There would in fact be little difference between QE that used newly created money to buy Treasury bills and mortgage bonds, and a QE program that gave money out directly to people who would spend it.
The recipients of the money would, of course, spend it. Where would it go then? Directly to the upper class investors who control the entire economy, and own everything. It would, like the money paid for Treasury bills and mortgage bonds, flow into the stock market and other investment venues. Stock prices would rise, and the wealthy would get wealthier. The people who spent the money would have some consumer goods that would soon be used up, but no additional wealth.
“buy Treasury bills and ...”
No offense to you, but the terminology “buying and selling” debt instruments rather than the terminology “borrowing and lending” strikes me as a smokescreen.
How many ordinary citizens know what’s going on when they read “Treasury is buying bonds”? I have to think about it myself. It means that the Treasury is lending money, doesn’t it? Why not just say they’re lending money? Could it be that citizens aren’t supposed to know what’s really going on?