Today’s must-read is Rich Kaarlgard’s Wall Street Journal op-ed, “Vladimir Ilyich Jobs” (Subscription required). Karlgaard discusses the two sides of Steve Jobs — nasty and vindictive vs. brilliant and innovative — and concludes:

“One can only speculate what the two-sided genius potential of a baby Steve Jobs, dropped by a stork into Russia or China a hundred years ago, might have become. Deprived of a capitalistic playing field, where would his energies have gone? Toward the dark side is one guess.

“Dropped by a stork into California in 1955, the boy Jobs grew up among fruit orchards and found himself in Silicon Valley, the heart of entrepreneurialism in democratic America. What amazing providence for him and for us! That is the true genius of America: It takes would-be Lenins, redeems them in the crucible of capitalism, and turns out Steve Jobs.”