Young County Republicans Chair Speaks: Capitalism.

Life and liberty are the foundation of America. Capitalism and free enterprise comprise the engine that drives our economy which is unmatched in the world. The fact is, the U.S. economy is so strong that Texas alone is the 10th largest economy in the world. But listening to mainstream media and leftist politicians, you wouldn’t know it. Capitalism is under daily assault. Media outlets and leftist Democrats portray a country of no opportunity, the odds are stacked against you, and only the rich can make it. You cannot survive without government assistance, and only they are smart enough to provide what you need. According to them, the American dream is unachievable because only the rich can succeed.

Tell that to two immigrants I had the pleasure of meeting several years ago. B and M were teenagers when they came to America as refugees from the war in Bosnia. I became aware of their story from my son-inlaw who was the manager of a major telecommunications retail store in North Richland Hills, and they were sales associates under his direction when he took over. The store was in the top three for sales revenue in the state, so I asked him who his top performers were, and he pointed out B and M. I was acutely intrigued when I learned of their story. B is from Bosnia and M is from Serbia, but together they were referred to as the Bosnians. They arrived in Ft. Worth with no money and what clothes would fit in a suitcase. They were placed in tenement projects with other refugees, and their families were given just enough to survive. Even though their countries were at war with each other, they became fast friends from school and living in the same projects. They were fluent in three or four European languages but were not conversational in English. Since there were no corresponding grade levels from their countries, they were immersed in high school as sophomores. By the time they graduated from high school with their class, they were fluent in English as well as Spanish which they had learned from neighbors in the projects.

When I met them, they were in their mid-20s and living the American dream Taking advantage of their education and training from the telecommunications company; they consistently outperformed the other sales associates by meeting and exceeding sales targets. Both were driving BMWs and making upward to $80K including bonuses and incentives tied to performance. Nice change for a couple of refugees that came to America with nothing. So, I had to ask what was different about their success. It was explained that there really was no difference in training and opportunity among all the associates, but how they applied themselves to the job. When everyone else was taking hourlong lunch breaks and 30-minute smoke breaks, the Bosnians would grab a coke and pack of crackers from the vending machine and be back on the floor in 10 – 15 minutes. They never took more than a 5 or 10-minute break the rest of the day and were first to meet a customer walking in. While others were coming to work late, leaving early or taking extra days off, the Bosnians were on time and working because they were competing to achieve the goals that earned more pay in their paycheck. Top performers also got the best time slots in the work schedule, so their success continued to feed on itself.

So, it begs the question – how do two refugees arrive in America, learn English and Spanish in a couple of years, take a job and learn skills to make more money than most college grads if there is no opportunity? Free enterprise is the opportunity of capitalism. Free markets allow more opportunity for prosperity. However, it is not just the opportunity itself but the application of one’s skills and training to that opportunity that leads to success as demonstrated by my Bosnian friends. Bernie Sanders tells us there is no opportunity under capitalism; socialism is the answer. Tell that to my Bosnians.