Boris Johnson asked today why we can't manage to create an internet business like Facebook?
He suggested that young people lacked the necessary single-minded ambition and also blamed our society's reluctance to praise success.
Now unfortunately you are going to have to read my tuppence worth before deciding on your own reasons.
1) He is correct in blaming lack of ambition in many young people. State education does not allow failure and teachers are actively discouraged from criticising pupils. Being repeatedly told how good your work is from the age of 5 is not likely to stoke the fires of great ambition.
2) I'm not sure about us disliking material success in this country. There isn't much criticism of billionaires such as Richard Branson, Alan Sugar or Ken Morrison. It is however considered fine to say the most appalling things about the rich in general, without offering any justification or considering for a moment what would happen if they were not around to employ millions of people and pay a large proportion of the taxes that fund the NHS, State Education and the Benefits System.
3) Our ever increasing anti-risk, health and safety culture, along with the growing tax burden, endless new workplace regulations and our Government's willingness to go along with whatever crazy human right is dreamt up by some Brussels bureaucrat, does not exactly encourage the entrepreneur. Just try employing somebody or borrowing money in Britain.
4) Shouldn't Boris be doing something to help matters?
Right, now it's your turn. Where is our Mark Zuckerberg?
Monday, 6 February 2012
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