I am trying here to get some feedback on how Newsvine members have come to embrace their various economic ideologies. Specifically I am looking for a connection between actual life-experience and the views one holds in regards to economic policy. I have noticed in perusing other member's profiles that those with real-world business experience tend to fall more to the conservative side than, for instance, students or those involved in politics. My theory is those who adhere to socialist beliefs or who trust the government to effectively regulate business have probably had very little hands-on experience in business. I am particularly interested in the views of members from countries other than America.

I'll begin by saying my views have changed dramatically since starting my own business. In my younger days I tended to see successful businessmen/women as greedy, exploitative robber-barons. They were "The Man", who was keeping us all down. While I still feel this way about many corporate entities, I now see entrepreneurs, small-business owners and sole proprietors as almost heroic; the Keepers of the American Dream in an increasingly hostile government climate. Like many business owners, I often make less than my employees. I pay myself with what is left after taxes, fees, insurance and actual business expenses. While I'm not exactly starving, I sometimes long for the days when I worked for The Man, took home my pay and wasn't constantly frustrated by the city, state (aarrgh! I live in CA!) and federal machinery. I have started to become a true economic conservative...free enterprise and less government.

So what's your story - what are your economic views and more importantly, how did you arrive at them?