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As 2020 comes to an end, the financial struggles of many Americans are very much alive.

Due to COVID-19 cases, multiple states and communities have made the decision to shut down again. This means businesses can't operate at full capacity; shutdowns also inevitably engender job loss, increases in mental health issues, new cases of domestic violence, etc.

On top of all this, areas that have embraced shutdowns and mask orders are still grappling with surges of COVID-19 cases. This has caused shutdown critics to argue that these measures lack effectiveness.

Over the course of this year, the government has decided that handing out stimulus payments to Americans is a necessary action to keep people afloat. Unfortunately, this measure is both flawed and akin to placing a band-aid over a stab wound.

The case against more stimulus checks

Right now, there's an ongoing debate about whether or not $600 or $2,000 is the proper amount to include in the next batch of stimulus checks. However, the harsh reality is this: the federal government does not have the money to give out new stimulus checks to Americans.

The United States is presently multiple trillions of dollars in debt. With each passing second, the interest on the debt accumulates...and yet, the government continues to spend money like it's nothing.

Just like shutdowns, national debt only serves to bog down the economy, both in the short term and the long term. Americans also need to understand that stimulus checks are not free money; neither are unemployment benefits.

All of these handouts are taxable; folks who have received COVID-19 stimulus payments or unemployment benefits this year shouldn't be surprised at the 2021 tax bill that's going to be waiting for them.

The best stimulus plan for America

Reopening the economy is the only serious and feasible stimulus plan. Allowing businesses to thrive, serve their communities, and employ individuals is the truest and purest form of COVID-19 relief.

Americans have to get real and be honest with themselves. Endless government handouts are not feasible. The government is the problem, not the solution. Shutdowns got this country into the current economic mess; therefore, only after all shutdowns are reversed can the U.S. economy begin to heal.

It's deeply irresponsible for politicians to squabble over stimulus checks and feign as if shutdowns aren't the cause of the economic calamity. Eliminating this cause is the only solution to improve the economy and Americans' lives.