Capitalism is the best system to live under, no question in my mind. But like every system it's prone to being distorted by the power hungry and the greedy. Greediness in Capitalism is worse than other systems. Yes, it should be cheered and we should be thankful to live under it. But almost every single capitalist company, dreams of becoming a monopoly, which is illegal for good reason.
In the Citizen United case where it was declared that corporations are citizens and have the same rights, I would say they certainly don't act like very good citizens, or neighbors - they sell us things that make us sick, and then want to get off just by making up an excuse. Our good friends in the auto industry knowingly and intentionally have built and continued to build cars they knew had defects that could, and did, kill people. Why were they let off without a trial or even a charge for murder?
Capitalism has become overly corrupt, though it's still the best to live under. If laws were upheld and were used to stop some of the things that are regularly exploited buy our good citizen neighbors, the "Big Corporations", and start making them be more responsible and considerate of more than just money and power, it would be a supreme system. But in capitalism that's never going to happen again, because the greediest always rise to the top.
I have a sincere hope that Capitalism is self regulating. The whole concept needs all three legs to stand on, and when one gets out of balance the theory is that the other two will eventually reel in the third. I would say that if it is not so, the world population (and indeed the world itself) are in for a rocky ride.
Greed is akin to the most dreadful cancers. Once it gets a foothold there is little that can stop it. Sure, it's as old as humanity itself, but our system seems to be losing all semblance of respectability, honesty and sincerity. It's almost like the once deplored snake oil salesmen have become the new model for success in many vocations and businesses.
Economic self regulation becomes overburdened and mostly ineffective when the 'self' doing the regulating is consumed by greed. Greed doesn't motivate or inspire people to do honorable things, it inspires them to do underhanded, sneaky, and corrupt things.
The General Motors case, which I alluded to, with the ignition problem leading executives covered up for the simple reason that it would hurt their bottom line, was cold-blooded, premeditated murder. Yet no one was charged as such. And why? Because of how greed has infiltrated every niche in government and the courts, as well as in business and banking. Our elected officials are totally consumed by it. How do people earning a couple hundred thousand a year, living in one of the most expensive cities on earth, end up with a net worth of 77 million dollars for example? We refuse to see it for what it is for some unexplainable reason. We ignore that it's a sure sign of corruption in Washington, yet we never dig in to do something about it. We know we're defeated, so we might as well accept it. And that attitude is what threatens us most, here in the undisputed world capital of capitalism.
Yeah. Just yes, I agree.
When Honda was found to have 'mislaid' the air bag problem a couple years ago there was some talk of indictments for certain execs in the Company. I think somebody realized that the statute of limitations hadn't run out on the GM execs, so nothing happened.
It stinks. And I do not know the answer.