Commentary The U.S. retail sales and jobless claims weakness, significantly below estimates, coincides with the largest fiscal and monetary stimulus in history. Something isn’t right when these figures come significantly below estimates in an environment of massive upgrades to gross domestic product (GDP). Why? The diminishing returns of stimulus plans are evident. Artificially boosting GDP with large government spending and monetized debt generates a short-term sugar-high that’s rapidly followed by a sugar-low. The alleged positive effects of a $1 trillion stimulus plan fade shortly after three months. I recently had a conversation with former Federal Reserve nominee Judy Shelton where she mentioned that the recovery would be stronger without this latest massive stimulus package. The economic debacle happened due to lockdowns, and the recovery comes from the re-opening. We need to let the economy breathe and strengthen, not bloat it. The diminishing returns of stimulus plans are evident. A $20 …