Capitalism

"The merchants will manage the better, the more they are left free to manage for themselves"

Thomas Jefferson

It's difficult to discuss any of the isms without generalizing in the extreme. The common ones that come to mind and perhaps all of them, have in common the one reality of dependence upon a hierarchy. A government, or other political body is at the top, meddling in the name of constituencies that would rather not be meddled with. Given this shelter from reality, most isms gravitate toward giganticism and monoplolism. Not healthy, except for the gigantic monopolies and even for them, only in the short term.

And yet in the face of this, capitalism has proven itself as a builder of wealth, creator of innovation and a dream machine that is the envy of the world.

There is no force on the face of the earth equal to the desire of man to work in his own best interests. The price of dreams is consumerism and we pay that price in many currencies, from double-wage earner families to the cons…