I've heard alot about the two trillion dollars that corporate America has sitting on the sidelines. They squirm in their seats at MSNBC as they talk about how there's so much money, and corporations are making such huge profits, and yet they are not investing it. They can't seem to understand why all that money stays in limbo. I guess they haven't read Atlas shrugged. In the book, Hank Readen has a converstation with the economic directors of the country.
"I don't see why you take such a defeatist view of the situation, " said Mouch.
"Defeatist? do you really expect me to stay in business under your plan?" said the capitalist.
"But it's only temporary!"
"There's no such thing as a temporary suicide"
"But it's only for the duration of the emergency! Only until the economy recovers!"
"How do you expect it to recover?"
There was no answer.
And that is the problem. No one with any business sense invests his or her hard earned capital in the current enviornment of doubt. Business needs stability, and thats the one thing government can provide, and the one thing they refuse to. Nobody knows if taxes are going up, what regualtions are coming, (and if they will get a waiver from them), or if the fiscal house of the U. S. will ever be put in order. As long as the doubt remains, Atlas will stay on the sidelines with his money.
