History teaches us that it is only too easy to stamp out entrepreneurship. It is a fundamental human characteristic but, despite its creative and destructive powers, an extremely fragile one. Among most peoples in most times and most places entrepreneurs do not exist. The economic possibilities exist, but they are not seen, the energy to realize them is lacking, or the risks they involve seem too great. When societies aren't organized so that the old vested interests can be brushed aside, entrepreneurs cannot emerge.
Social systems have to be built in which entrepreneurs have the freedom to destroy the old.
Yet destroying the old can too easily be seen as a step into chaos. Societies that aren't ready to break with the past aren't willing to let entrepreneurs come into existence. Europe provides a good example of the importance of entrepreneurship. Last year the production arm of the last indigenous European computer manufacturer, Siemens Nixdorf, was sold to Acer, of Taiwan. The European entrepreneurs that should exist don't.