The logical expression of the nature of man.

It's been in decline ever since they started fluoridating the water.

A vast improvement over feudalism, nearly brought down by corporate greed.

I'm standing back and watching to see whether or not Obama can save the racket from collapse like FDR once did.

Obvious - to all but the most fanatical - is the fact that mixed economies have been the most successful since the syndicalist experiment was crushed by the combined efforts of capitalist, fascist and state capitalist (Stalinist) authoritarian and totalitarian regimes in 1939.

What used to exist in America.

Only okay to a degree.

"Let the money goes to capital owner and those who "produce" take a little"

No.

Few ideologies have influenced the American psyche like capitalism.
Capitalism drove to the discovery of this land, where European discovers sought to accomplish their merchant ambitions.
Capitalism allowed people like the Carnegies and Rockefellers (not to mention the much lesser person) to live a quality of life unimaginable to the rest of the world.
Capitalism helped develop our individualistic attitudes, where we take responsibility for our success, and accountability for our failures.
The saying You can be anything you put your mind to, is an American mantra, derived from individualist believes related to capitalism

The only system that has worked throughout the ages. Corruption will always exist. As we now see (painfully), the regulations of big brother government only serve to turn potential into disaster.

A great system WHEN not overwhelmed by corruption. (like our system is right now)

Its great, its our system, and its the american dream.

Needs a second-look and serious reform. Capitalism is responsible for a great deal of the mess we are in now.

good that people can earn things, but the lure of greed is too much

This is where I stand after experiencing both this and the socialism with equal share of my life. Unfortunately, I moved from the right place for me to the wrong country.

I don't necessarily agree with Capitalism...you get goods from overseas that are dangers or poisonious.

Im for it.

I think capitalism is good, as long as monopolies are somewhat kept in check. But a few well enforced trustbusting laws should take care of this. Other than that, I think competition generally makes products and services better, and if there is proper competition, it can help keep prices reasonable.

Capitalism works very well, as long as it's active with the right set of circumstances. This is the only way to ensure competition which gives us better products, and helps to balance supply and demand. Put out quality, you make more money, you can afford better quality for yourself. It's pretty simple really.

It works everytime. We are more and more working our way away from it though. If Osama Obama wins or the "Hildabeast" it may be gone forever!

It boils down to personal responsibility, you get out what you put in.  The sad stories are touching. Ann_Hells says; "DO YOU THINK IT'S FUNNY that children die because they were born into poor families?"  If your poor, would you bring kids into this world so they can be poor too?? If communism is what you want...Kim Jong Il would love to have you.

You don't realize what you have, until somebody takes it away from you.

capitalism has definitely endured for a long time. income inequality world wide has decreased, but not exponentially. the rich get richer and reap the rewards, while those who aren't of a certain income level see very little to nothing for their labours. corporate monsters run out the so-called little people who may end up migrating into the corporate fold, or left in the dust. it saddens me and frightens me. as long as greed and self-interest remain a driving force behind capitalism, then the abyss between the haves and the have nots will endure.

Modern capitalism especially as practiced the last few decades in the USA and now in Europe is a disgrace. The disparity of wealth between top and bottom is immoral.

George Soros, for example, is the example of everything that is wrong with capitalism. He must have a crackerjack set of bodyguards to keep alive. He has ruined so many lives!

It's interesting to see comments here that compare capitalism vs. socialism are based only on freedom of choice.  If the thinking is that freedom of choice is the only merit, well, that thinking is flawed.  Profit-making balance is a more important factor in a society's success or failure.

Capitalism means simply the right to make a profit, in a money-based system.  That means that farmers grow good wheat and can afford quality heathcare, and doctors practice good medicine, and can afford quality wheat.  It's a great system!  Socialism means even distribution - that's all.  It's a refugee camp; a high level of functioning is not necessary.  Capitalism is not just about having choices per se.  It's about the motivation to contribute to create a balanced and prosperous society.  It's about the chance to excel as individuals and as a society.

Capitalism would deserve five stars, but I took one off for the fatal flaw:  no controls.  No controls means imbalance can run rampant.  What?  You say the definition of capitalism didn't mean it had to be without fairness checks and balances?  Well, I think you're right.  It just looks like that part wasn't factored in, so now we have a big mess.

If you think of Capitalism as a see-saw, if everyone is making about the same profit, the see-saw keeps generating balanced movement and good economics for one and all runs like a well-oiled engine.  If one individual jacks up prices (gouging) the see-saw stops.  Then we have, instead of a minor blip or tick in the system, a complete failure.

Price controls are the answer.  You think that's not fair?  Right again, it wouldn't be fair unless there were highly scientific ways to determine fair prices to ensure everyone gains and has enough profit to keep the system going.  Adjustments would be constant with changing factors like supply and demand.  Don't think of it as an infringement of freedom; it's more like preventing infringement on your rights - to have medical care, to own a home, to earn a decent income.

For good measure, once that check was in place, if you're still with me, how about getting rid of scams and products that break down?  I want some of those lightbulbs my Grandpa had that lasted for years.  I want some of that fresh ice cream, too, and a big old house.  I want good stuff.  It's my right - and yours, too. 

Capitalism is a marvelously efficient economic system. It functions by appealing to that most basic of human instincts, self-interest, or, more properly, greed. It provides incentives for hard work and innovation, but also for dishonesty, immorality, ruthlessness, and corruption, as amply demonstrated not only recently by the Enrons and WorldComs, but by the meat packers depicted in The Jungle in 1906. Thus it needs strict and constant regulation to curb its natural tendencies, in order to protect the larger society.

Tempered of its worst excesses by a bit of regulation, it seems to produce the freest, most productive, most exciting, and generally happiest societies on earth.  Getting the balance right between regulation and free markets isn't so easy, but it's a work in progress.

My rating for capitalism is not based on a single aspect of the system. First of all, capitalism is not just an economic system but is instead a complete social system as a whole because of the underlying principals that make it up. Capitalism is a belief that is based on the ideology of NEGATIVE LIBERTY which is the kind of liberty that says you can do what you want as long as it doesn't harm others. The underlying beliefs that make up negative liberty are beliefs that state that humans are a rational, thinking, and conscience being; whereas socialism, communism, and so-called “progressivism”, the positive liberty beliefs that make much of the opposition, believe that humans are not rational or not thinking beings, but instead mindless animals that follow basic instincts. This is why socialism rejects most religion. most religions, like Christianity, believe that humans are rational beings. In Ayn Rand books, although she is atheist, she always has the positive liberty, socialist, characters that always talk about how humans are mindless or just plain evil (the “intellectuals” at Hank Rearden's anniversary in Atlas Shrugged or Elsworth Touee in Fountainhead). Capitalism is the system that best allows for freedom. If you want a simple reason it is this: you can make a Socialist or Communist city or commune in a capitalist country but try making a capitalist city in a socialist or communist country and you will be in jail that night. The United States is not a capitalist country, or at least not in a long time, because people fear freedom to do what they want and they fear freedom to think most of all since they feel that, without big Brother, they will make this country fall into an abyss of darkness because of their animal selves. The true enemies of capitalism are those that don't want to think, don't want others to have the right to think, and they are the people that feel that humans are no different than dogs. There is one exception to the above claim, and that is the fascists. The fascist believe that humans are rational, especially the clerical fascists, but they feel that humans, in their greed, do things that can harm others an therefore must not be able to become too powerful and harm too many: that is the point of the corporate state. True fascists believe that you should have the right to think for yourself which makes it at odds with positive liberty. Positive liberty, on the other hand, thinks that liberty exists when smarter ones think for you (you ever wonder why socialists want to take away freedoms if the freedoms go against them like the freedom to think about other races/genders/nationalities how you choose or the freedom to have a gun or the FREEDOM TO LIFE YOUR LIFE HOW YOU WISH TO AND RAISE YOUR CHILDREN HOW YOU CHOOSE.). - that is all i have to say and i am well aware that you all probably hate me!

"The only trouble with capitalism is capitalists. They are too damn greedy." -Herbert Hoover

Capitalism is no worse or better then Communism- both systems create unequal social environments for the common person. Capitalism in the USA is the extreme- where even health care is sorted out based on profit- how horrible! The value of any society is how they treat citizens needs- with such basics as health care- in the USA? Nope- Having universal/affordable health care is not socialist- its humane and decent. One has to remember that the USA was the last representative democracy to have unemployment insurance, social security and Medicare for the disabled and elderly. The so called greatest nation on earth rewards the strong, the aggressive and the slimy- but leaves the weaker on the highway like road kill.

in economics there are three different types of economies, free (most capitalist) mixed (capitalist with some socialism) and command (communism). i believe a mixed economy is best. capitalism gives ambition and comepetion, but socialism looks after the interests of the people. what is a country without its people.

I cant fault no body for trying to get that paper, but I prefer a democracy. Why should one group get all the money?? Everybody should be a democracy like us, thats why we the best, we the champs, we have to freedoms, the privilege to say, do, feel, touch whatever we want.

Only works if there is strict regulation.

A free market is a good thing, but certain products/services are natural monopolies that need government oversight to prevent abuse. Also, cartels and trusts need to be regulated to prevent exploitation and a stale economy. Pollution is an externality that isn't properly accounted for in the private sector, so there must be laws to take the costs of pollution into account. That said to me "capitalism" is simply a description of economic freedom, so it is a good thing in my mind.

The product of time and effort is the energy of any economic system and without the system to distribute this energy evenly you get corruption and poverty. Without the system there is no trade of products and services and if there is a system but it fails to do it's job correctly you get energy gathering in places where it shouldn't and areas where the energy is non-existant. There is no such thing as perfect but to create something for an imperfect being, well, that's pretty damn close. All we need now is the system that evenly distributes goods and services to all parts of the system evenly but before we do that we need to get rid of those ignorant dumbasses that cling to conformity and the false sense of security with their failing systems. Unfortunately they create imbalance in this society and the only way to restore order is chaos. Our system is so imbalanced that if chaos finally came we would all likely die...

[Sorry, I keep thinking of better ways to express my views and changing this.] The basic concept of Capitalism is great but the concept and what it has become I see as two different things. Here there is an ever-growing gap between the rich and the poor; and the middle class, once the indication of the success of capitalism, is rapidly eroding. There are so many unprecedented things happening in the world that have lead to confusion, desperation and, oftentimes, moral decay. That decay is at the root of things like the Enron scandal and so many more, less famous but still devasting, situations in which people suffer economic crises. There are reasons for all this and there are answers out there but we must detach ourselves from all our preconceived ideas and earnestly search for them. "A tempest, unprecedented in its violence, unpredictable in its course, catastrophic in its immediate effects, unimaginably glorious in its ultimate consequences, is at present sweeping the face of the earth. Its driving power is remorselessly gaining in range and momentum. Its cleansing force, however much undetected, is increasing with every passing day. Humanity, gripped in the clutches of its devastating power, is smitten by the evidences of its resistless fury. It can neither perceive its origin, nor probe its significance, nor discern its outcome. Bewildered, agonized and helpless, it watches this great and mighty wind of God invading the remotest and fairest regions of the earth, rocking its foundations, deranging its equilibrium, sundering its nations, disrupting the homes of its peoples, wasting its cities, driving into exile its kings, pulling down its bulwarks, uprooting its institutions, dimming its light, and harrowing up the souls of its inhabitants." Shoghi Effendi, The Promised Day is Come

Attention Marxist: There is no such thing as a "Citizen of the World". I repeat, there are no world citizens. Citizenship is a legal status bequeathed by governments. You don't have world citizenship because there is no such thing to have. However, if you can prove me wrong, I will be happy to make a retraction. Please just let me know where one can obtain a World Citizen passport and which countries will issue you a visa upon presentation of this documentation. Also, what exactly are the benefits accorded to world citizens? Is there some sort of medical plan or dental coverage that world citizens receive? How about old age or retirement benefits? The reality of the situation is that "Citizen of the World" is just a liberal bulls--- term that means I'm about to do or say something that is contrary to the best interests of my country. You have as much chance of being a "world citizen" as I have of playing center for the New Jersey Nets. Specifically, none at all. And your post on this subject is not anymore convincing than the first two times you put it on the board. Please stop insulting the RIA readership with your little Orwellian games.

Capitalism is really great!! I love it!! If you don't like capitalism then I think you're a real jerk. So, "Hey Jerk, get out of America you communist idiot."

Places social responsibility on faceless corporations with no morals, no feelings and no real accountability thus leaving the true monsters (behind the corporation) guiltless and unaccountable as well. The main argument for capitalism is that it rewards "hard work", the exact opposite of what it really does; true hard work is penalized while selfishness, greed, underhandedness, dishonesty and climbing over other people to get to the top is rewarded. Getting a start in the capitalist world requires already having money or lucking out with a good idea (that turns into a good "product") or chance windfall. The only thing that fuels capitalism is that the middle-classes (which are large in number and have an equally large political voice) feel that they do well out of it, the problem being that that feeling is a comfortable illusion fed by the upper-class capitalist rulers who are running the whole show. (And no, I don't think the other extreme is the way to go either. Long live Social Democracy!)

DO YOU THINK IT'S FUNNY that children die because they were born into poor families? Because they couldn't afford health insurance or heat in the winter or a roof over their heads? A child can't choose what family they are born into. If you are pro-capitalism atten an inner city school and THEN talk to me. CAPITALISM IN GENOCIDE OF THE LOWER CLASS.

State enforced social darwinism. Absolutely without spiritually or morally redeeming value.

Capitalism is the best system in the world. Examples: Look at Britan when they socialized medicine they lost a lot of dentist and now their teeth are horrible. Communism is corrupt if you don't think so read Animal Farm. Capitalism inspires people to work for better jobs. We need to stop giving out free money, if they're on welfare then we should have them building things like what FDR did in the 1930's he was a true Democrat not one of these pansies now. Capatailism is the best economic system in the world if you don't like it move to Cuba.

aok

If you were born in a communist country, as I was, you would love capitalism, as I do.

I'm only 15 years old and don't have a very good grasp on economics but in terms of capitalism I know it has it's flaws. First of all is the Lorenz curve, this basically depicts that the richest in our economy hold most of the nations money rather than equal distribution, which you would probably only see in a communist economy, so you decide for yourself whether it is a flaw or not. Also, probably unrelated but it seems the jobs that do the least to help us out usually end up paying their workers the most (actors, athletes). Some may disagree that they don't really do anything but I would have to say they ultimately don't. Capitalism has its benefits though, where else can you find a singing deer that you can hang up on the wall for your own enjoyment or eat at KFC as much as you please? Most people enjoy earning their money themselves according to their input into the society rather than being taken care of buy the government. Capitalism does have its flaws but no one can really be upset by the rights to free enterprise and such. In terms of history we know for sure it has the advantage over all other ideologies.

The best economic system in the world! Long live capitalism and free enterprise!

Capitalism is the single most negative impact on our society, both economically and socially. It creates large wealth gaps, outsources workers and destroys small businesses from which this country was built on.

I want to get rich dammit! I want to introduce surchages for your public transport dammit! To increase my personal wealth dammit! To screw personal investors and shareholders dammit! You can't do anything dammit! Because everything's privatised I'm not obliged to you dammit! Wow, the joys of capitalism never end. I love it when my socialist friends tell me to screw capitalism on their lovely new top-notch Nokia phone.

Pure 100% Capitalism is evil and soulless. However, the individual can counter that by his own unlimited good deeds.

Capatilism is all about greed! The reason why there are 25,000 people dying in africa every day is due to the inequality of wealth among countries due to capitalism. In America most people spend thousands on unessential products such as TVs and cars while the poor souls in Africa starve because they don't have a mere dollar for a days food. Captalism keeps the poor poor and the rich rich. Why do the poor allow this to happen, as poverty is mostly confined to other continents so there is nothing they can do about it and the people who are in the continents as captalist rulers are too greedy to act as they are fed the american dream that some day tey may be rich. The solution to the worlds problems? Communism! but look what happened to Cuba :(

I give this a solid 4 stars based upon how incredibly productive a system it is and because virtually, there are no real alternatives that work better and allow for maximum human freedom. Capitalism is not the perfect economic system by any means - for no system is. There are boom and bust cycles, unemployment, recessions, depressions (occassionally), inflation, stagnation as well as periods of rapid growth. But look at the alternatives (fascism, communism, anarchism, etc)and it is essentially all downhill from here.

As I understand it, capitalism is based on the idea of individuals and businesses being free to pursue economic wealth and being encouraged to acquire as much wealth as possible. Clearly this is a good thing for a society, as this drive, this push, leads to products and services that improve our lives. However, the dark side of capitalism is expressed in situations like Enron, Worldcom, Martha Stewart, back up 2nd basemen for the Brewers making more money than the President, even our highly partisan political process. In other words, economic priorities can some times get out of whack in a capitalist society. Also, the pursuit of wealth can take priority over other worthy societal pursuits, i.e., environment, art, equality and justice for those at the bottom. I favor the more European version of capitalism, where govt has a little tighter control over some industries and procedures, and where the populace has a greater appreciation for things in life other than how fat their wallets are.

Good and bad, I'm for everyone making money and providing for their families but we should share more and realize money isn't everything.