Americans who filed federal taxes got a $600 rebate this year. <a href=”http://www.slate.com/id/2192361/” target=”_blank”>As this article in Slate explains</a>, it is a spectacularly stupid idea; as most tax rebates are, it’s basically a form of bribery-by-borrowing. We filed in the U.S. but did not pay any taxes (Americans living abroad are required to file even if they owe nothing; I don’t intend to pay any American income taxes anytime soon), so we got our $600 check. Now, I can’t think of many people who deserve $600 from the U.S. government LESS than we do. It’s extra stupid if the money’s going to someone like me who makes a decent living instead of, say, paying down the national debt or perhaps redistributing some wealth or something.
So, what to do with our $600? $300 to Obama, $300 to Al Franken (who is running for senate in Minnesota to unseat that slimebag Norm Coleman). I figure if the government’s going to give me and over 130 million others free-yet-not-actually-free money we shouldn’t have, I might as well use my cut to try and elect people who aren’t going to be stupid enough to send me more money like that.