All this blather about governments not being useful in creating jobs, and that such efforts erode ‘freedom’, should be given some context with an example like Finland. You probably don’t know that today Finland consistently leads in almost every international indicator for social, economic and environmental innovation, productivity and quality of life, including the lowest level of government corruption. Their system steadily produces brilliant software developers, entrepreneurs, marketers, designers, managers, musicians, orchestra leaders, hockey goalies, etc. They have done this despite suffering a nasty series of geopolitical shocks in the 20th century comparable to the reunification of Germany.

Nokia, Kone and other Finnish companies are thriving in the international marketplace. It’s forests are only .1 per cent of the world’s forests yet Finland supplies much of the equipment for forest-based industries around the world, including the IP for 90 per cent of Canada’s forest equipment. And why? Because they pay high taxes, and trust their governments, given the successes to which those governments have contributed.