We live today in a society that is driven by endless mad consumption and being buried under a mountain of debt as a result. Many people mistaken this to be Capitalism, and therefore they start hating Capitalism for this, but this couldn't be farther from the truth. I would call this debt-driven system that we live in today as Consumerism, and it's pretty much the opposite of Capitalism.
Many people, especially in left circles have been taught to hate Capitalism, because it destroys the environment, exploits the working class, creates wealth inequality, but this is simply not true, and it's just a propaganda.
We don't have Capitalism-ish system since the 1800's, and even that is debatable. Certainly pure capitalism has never existed, there was always a government to taint it and hijack it. The best examples of historical near Capitalism could be the Roman Republic pre Sulla's civil wars , where almost no taxes existed, and maybe the Hanseatic League which made trading and commerce flourish in Europe.
Every time Capitalism started to rise, there was always an envious government around to hijack it and destroy it, because they know that Capitalism creates wealth, and if people become wealthy, they don't need a government anymore.
Capitalism is the worst fear of the government, that is why they always sabotage it and suppress it, or let's just say "regulate it".
Consumerism
Today's system is not Capitalism. That should be obvious to anyone with half a brain. They use the word Capitalism to refer to it, just to hijack the term, but rest assure it's not. What we have now is a corporate/government run consumerist economy.
Here are a few differences between true Capitalism and Consumerism:
Capitalism focuses on capital, investment, creation, innovation, and making people wealthy and satisfying their needs.
Consumerism focuses on endless artificial consumption, becoming a debt-slave, pushing you to buy stuff you don't need because your money gets stolen from you via inflation, if you don't buy fast enough.
Capitalism creates prosperity, although not equally, but everyone will be better off.
Consumerism makes you a poor debt slave that will live from paycheck to paycheck with not assets, no savings, no property. Just a slave.
Capitalism creates new things, and explores the limits of human innovation.
Consumerism is like eating your own foot for dinner, because you are not allowed to produce more but only consume, that is reserved for the corporations through government regulation.
You get the idea, while under consumerism you are just a slave, and the corporations/governments run the show, under real Capitalism you can get a piece of the pie too.
Needless to say the only way Capitalism can exist, if there is no government. Because the two cannot coexist together. A free market can provide everything a government can, more cost-efficiently and with higher quality.
FAQ
Capitalists are greedy people!
Yes, greed is good. Greed is a natural motivation to acquire more resources and build things. It the basic instinct that pushes you to achieve your goals and become successful. Without greed you are just like a debris floating on the ocean, wasting your 1 life you have on this Earth to achieve your dreams, become successful in life, and make the world a better place. Why would you not be greedy?Capitalism exploits the working class!
I'm pretty sure it's not the evil capitalist that is taking 50% of your salary but the evil government. The capitalist provides you with the job. And the job maybe bad, but in a capitalist world there is nothing stopping you from creating your own business and hiring people. If you think you can be a better boss, then do it, and show your example to the world.The means of production should be owned by the people!
No. The means of production should be owned by those that bought it. It always floats to the people who can utilize it most efficiently. It's nothing evil if 1 worker gets paid 1,000$ while the other only 500$, maybe the other worker is a good singer who if gets paid less, will be incentivized to look into his talents, and find better way to utilize them and make money. The price signals are essential, to show to people if they are good or not at the job they are doing. So wage inequality is perfectly ok, it forces people to improve themselves.Private Property is Evil!
If you don't have private property then you are literally a slave. Everyone who advocates for no private property, is essentially advocating for the enslavement of humanity by the people who will distribute it "from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs". The distributors will become your global slavemasters, and they will get to decide who has what.Capitalism destroys the Environment!
A pure Capitalist is all for alternative energy. After all innovation is a key point in this. If fossil fuels create pollution, cause health problems, then it's definitely cheaper for the society to find better methods for energy. As for the trash, people usually not like trash on their property, it's only on the government property that you will find trash and hazardous materials spread around.Capitalists hate the poor!
Capitalism creates huge wealth, and there would be no poor people in a Capitalist society. Poverty in a Capitalism would be like getting struck by lightning, it could happen, but most people will have a very decent living standard if not wealthy.Capitalism will destroy Humanity!
You know it's not your local merchant that has thousands of nukes in his basement pointed at his rival merchant. It's these governments that are constantly threatening the human race with extinction by nuclear war.