“For example, sometimes when you give someone a crutch, helping them get back on their feet is all they need to move forward on their own. Likewise, while you can’t spend your way to prosperity, arguably you can (borrow and) spend your way back to stability… which can lead to prosperity (when you can start saving again) later.”

I agree with you and that’s what it should be. But, the problem we have here is once govt programs are started to “help” certain situation it is never cut back. Politicians will start certain welfare programs and spending, but than the recipients of that largese don’t want that to stop and politicians would never cut back unless they are forced by a crisis. Which is the reason I think all these huge spending and public sector expansion is going to lead to a disaster, because there will never be a right time to reduce this spending or reduce public sector jobs untill debt situation gets extreme and it may be to late by than. In other words in this case the patient never wants to give the cruthes back and the doctor (govt) is never going to ask for it, fearing he may hurt the patient’s feelings (not get their votes). Hence, the patient will now not learn to walk without cruthes…untill it is snatched away from him by events beyond the doctor’s control and than he will collapse.