Reading Reflection Week 2

1)   What was the biggest surprise for you in the reading? In other words, what did you read that stood out the most as different from your expectations? 

1)   Probably my biggest surprise came from almost the beginning of the book and seems to be a pretty simple concept, yet still a bit confusing. I had always considered the business owner’s entrepreneurs, and have never taken into account that these two may be different. Prior to the reading I understood there was a difference between a small business owner, as one who creates a business, and an entrepreneur as one who works on an innovative venture, yet I would still have considered them both entrepreneurs.

2)   Identify at least one part of the reading that was confusing to you.

1)   I would say the Approaches to Entrepreneur section would have been the most confusing. I understand the reading, but I would have to do a more in depth study of the two approaches – much like micro and macro evolution, or micro and macroeconomics. Real life examples in this section would have probably cleared up my less than clear understanding.

3)   If you were able to ask two questions to the author, what would you ask? Why?

Re: In the textbook, the author cited as one of the exceptional entrepreneurial activities in the United States was the fact that Americans are relatively alert to unexploited economic activity opportunity.

My first question is as follows:

                                          i.    Knowing that innovators, entrepreneurs and others who are pursuing their dreams of producing innovative, often life changing products or services, and has created more wealth and paid more taxes than any other country in the history of the world, how do you explain why it would seem as though progressives hate entrepreneurs and business owners.

1.    I ask this question because even the government programs they progressives love are funded by taxes imposed on the private sector.

In the insert on The Global Perspective, the author makes clear the cost of free trade -  small businesses are shutting down all across America. 

My second question would be:

                                        ii.    I would like to ask the author how can we resolve the economic problems we face in America that have arisen as a direct result of us opening our borders to neighboring countries in order to facilitate business transactions.

1.    This question is being asked because I would say free trade has destroyed our economy as we knew it. Free trade agreements are almost impossible to enforce and thus, true competition is impossible.  China, a communist country, now has the most billionaires (although they keep disappearing), as a result of free trade, yet to the detriment of ordinary citizens.

4)   Was there anything you think the author was wrong about? Where do you disagree with what she or he said? How?

1)   Unfortunately, I am not an expert on entrepreneurship, so for me to critique the author on basically the introductory chapter of our textbook would be difficult. I could not find any errors based on other readings on business owners and entrepreneurs.