It seems like the debate about Capitalism boils down to a more
basic question about what constitutes a good society.For those who feel the ideal society is one where no one is very
bad off, even if achieving this means pulling back the successful
elements of society, Socialism or Communism appears the fairest
system.
For those who feel that the ideal society is one in which the
hard working, successful, and fortunate have the opportunity to
achieve (nearly) anything, at the expense of those unwilling or
unable to work, then Capitalism is the answer.
That said, I often wonder what would happen if some all-powerful
force took all the money in the US and doled it out in equal amounts
to every citizen (this question could apply to other places, it's
just that I'm sticking to the country I know). It seems likely that
not a year later, the overwhelming majority of those who were rich
before would, through intelligence, hard work, and cunning, have
returned to their status.
