Surprised by my Poll

When I raised my poll last week I really expected the results to be skewed. After all a lot that I talk about on this blog the value of government in as a engine for technological progress. The video I posted was about infrastructure. So I really expected the majority of votes to be for one of those.

The post I had expected to write has been done really well over at Truth Out, 9 Government Investments

It turns out the Social Safety net was by far (60%) more popular.

Let me say that I am a big fan of having a good social safety net, and not out the selfish reason that after being knocked down so many times I know I'll need it many more times in the future. Not even out of sympathy for the less fortunate in society, although that is a powerful reason.

One thing that a good social safety net does is encourage risk.

Would Steve Jobs have left Atari to form Apple if healthcare was as tough to get then as it is now?

Would Bill Gates use the money that his parents gave him to go to Harvard to start Microsoft if failure meant living on the street? Although in his case his parents could have supported him.

Small businesses are the backbone of this country, they are also risky to start. Most small business start ups fail. When they do take off they more than make up for the failures. Having a strong social safety net means those people that want to go out on limb, can without worrying about having to living on the street if they fail.

A strong social safety net fosters innovation and change by not only helping those less fortunate, but by allowing those who dream big to act on their dreams knowing if they fail they won't be out on the streets.

So I look at a strong social safety net as not only the right thing to do for our citizens, but an investment in the entrepreneurial spirit that makes this country great.


On to the next poll:

Can't really think of any Earth Shattering question today, so I'll totally geeky:

Who was the best STAR TREK Captain?

Kirk – Shatner

Kirk – Pine

Picard

Sisko

Janeway

Archer

Like always vote on the upper left corner of the page.

By Darrell B. Nelson author of I KILLED THE MAN THAT WASN'T THERE