Today, people who risk their homes, savings, and reputations are viewed by critics as the “evil incarnate,” the roots of all that is wrong with America — a nation celebrating its 250th birthday.  

Unfortunately, critics of our country ignore the fact that people historically came to America to escape oppressive regimes and for the opportunity for a better life in a free and open society. In the U.S., our constitution protects our citizens’ rights of expression, to practice their faith or atheism, and freedom to create and innovate. 

Americans are inherently “risk-takers.” They historically put everything they own the line to innovate, create, and bring their products or services to market. Americans shine when solving problems.   

For example, when Seattle secured the World’s Fair in 1962, it needed a distinctive landmark. A group of business leaders, led by local Ford dealer Joe Gandy, produced the concept of a 600-foot-tall Space Needle. Private investors stepped in and Seattle contractor Howard S. Wright completed it within a year, costing $4.5 million. 

The 1962 World’s Fair was an enormous success and put Seattle on the map. The 1974 Spokane World’s Fair did the same and revitalized that city’s downtown. Both happened because of visionaries like Gandy, in Seattle, and Luke Williams, in Spokane.  

The 100 fastest-growing private companies in Washington collectively generated $15.94 billion in revenue in 2024, up by $3.44 billion from 2022. They employ 52,000 people globally.  

Entrepreneurs are diverse. The top 50 largest women-owned companies in Washington collectively had over $1 billion in revenue in 2024, according to the Puget Sound Business Journal. 

Currently, there is a trend in our country towards socialism where production and sales are decided by the government, rather than by customers.    

For example, in New York City, Mayor Zohran Mamdani wants to create a network of city-owned grocery stores focused on keeping prices low rather than making a profit. Mamdani would open five city-owned stores, one in each New York City borough, which would initially cost taxpayers in that deeply indebted city $60 million a year. 

To see how government-run grocery stores do not work, visit the Solidarity Museum in Gdansk, Poland. The museum is a stark reminder of life controlled from top to bottom by communist government bureaucrats.  

A notable exhibit at the museum is a grocery store featuring empty shelves.  It is a haunting reminder of the time when poor working people in Poland had only meager choices of rationed food, clothing, and household supplies. 

Most people worldwide can only dream of the freedoms and prosperity found in America.  On the other hand, most Americans have not experienced the repression of human rights or vast shortages in places like Venezuela and Cuba. It is easy to take our blessings for granted unless we have personally experienced them. 

Hopefully, Americans will not have to learn the hard way from those who live in socialist and communist countries. Our capacity for innovation and creativity depends on our willingness to embrace risks, whether we succeed or fail. 

Our system has worked well for 250 years. America is still the envy of the world. Hopefully, it will remain so. 

Don C. Brunell is a business analyst, writer, and columnist who lives in Vancouver. He can be contacted at [email protected].