Abuses Of Capitalism

There are many ways for people within a capitalist system to exploit others or engage in purely selfish pursuits.  Indeed, it is not difficult to find stories of egoistic corporate leaders, and some have come to see selfishness as either a part of capitalism or as capitalism itself.  On one hand, capitalists tend to misunderstand criticisms of how Western capitalism is often handled, thinking them to be calls for socialism (as if the United States does not already operate on a mixture of capitalistic and socialistic practices).  On the other hand, those who condemn capitalism fail to realize that they tend to only be condemning abuses of capitalism instead of capitalism on its own.

The latter group might instead be simply calling for a more livable minimum wage for the entire workforce, the end of corporate greed, or a higher emphasis on other things other than money and careers.  Opposing the opposite of these things is, on its own, not actually an assault on capitalism itself in the first place!  Capitalism as an economic and philosophical concept is not by necessity linked to any kind of exploitation in practice or in motive.  As an idea, it merely emphasizes freedom of sellers and consumers from governmental coercion.  How various people act and react within a capitalist society is up to them.

In other words, just as there are different forms and degrees of socialism, there are different forms and degrees of capitalism.  Free markets can be implemented or sought in ways that promote selfishness, but they can also be implemented in ways that promote generosity and selflessness.  Anyone who recognizes that socialism can be voluntary, forced, or a mixture of both should be able to see that capitalism encompasses several different approaches to economics that share an emphasis on free markets.

Similarly, there are different motives behind why various people identify as some kind of socialist or capitalist.  Some socialists might truly want to be rewarded without doing anything at all to justify what they receive, but some might have more explicitly philosophical intentions.  Some capitalists might truly hope to profit from the misery and losses of others, but some might wish to avoid trampling on others.  Motivation is tied to each specific individual, and it does not necessarily reflect the nature of a philosophical concept.

The fundamental concept of capitalism is compatible with either greed or altruism.  What many people are ultimately condemning when they attack capitalism are certain ways of implementing capitalism or certain motivations of individual capitalists.  Abuses of capitalism are far more commonly acknowledged than the nature of the core idea itself.  Distinguishing between the two can easily attract the kind of moronic perception that regards all differentiation of capitalism from selfishness as if the only reason someone would clarify such a thing is to defend capitalism at all costs, but that is not the goal of a consistent rationalist.