I really feel that America's citizens need more "certainty."

[gulliver]

Right now, America's citizens are dealing with an uncertain "individual citizen environment." The ever-changing, careless, and unregulated whims of business interests make it difficult for Americans to plan their lives, take risks, and invest effort in the physical and social infrastructure of their communities. Why would someone buy or build a home, for instance, if their local corporation can arrogantly take jobs from the area at will and send them to India?

The Republicans are the party of appeasement. They think that by toadying to corporations and the wealthy classes, America will be left in peace. But business is about aggression, and the Republicans fail to understand the nature of that aggression. Republican philosophy, cloaked in fake bravado, is just surrender.

If businesses need certainty, then so do American citizens, and I don't hear anyone talking about creating certainty for citizens.

[Hawkowl]

1. Certainty is crucial to economic recovery

There have been several studies that point directly to such social certainty as one of the main reasons countries like Germany and Canada seem to be recovering much quicker than the US. People do not worry about being bankrupted by medical expenses or losing unemployment benefits, thus they are free to spend, while US citizens have to hoard their spare change like paranoid squirrels hoarding nuts during winter. We CAN'T spend because we must rely on our savings during inevitable hard times.

[Tesha]

2. Of course certainty is important.

One of the biggest reasons Mr. Tesha and I aren't spending
like we might is that both of us have been unemployed and/or
underemployed off and on for quite a while now. We're certainly
not going to spend big on (say) a new car given the fact that
we could easily see our income destroyed at any moment.

And I'm fairly certain we're located firmly in the mainstream
of modern American thought when we think and act this way.
But because of this, a true economic recovery isn't possible,
at least until people are reasonably certain that tomorrow
won't find them on the dole or, worse yet, out on the street.

Tesha

[InkAddict]

3. Certainty? Day-to-day, change is the only certainty

That said, I have no debts except taxes and would certainly now and would until-death-do-us part assist with the other necessities of life as much as possible (which isn't really very much) so spouse could pay/repay taxes and school loans; likewise, I have very litte income; no savings or retirement funds remaining...but IRS got theirs and now they plan on removing/reducing the social safety nets of SS and Medicare/Medicaid?

My question: "If after agreeing we were useful enough consumers to have stolen from, why don't THEY want the money back through through the income that said jobs provided, by which they initially stole it?" Is it only in killing us very, very slowly they can steal more from the next rung ups that are what, more creative, more charitable, have a more highly developed consciousness, are even BIGGER SUCKERS???

[gulliver]

4. The latest GOP mantra is that businesses want tax/regulatory certainty.

But as you point out, citizens don't seem to have that certainty. They need it, and it should be just as much a focus of our government as the "business certainty" that the Republicans sing praises to.

My point is that citizens need certainty as much as businesses, and one of the things causing uncertainty for citizens is the Republicans' "appeasement" of business-motivated aggression against the interests of American citizens. The Republican philosophy (I use "Republican" because it is a breached brand while conservatism isn't yet) capitulates to and aids the aspects of business that undermine the citizens' needs for certainty.