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Date: Fri, 20 Jul 2001 04:01:24 GMT
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Dears:
I enjoyed very much reading your contributions and I hope that my somehow
unusual input won’t bother the list’s audience.
To my mind we could argue indefinitely on this topic because we try to use the
same word in two different environments. Let me explain.
The profound differentiation in mentalities between the “old” and “new”
worlds takes their roots deep down in history.
Political, social, economical and educational structures of Europe have started
from a feudal system and slowly matured — not without struggles and atrocities
— along the centuries to become a union of social democracies.
During those centuries the initial layers of power in society — land and
knowledge — have been concentrated in the hands of aristocracy and clergy.
Warfare and religion were noble occupations as commerce was considered as a new
expansion of farming, an activity for the populace.
As the “returns” of trade progressively outweighed the proceeds of
agriculture, rulers decided to better profit from this new source of income for
funding their lifestyle expenditures and military campaigns. Various systems
were eventually implemented and remain active today.
Nowadays European trade expansion still suffers from these ancestral structures
and mentalities. Freedom of trade is limited because submitted to political
authority; customers are expected to believe in the protection of governmental
interventionism. Commercial ventures continue to be greatly impaired by legal
issues and access to certain industries and professions is still firmly
restricted by the establishment.
On the other side of the ocean things have develop the opposite way. The
Colonies fought for their independence in order to free themselves from the
financial burden and censure of monarchies and dictators.
The core of the U.S. society is based on freedom of speech and trade. The fact
that George Washington, first president, took oath in Wall Street underlines
that a commercial backbone was already in place before the authority. Therefore
government should commit to an unconditional pledge to free market and
competition, commonly called capitalism.
This country is fundamentally built on the pioneer’s soul, which has been is
outlined at the beginning of last century by a quote of Henry Ford: “If you
think you can, you can. If you think you can’t, you’re right.”
The interaction of both of the above historical factors lead to an unmatched
entrepreneurial spirit that creates the best environment to new commercial
endeavors.
To make a long story short I would say that you’re better off being an
employee in Europe and an entrepreneur in the U.S.
That was my 10 cents pitch.
With my best wishes of success to you all.
Christian
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Received on Fri Jul 20 2001 - 05:33:33 PDT
