Robert Kuttner, in discussing some really shoddy reporting in the Washington Post about Social Security, comments (boldface mine):

So let’s get this straight. If the committee does agree to cut the budget by some $1.2 trillion, including people’s Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security, that will make them more likely to go out and shop. But if the committee fails to extract cuts—putting off budget austerity until 2013—that will make people more hesitant to spend? Where do these people study their economics?

They don’t study economics at all. Instead, they are deacon-level theologians.

This is yet another reason why we can’t have nice things.