What makes capitalism great isn't just the money

I believe what young people who are thinking that capitalism is evil and communism is better don't understand, in addition to the fact that Marxist, Communist and socialist movements killed over 100 million people in the 20th century and that it hasn’t really worked anywhere, is that it’s not just money that makes our country and our system and culture work. In capitalism, it’s the work people do for each other that is valuable, in addition to our free speech and right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

There’s the idea that uneven wealth is evil, but as long as people are free to work, create or not, that is always going to be true. And money isn’t the only sign of success. Success comes in many forms other than money. Some people are not motivated by money. To them, success may come from the ability to serve other people or to create art. In our society and in capitalism, money is not the most important thing.

The most important thing is the work everyone does for each other. If people stopped working, growing food and making stuff, the supply chain would be broken and the food people eat or the stuff they use would all be gone.

This idea was the genius in the last Paycheck Protection Program. While you might say it was a socialist type of program and be nervous about how it affected the national debt, it allowed businesses to stay afloat, pay their employees and keep producing so that our supply chains weren’t impacted as badly. Checks to people don’t matter, if the shelves are all empty at the grocery store, Lowe’s, etc. Wealth that is evenly distributed doesn’t do any good, if the food they make and stuff they produce is all gone. What makes America great is a framework of freedom for individuals to work and to benefit from their work.

Julie Reeder can be reached by email at [email protected].