Forum Post: U.S. "Capitalism" (I wrote this two years ago)

Democracy, at its heart, is a system that allows the majority of the people (the working class) to govern themselves. It’s an excellent system that blueprinted a wall between the people and the government, securing the people from a potentially dangerous self-centered leader. However, every wall, no matter how great the construction, deteriorates over time. Mold, weather, and animals determine the longevity of a wall, with minor repairs briefly extending its life. The wall constructed by the creation of a democracy and the higher law that it abides by (the United States Constitution) isn’t an exception to the principle of deterioration, it’s merely a fact that nothing lasts forever, and if you stand at a far distance you can see the rough edges and the emerging holes close to the tenuous foundation. Money, economic fallouts, and greedy congressmen are the collapse of the secure wall separating us from a potentially dangerous government. Even the minor bailouts and government take-over’s sprinkled with changing commerce laws can’t repair a wall that has been damaged by the expanding power of the rich given to them by a “free” market called Capitalism.

I’m not some communist radical, and I am completely against complete change of a system that works. During my senior year of high school I was on a government debate team in place of a government class, and I remember arguing for capitalism, because it’s an ideal concept for a people that enjoy a life of choice. Capitalism, as derived from its definition, is actually being followed through in America. However, the capitalism Americans seek, as derived from the founding fathers’ ideals of freedom and a ruling middle class, fails to exist today. Michael Moore’s documentary gave an excellent insight to the corruption of our failed system of capitalism. The only thing that matters is money, and the more money you have the happier you will be, but not everyone can have the money. What happens to those of us that don’t have the money? Power and greed are a dangerous combination, the combination that has taken capitalism down a different road than intended. Ron Paul once said “Capitalism should not be condemned, since we haven't had capitalism.” I couldn’t agree more, the idea of a free market plus a true democracy is the perfect mixture for a country to invest in. A free market that works for the good of a nation is the intention of Capitalism. Moore’s documentary showed the declining middle class, and the growing gap between rich and poor, with the rich putting a stranglehold on capitalism. The intentions of the rich are to become richer, as everyone else gets poorer; quite opposite of working for the good of the nation. This may be capitalism, but it isn’t American capitalism. I often wonder what the founding fathers would think of America today. I don’t think they would appreciate the corruption and destruction of a society based on “…[a] government of the people, by the people, for the people…” (Gettysburg Address). The government has allowed corporate big shots to define capitalism for their benefit, destroying our wall of security piece by piece. When it collapses two things can happen, the working class can rebuild it their way, or the government can rebuild it their way. I’d like to please the founding fathers, and rebuild it our way, the working class people way. Moore made a definitive stand that the majority of us aren’t the “rich”. The majority of us actually have the power, even though it may not seem that way. How we (I am one of the majority) use that power is the very mortar that we will use to rebuild that wall. Capitalism, as it has been practiced, is the destruction of this democracy, and greed is the destruction of capitalism.