The theory goes like this: capitalism combines with consumerism and advertising to make us sad, lonely, and forever chasing after material goods. So we consume endlessly and the Machiavellian capitalists reap the rewards. It's not a great theory.
It is highly unlikely that Woke Big Business on its own can turn the US into a totalitarian society. Historically speaking, business policies have followed the lead of governments, not the other way around. The state remains the real threat.
The negative consequences of expansionary monetary policies take a while to show up, but Deutsche Bank's collapse may be the first sign of failure.
Competition for wealth and social status was hardly created by the capitalist system. People have always competed for these things. Thanks to capitalism, though, this competition is now less violent, and true poverty is easier to avoid.
The fact that the most conservative investors are being forced to purchase bonds of nearly bankrupt companies for virtually no yield is not a success of monetary policy nor a tool for growth.
As prices have risen, domestic demand for steel has fallen, meaning steel producers are laying off workers as consumers pay more.
People use the marketplace to deliver what others need and want. Environmentalism, on the other hand, is built around denying human needs.
In June, year-over-year growth in the money supply was at 1.98 percent. That was down slightly from May's rate of 2.10 percent, and was well down from June 2018's rate of 4.30 percent.
Rather than pay his campaign workers more out of his personal wealth, Bernie Sanders is cutting employee hours and scaling back campaign events — thus illustrating how minimum wage hikes are a problem for workers.
People buy things that reflect their value systems — values learned in homes and other non-market institutions. Meanwhile, markets don't force anyone to buy anything.
