Why is "capitalism" such a crappy word?

[kentuck]

Is it because of its greedy little nature?

Or is it because of its total indifference to humanity?

Or is it its total lack of respect and compassion?

Or perhaps it is its burning stench as it invades our oxygen and seeps tears from our eyes?

Which of these traits would lead someone to defend such a dastardly activity?

Or perhaps there are redeeming qualities we have over-looked?

[LostInAnomie]

1. "Capitalist" and "Capitalism" were originally coined to be insults...

... for people that made a fetish of wealth. Enough scum bags finally embraced it though that the meaning went away.

[eridani]

13. Not really. Capitalism has a very precise definition

A capitalist makes money from the ownership of the means of production and giving laborers less than the full value of their labor.

[LostInAnomie]

14. Most people agree that Marx coined the word "Capitalism" as a pejorative...

... in his book Das Kapital for what he saw as a economic system that fethishized the accumulation of capital.

[eridani]

16. He coined it as a precise description of the relationship between workers

--and thw owners of the means of production. Though it is currently often used as a synonym for "asswipe," that usage is historically inaccurate.

[lutherj]

2. Capitalism is a giant machine designed to transfer the wealth

of the hard-working many into the hands of the corrupt, spiritually dead, and ungrateful few.

[IDFbunny]

3. The machinery of Capitalism

is lubricated by the blood of the worker!

[Hello_Kitty]

4. Who the fuck unrec'd this?

Are the corporate lobbyist trolls working overtime tonight? :shrug:

[kentuck]

5. Must have been a "capitalist"?

:-)

[obamahasmyheart]

6. Capitalism sucks...

I'm all for people having personal choice over civil liberties, but when it comes to economic choices, compassion and human rights call for redistribution of wealth regardless of whether anyone thinks it's "aggressive" or "coercive."

[provis99]

7. "capitalism" puts the emphasis on what is important.

To the rich, capital (money and stuff) is important, while labor and people are not. Maybe we should move to an economic system based on "laborism" or "humanism" rather than worshiping greenbacks.

[kentuck]

8. The best way to control the greed of capitalism without destroying it ..

is thru our tax system and our elected representatives. Otherwise, it will screw us royally.

[blindpig]

9. Can't be done

and it's not like it hasn't been tried. The economic power of the capitalists is the ultimate arbitrator and they ain't gonna just go away.

The fate of the New Deal says it all, they will begin the dismantling of Social Security soon enough.

[Selatius]

11. That's not possible without a public funding mechanism for elections.

Otherwise, the wealthiest capitalists will simply game the system at the expense of poorer laborers and poorer capitalists.

Sadly, given the trajectory of the Supreme Court as far as granting corporations ever more powers, including protection of the First Amendment, it may come down to passing a constitutional amendment to curtail the Supreme Court from granting ever more power to corporations and to declare that publicly funded elections are a fundamental right.

Barring that, we may have to accept a future where the whole system collapses in order to rebuild anew. All empires eventually fall. It's just a matter of where we go after the fall.

[lame54]

10. to capitalize - to take advantage - to exploit a situation

[Vidar]

12. K&R

[EmeraldCityGrl]

15. Capitalism was a good time while it lasted

It has devolved into a Plutocracy.

[AllentownJake]

17. It will destroy the United States

Right now we have locust Capitalism where it devours everything in site.

[bridgit]

18. If representative democracy *is* our distinctive doctrine, when did capital become an ism?