Economic impact / Job creation arguments for public policy are terrible, episode 647.

Reasonable people can disagree on the amount of military support the US ought to give to Ukraine. But no reasonable person can think that the costs of this are actually benefits in terms of spending and US job creation.

The benefit to the public of the arts is the arts, not the money that we spend on the arts. The benefit to the public of aid to Ukraine is the aid to Ukraine, not the money that was spent on providing that aid.