On the American Capitalist Redefining the heartless exploiter Justin Hartfield
"The first requisite of a good citizen in this republic of ours is that he shall be able and willing to pull his own weight." - Theodore Roosevelt
They say the first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem.
"Hello, my name is Justin and I'm a Capitalist."
The Capitalist has been taking a proverbial beating since the Reagan administration. What was once the cornerstone of the "American Way" is now viewed by some as a relic; an outdated economic system fluttering in the European trade winds of change. Its critics maintain that it is savage and unsympathetic to the needs of this country's impoverished citizens. They feel it is the governments responsibility to protect its citizens from poor decision-making. They feel that collectively, by eliminating the extremely rich and extremely poor, our citizenry would be content (if not happy) and not yearn for more. In essence, our government would then be complete, and most other matters regarding to the State would be trivial.
"Probably the greatest harm done by vast wealth is the harm that we of moderate means do ourselves when we let the vices of envy and hatred enter deep into our own natures." - Theodore Roosevelt
So it follows, they reason, that Capitalism is linked with a lack of compassion. Surely if you have more than you need (need defined as water, food, and protection from cold) you have an unwritten social responsibility to give back to your less fortunate countrymen. Excessive wealth is the scourge of the Socialist. But it is not the equality they distaste; it is jealousy. For the most part, Socialists are envious of the wealth bestowed on some Capitalists. They feel that economic inequality is unfair, and they want everyone to share - even if that means forcibly.
The Socialist often claims that the Capitalist has no regard for his less fortunate peers. In fact, the Socialist points out, that the Capitalist wishes for poverty because then he is better able to control his labor (credit Marx) both financially and literally. All in all, the Capitalist is a perceived as a pretty selfish dude.
Even the word Capitalist has negative connotations. It evokes the feelings of a cold, emotionless monster whose sole aim is obtaining massive amounts of wealth while marching upon the discarded carcasses of his friends and partners to reach his golden throne. Money first, people second.
Thankfully, those aren't the facts.
In the US, the traditional factory management-labor model in which Marx was envisioning in Das Kapital simply does not exist in present day. Government regulations on employee hours, wage minimums, breaks, vacation days, child labor, working conditions and the like have made factory work a much less sinister task as it was in 1867.
In addition, the new US business model is one of high-level creative design and not that of mass producing trinkets for public consumption. The new American business is exemplified in TiVo, Apple, and Digg.com- not assembly line items like cars, toys, or even agriculture. The new breed of business focuses on high-level concepts and innovation.
Indeed, the new American Capitalist is a unifier of classes. They work to improve the quality of life for the average American, while helping themselves in the process. It is quite the opposite of the selfish pursuit of wealth that the Socialists ridicule. Rather, it is empowering yourself first, then helping those around you empower themselves.
The new age Capitalist finds mutual ground in which the parties on either ends of the deal both benefit, equally. Instead of hoarding their money, they literally give it away. Bill Gates recently donated $5 billion dollars to stop the spread of Malaria. Warren Buffett just gave away $37 billion to charity. When's the last time you've heard about Castro giving away a couple of his millions to support a foreign country?
The Second Enlightenment is upon us, and its all thanks to those greedy little selfish bastards known as the Capitalists.
Carl Barks, creator of the famous cartoon character Scrooge McDuck summed up his beliefs on Scrooge and his relationship with Capitalism:
"They say that wealthy people like the Vanderbilts and Rockefellers are sinful because they accumulated fortunes by exploiting the poor. I feel that everybody should be able to rise as high as they can or want to, provided they don't kill anybody or actually oppress other people on the way up. A little exploitation is something you come by in nature. We see it in the pecking order of animals—everybody has to be exploited or to exploit someone else to a certain extent. I don't resent those things."
