What is missing in the conversation is what Americans really want. And it’s not simply cheaper goods. We want to feel proud. We want to feel we can provide. Yes, we seek pleasure; we want to be able to buy the things (we think) will make us happy. Yes, we seek relief; we want to be able to meet our budget without fight-or-flight overwhelming our bodies when bills come due. But we want to feel something deeper: dignity. We want to know our hard work means something, for us and for our families. That the value of what we earned this week is not wiped out because we have to buy our kids new soccer uniforms. We want to hold our heads high because we went to school, paid our loans, paid our dues, and are prospering. How can you grow when the economic soil you’re planted in is constantly shrinking you?