her?
If this was some kind of joke, I don't get it and find it lame. Now, if this is true...WTF! I mean, did dubya really sent cheques to stimulate the economy? He doesn't deserve to be impeached: he needs to be hanged in Madison Square Garden (and have it broadcast throughout the world)
Errr.. up to $600 per person, plus $300 more per child under 17; the (up to) $1200 number is for married couples. My $600 came just in time for the car to need a new idle air control valve ($588.27, installed).
Happy 4th of July, America! INQ, what the **** does this have to do with technology? NOTHING. Quit the lame America bashing. Ever since that one dude left the INQ, this site has been going down hill.
Brings a whole new dimension to the phrase "one in the hand is better than two in the Bush". Or is it "one in the hand beats two in the Bush"?
"Bush handout triggers mass debate You can't keep a good Yank down" absolutely one of the best yet, furkin priceless !!!! for the benefit of our amaerican friends across the water, a furkin is a measure of beer, errrrrrrrrrm for any new yoik cops think guiness/illicit poteen :O) sorry GI joe that you forgot to take your meds today, but stuff happens, dont worry, get down to the local hog/turkey/negro stuffing competition/rodeo, get a jug of redeye down your neck and the colour of your eyes and neck will match :O) we truly didn't mean to ruin your day pal, errrrrrr ........ now.. put down the gun plzzzzzzz O_O WTF, its independence day you won remember ?? jeeeeeeeeez theres no pleasing some folk O_o
If people are going to get picky about the rebate it's up to 600 per person and 300 per child. For instance a married couple with one child can get up to 1500. But seriously who cares about the actual amount it doesn't change the point of the article.
Bush is a completely and total idiot but in all fairness most pornsites/stars/etc... were made in america, or atleast parts of them were. That said like NJA suggest I think it had a lot more to do with bush and his buddies wanting to keep people driving for just a bit longer despite skyrocketing gas prices.
Even the F'n article gets revised to further bash Americans. We get it! The F'n Queen Lovers vs the F'n Bush Re-electors. OOOOOOHHHHH!!! Everybody look at the tots engaging in fisticuffs and throwing their toys from the pram/carriage. I am a natural-born American. I hate GWB so much I would laugh if he dropped dead tomorrow. (assuming Cheney went with him) But F**k Tony Blair too. Anybody want to extol the virtues of Margaret Thatcher? Guess what, Bush Sr. was a douche too. He is far more to blame for the entire Bin-Laden piss-up than GWB. We trained that ass-clown for allah's Sake, With GB Sr. heading up the CIA! Yeah, America is circling the drain. Ethnic cleansing seems like a better option every day when applied to taking out people like the KKK, or Arian nation, or the radical right wing including Dr. Laura, and of course GWB himself. But you dis us much more and you risk becoming France. We are the reason you aren't eating only Knackwurst and Sushi right now. (and mostaccoli?) Perhaps it was the America of old that stood for right, but it is the America of now that keeps conflict on a terrorist level. Terrorism is the new war ONLY because it is impossible for any small nation to wage open war, and you can bet that America in all it's incarnations has been crucial in making that so. Iraq was F****d from the get-go. Both Bush's are p***ks-extrordinare, and Clinton apparently was an extraordinary p***k. America isn't perfect, but yes today we celebrate our independence from a Monarchy who ended up completely f'ing every single colony it ever owned so badly that it is THEY who would have been guilty of war crimes had they bothered to term the suppression of native people a "war". Keep pointing fingers everybody. We all have blood on our nations hands. It's called "Move forward and quit thinking you are superior in any way". That goes for you Merkins and you Merkin-wearers.
Can someone point out the America-bashing? Of course the tone is sarcastic, exaggerated and overwritten, but I don't see it as anti-America. (Anti-Bush, maybe...)
i only received $300... but in Germany! Well yes, i am a US citizen and i did file a tax return last year, though i payed no taxes for that year since everything i earned fell under the foreign income tax exclusion. But seriously, giving me $300 in Germany to jump start the US economy?!?... I mean how is that going to work? ok ok i'll be nice and save it until i'm back in the states... OR i could sign up for a US porn site... you know.. as the only way to stimulate the US economy from here.. and uhmm.. be a good patriotic citizen.. yeaaaa... ;)
Of course it has something technical. Surfing with one hand, jurking off on Iraq prison photo's and surfing the web is a technical breakthru.
Time to remove INQ from the bookmarks I guess. Given the extremely subjective and personal reporting that has started to show up on these pages, INQ is going in a wrong direction. Less political and personal agenda nonsense, and more IT news reporting thanks. And no, I'm not american.
@viking errrrrrrm dont forget to close the door behind you viking plz...............byeeeeeeeeeeeeee :O) @Raven737] nice one raven, but if you can, *cough 'handle it' youll get a better deal in germany and it'll be the real McKoy and no spam, just make sure to check the date on her latest health screening papers :O) p.s. yippeeeeee, the sites working with opera now O_O
The whingers are probably a bunch of mass debaters anyway. Inq, thanks for the humour. Keep it cumming.
I think people need to take their rebate checks and go buy a sense of humor......seriously.
I got only $300 since I got a refund. What a load of shite. "Yeah, uh, you withheld too much in taxes, so we owe you some back. Oh, and because of that, your rebate is cut in half." Btw, if you want to bash Bush for this, do it for this reason. The Daily Show showed him at the press conf. as to why he did it: Because it will offset the lost value of your house." Jon Stewart says in response to that: "Yeah, that will work, that is if your house is green and located on Baltic Avenue."
When Bush did a tax rebate several years ago it was actually tax relief and only taxpayers got it. This is a scheme by the U.S. Congress to 'stimulate' the economy by handing out borrowed money to taxpayer and non-taxpayer alike and then have the taxpayer pick up the tab later on. Bush didn't veto it, probably because it had too much support in the post-2006 Democrat controlled congress and his veto would have been overridden anyway.
The only place this handout has triggered "mass debate" is on this website. How about more articles about TECHNOLOGY (hint: this is a technology news website) and less random, America-bashing. This site is going downhill FAST.