Don&#x27;t forget, our government also encourages spending.  Indeed, consider the entire premise of Keynesian Economics where the answer is stimulate demand (spending&#x2F;consumption) over capital accumulation.  Both major political parties buy into this idea.<p>Cars for Clunkers was about new sales: taking a possibly working asset, albeit an older one, and trading it in (with cash) on newer cars.<p>Interest rates are part of this and there are even suggestions going around now for negative interest rates.  Why?  To make savings less attractive and spending moreso.<p>Completely predictable and what our leaders want.