Capitalism can and does create opportunities for individuals and corporations to reap profits and other benefits from innovation and invention and free enterprise and competition and all the other aspects of Capitalism that help keep it going.
On the other hand, Capitalism can and does create some negative aspects that we might not readily associate directly with it.
Things like:
-Pollution: Toxic wastes, non-biodegradable packaging, ocean garbage, landfill, and other disposal issues.
-Greed: Individual and corporate; 'profits before people'.
-Economic instability: 'Too big to fail', government bailouts, other similar inequitable stop-gap measures.
-Corruption: Cover-ups, deceit, falsification of info and records, built-in obsolescence, built-in hardware or software secrets, and more.
-Collusion: Government and corporate agreements and measures which place economic and other burdens upon unsuspecting taxpayers.
-Over-taxation: Taxpayers burdened with the costs of mistakes and other negative practices and behaviors of big banks, Wall Street, and others.
-Wars: When Capitalism is 'threatened', wars tend to be more frequent and even more 'acceptable'.
-Exploitation: Capitalism can encourage such things as slavery or similar low-pay, low benefits, practices in an effort to maximize profits.
-Injustices: Capitalism can encourage grossly misdirected, even Constitutionally 'questionable' laws which can lead to incarcerations and other punishments for non-violent 'perps' without reasonable means for adequately defending themselves. In this way, prisons remain mostly full or even overcrowded, and the "for-profit" corrections industry is kept afloat and investors are satisfied.
-Blatantly Inappropriate Lobbying: Many, if not all of our political leaders are frequently lobbied by industries and other institutions with "Big Money" to give to those who will cooperate with their wishes regarding legislation, policies, and other 'government stuff'; leaving the peoples' voice essentially "mute".
-Blatantly Inappropriate Political Campaign Funding: Big Money PAC's and other 'questionable' campaign contribution measures ratchet up political campaign costs that are, indeed, shameful (IMhO).
-Homelessness: When peoples' homes are foreclosed on or otherwise taken from them, many become homeless.
-Poverty: Capitalism can widen the gap between the 'haves' and 'have-nots', and drive the cost of living beyond the reach of many.
-Disease: Capitalism can contribute to the spread of diseases, due to lack of affordable, adequate health care.
-Hatred: Capitalism can contribute to general feelings of dislike and even hatred between those who have and those who do not.
-Immigration Issues: Capitalism can lead to others with less opportunity seeking to become a part of a 'more prosperous existence' (superficially, at least).
-Free Trade: Capitalism can contribute to unexpected, unwanted negativity when corporations pull up roots and move to other countries in an effort to avoid regulations and other restrictions.
-Bullying: Capitalism can lead to what amounts to 'bullying', when mega-corporations and industries and even governments attempt to push profit-driven agendas without regard to cultural, social, economic, environmental, or other issues of civilization.
-Lack of government protections: Capitalism can lead to government agencies becoming overtly and blatantly lacking with regard to how effectively they protect the general population, primarily due to 'Big Money' lobbying and collusion between the agencies and the industries with specific agendas.
-Other: Capitalism can contribute to numerous, similarly negative things, when profits become more important than anything else.
So, what kind of economic system would be better than Capitalism? Communism (as we currently perceive it) certainly has not shown that it is better, even though it might, in principle, be more 'equitable' in some things. We know there are many 'haves' and 'have-nots' in the Communist world, too.
True Communism, of course, is virtually impossible, since human beings are not (yet?) capable of true 'communal' living, I don't think. We have not yet reached the stage of evolution where we all think more about 'greater-good' than we do about our own personal selfish wants and desires.
Perhaps we need a blend of Capitalism, Communism, Socialism, and other economic systems, where we can keep the positives of all of them, and weed out the negatives of them (right...like it's that easy!).
I believe Capitalism will, one day, be replaced by something much more equitable, more sustainable, more 'altruistic'; a more 'greater-good' kind of economic system; though I don't think I'll hold my breath waiting for it, y'know?
Just sayin'...
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