I come from South Africa. There are economic policies in South Africa that the liberated African government decided to introduce to "address the imbalances of the past"
We have two in particular. Affirmative action and Black Economic Empowerment.
Black Economic Empowerment are government regulations and charters issued to industry sectors. Those regulations state that a company has to have at least 50% of its management comprised of Black people. They have to give 26% ownership of their company to a black person or 26% minimum of the companies shares to black staff. They also have to do a set amount of business with other BEE companies and suppliers. I haveintentions of being self employed one day and I left the country because of this reason and because of the escalating crime rate.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Economic_Empowerment
AA fits into those guidelines. If you were not BEE complaint it becomes almost impossible to deal with major business on any level. Included in those BEE charters and AA programs were gender related employment issues.
I made a small fortune in that country and despite all those odds I carved out a niche for myself. I am not alone in this. I have family there who continue to run their own business and friends who are thriving despite these laws. I also have a lot of people I know there who complain about how tough these laws have made life for them.
There is no "capitalistic" country IN THE WORLD where labour has been regulated to this degree. When I hear Yanks, Europeans and Australians complaining about how hard they have it I cant help but shake my head at them. You live in first world countries at probably the best time in humanity. Even with all the economic **** going on you are better off then most people. You come from countries and live in an environment where you have the opportunities to really make a go of things. Improve the value you bring to an organisation and you NEVER struggle.
Instead, people sit back an blame government legislation for their own shortcomings. If its that big a deal, why not pack up and leave? I did it. Thing is, just like it takes balls to get ahead it takes balls to pack up and leave.
Fact is that people have this sense of entitlement. They feel they are owed a job or owed a living or owed opportunities. The laws that come in feed this. They also serve to provide excuses for those that struggle.
I dont buy it. The only people that struggle in first world countries are the people who are lazy or lack the vision to see the opportunities around them.
You have life on a platter and you dont even realise it.