The best way for a society to prepare its young people for leadership in government, industry, or other fields is by instilling in them a sense of cooperation, not competition.Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree

Both competition and cooperation are means of preparing a young people in a society towards excellence and leadership. Though these two attributes may seem opposide to each other, they jointly play a role in the development and emergence of great industrial nations. A quintessential example of such instance is America's ascendancy to eminence in the begining of the 20th century.

America was a nation founded on the free maket of capitalism. The driving force behind capitalism is competition. The American culture imbued on its people a sense of independency. Every man was the boss of his life. There were no knights, dukes, or officially recognized elite class as in Europe. The state looked on each man equally. However such recognition excludes other races who at certain time in America's history were not recognized as human beings worthy of rights. Nevertheless, it is this spirit of individualism that fostered the fervor of America's competitive spirit. Each individual was working hard to surpass his colleague and ascend to the top. The top had no reservation; it was open to all. This fierce competition brought out the best in the American society. Inventions from the electric bulb, to the cotton gin, all emanated from America. Patents and property rights to protect intellectual and physical properties helped encourage such healthy competition and by the advent of the 20th century, America had emerged an economic super power.

However, America's success has not all been based on competition. Cooperation was also key. No period than the World Wars and Cold wars of the 20th century serve to buttress the cooperative spirits of the Americans. World War 2, in particular, tested America's unity. Though not directly involved in the war initially, it eventually got dragged into it. The cooperation among Americans of all classes during this period was remarkable. Women worked in factories and industries, as men were conscripted for war. There was a unity and public support for the American government. Despite the economic set backs of the Great Depression, the American society unfied its resources and interest and were able to emerge triumphant from war. The same was the case in the Cold war. There was a show of public support from the American people. Scientists worked hard to give the American government an edge in the new face off with Russia. Though some of the allegations of the American government were later discovered to be propagandas, the American people stood patriotic to the cause of their government, believing their fight as a struggle to preserve democracy and liberty; especially in the rising tide of dictatorial communism

America's success is justification that great socities are the products of both competition and cooperation. However, the challenge lies in managing both to bring about success.