U.S. Army fudged its accounts by trillions of dollars, auditor finds

Re:U.S. Army fudged its accounts by trillions of dollars, au... by dragonwriter on Friday August 19, 2016 @04:28PM (#12323217)

> He didn't advocate digging holes and filling them back up as a normal thing

Keynes didn't advocate them at all. He did argue that something like that would be simultaneously be better than the nothing that some others advocated as a government response to a recession in the private sector, and worse than actually investing in (e.g.) useful infrastructure.

Saying that he advocated digging holes and filling them back up is like saying that a person who says that they'd rather have their arm ripped off than be decapitated is begging to be dismembered.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:U.S. Army fudged its accounts by trillions of dollars, au... by tuna-piano on Friday August 19, 2016 @05:36PM (#12323660)

Apologies if I misrepresented him. As you say, he did think digging and filling holes would be good for the economy. And I think for people unfamiliar with his reasoning, that is the example that is most clear of his viewpoint: that deficit spending is good during recessions, regardless of that spending's actual value.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:U.S. Army fudged its accounts by trillions of dollars, au... by Frondo on Friday August 19, 2016 @07:27PM (#12324226)

Just to clarify, because again you're kind of misrepresenting him: digging and filling holes is better than nothing in a depression.

[ Parent | on HN ]