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Why America rocks: It celebrates being crazy . . . like a fox By
Leon D'souza
Ever since Internet fever swept America, newspapers in my home country, India, have become progressively more interested in the United States. There is a reason for this. The first bit of information that journalists back home caught onto was the incredible contribution of the Indian community to the online revolution. With companies such as Hotmail and Sun Microsystems on their resume, Indian-born entrepreneurs were riding the wave of silicon success. Hastily, the Indian media concluded that the Net was "Made in India." Every day, I would read stories touting Asian success in the New Economy. Some stories told of reverse discrimination. According to one entrepreneur, being Indian or Chinese in Silicon Valley had its advantages. Now this is not untrue. Asians, particularly Indians, have made significant contributions to the magic that wešve seen unfold online over the past few years, and indeed being Indian in some parts of America does have its plusses. But while the reports glorified Indians in America, they shied away from acknowledging an important fact. None of these Indian success stories could have been written back home. Taking Risks It takes two hands to clap. The other hand in the New Economy is a culture that celebrates entrepreneurs and glorifies those who dare the risk of failure a way of life that has long been at the heart of Americašs ethos and economy. Throughout its history, America has attracted some of the finest risk-takers, and has created the perfect environment for them to thrive. In India, risk is a four-letter word. There is a stigma associated with it. Many revolutionary Internet ideas would have been shot down as foolhardy ventures get-rich-quick schemes grounded in fantasy. The old school in India tends to look down upon the relish with which the word "risk" rolls off the tongues of some young technocrats, forcing many of them to look west to America. A Mobile Society As I read the myriad newspaper stories about the clustered enterprise around Bostonšs Route 128 and Silicon Valley, I often wondered, Why America? What makes Americans more tolerant to the rapid change associated with risk? There are many probable explanations. One of the principal reasons is the social structure of American society. Kids move out of their homes early, pay their own way through college. Many study away from their home state. More than a few move again to find work. American society is very mobile, and with this mobility comes a better acceptance of change and uncertainty. Moreover, a society that is always on the move does not really develop a strong sense of community. The emphasis is on the individual. Individualism coupled with a belief system rooted in a commitment to hard work, and the ability to draw on some of the best talent around, is what makes America more entrepreneurial and more successful than most other countries. Consider the experience of Exchange.com founder Stig Leschly. Fresh out of Harvard Business School, Leschly decided to put his MBA to use in the emerging dot-com economy. He became an online vendor of used and antiquarian books. Elsewhere, Leschly might have been considered a fool. A Harvard graduate could surely find more stable employment. However, in America, "fools" such as Leschly are worshiped. Seven months later, the young entrepreneur sold his brainchild to Amazon.com for a whopping $200 million! This is exactly why America rocks. Leon D'souza is a USU journalism student and a contributor to Hard News Cafe.
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