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INTRODUCTION -- Telling the Story
and Nurturing Renewal
The story of the American incentive system is the
story of all the people in it. Each American needs to
know how he fits into the story, what his part is, and
what he can do to make the picture better. Just who or
what is an American? Americans have been described
as
hard-working,
materialistic,
practical,
adventuresome, optimistic, impatient, · patriotic,
nationalistic, humanitarian, idealistic, and believers in
fair .play, equal opportunity, and individual
responsibility.
This book also celebrates, and puts great emphasis
on, our Creator who made life not only possible but also
worthwhile. And yet, as Americans are so cosmopolitan
in personality, they certainly are not of one mind on the
issue of free, private enterprise. Even Winston Churchill
observed that:
''Some see private enterprise as a
predatory tiger to be shot, others as a cow to be milked,
but few are those who see it as a sturdy horse pulling
the wagon.
"
At Harding University the question is repeatedly
asked,
"Why has the American incentive system
performed so well?"
Are Americans better than other
people in other lands? Are we smarter? Are we better
looking? What is our competitive advantage? The
United States started with a rather large land mass and
a rather small, but well-educated population.
Our land is buffered from most conventional wars by
two oceans. We live in a temperate zone in a climate
that stimulated accomplishment. Generally, the land
has not been overused. Americans discovered and
developed natural resources, offered rewards to
workers for ingenuity and determination, and insisted
upon personal economic freedom.
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