All right, it’s up to you now. I’ve heard a lot about you, you big, lovable, loopy American consumer, and I’m totally confident about sending you in with the game on the line.

At press time, we didn’t know how Black Friday would go, but we’re taking a wild guess that millions of people turned out. And we’re sure the shoppers who actually were able to locate one of those special-offer TVs at a rock-bottom price are happy today – all eight of them.

But that was just the beginning, if we hope to get the economy heated up again like the good old days. Remember those happy times, three and four years ago? Remember how we used to stop on the way home for milk, eggs and a new refrigerator to hold them?

How Maytag Corp. managed to run itself into the ground in an age like that, we’ll never know.

Anyway, when we power-shopped, the American economy was strong and the future was bright. This is a complex subject for the undereducated layperson, but here’s a simplified explanation: Sending all that cash to China and Germany required lots of ships, which drove employment in the capstan and binnacle industries.

So all you have to do, especially those of you with jobs, is get out there and stimulate the economy with your credit cards. If you’re unemployed, maybe you can at least hang out at the mall and hum “God Bless America” for atmosphere.

Unfortunately, Americans have adapted to hard times by spending less, and they might be getting used to it. This is a problem, but there’s not much danger that we’ll fall all the way back to our grandparents’ radical way of thinking. They used to save money by patching their bib overalls one more time and canning more green beans. We cut back by buying the “grande” cinnamon dolce latte instead of the “venti” on Tuesdays.

But we’re just not spending enough to satisfy the world’s manufacturers, which have recently threatened to turn their production facilities into condos. (First step: Figure out how to reprogram the robotic spot welders to deal with late rent payers.) We have one month to convince the leaders of industry that the good times are returning.

That’s why we’re asking you to help turn the trend around. Buy what you really want – and then buy a little more.

That’s all it will take. By early 2011, the assembly lines could be running full-tilt, employment could be rising and Angela Merkel will stop asking Barack Obama if he needs a few euros until payday.

Buy a Kindle for somebody. Then buy a few books to go with it, just in case the batteries die at a bad time, or just to put on a shelf. If the recipient doesn’t have a shelf, this would be an excellent time to pick up one of those, too.

And when it comes to spending more than is necessary, one really can’t go wrong with jewelry. Remember, when it comes to diamonds, it’s “cut, color, clarity and carat weight.”

Or, when it comes to buying cubic zirconias, it’s “Cliff in the Corolla parked on the C level, cash only.” Your satisfaction is absolutely guaranteed, unless you give the stuff to a woman who has a loupe, or her fair share of skepticism.

Finally, remember that local merchants are key parts of your community. Something called IDC Retail Insights says that “hyper-connected” and “moderately connected” shoppers are expected to account for 28 percent of spending during the holiday season. These are people who go to a store, find an item, check the price, punch a few buttons on their smart phone and emit an audible gasp.

Then they buy the same thing online, or walk to another store offering it at a lower price.

Sure, it’s tempting to look for a better deal. It’s even more tempting to find the absolute best price from your computer at home and avoid the germ-laden crowds altogether.

But don’t these troublemakers understand? In December 2010, the object is to spend as much as possible.