Capitalism

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Americans love freedom; we love money; we love capitalism. Capitalism is most definitely an element of dominant culture amongst the citizens of the United States. In American culture it is easy to see that many of our institutions, including public schools, indoctrinate the children whom they serve with a common American idealism: capitalism is good, communism is bad. Being a citizen of the United States and not being a capitalist is verging upon the fringe of an unwritten taboo. If there is one thing that is true: capitalism does work, and the dominant thought of the United States is that it works the best. But is this true? Does capitalism really work the best? In this essay, I will begin by explicitly defining and analyzing capitalism, thereon I will explain how the culture was derived, then describe how it is maintained, and conclusively how capitalism can be subverted.
Capitalism is the economic system that the United States and its Citizens practice and believe in, for the most part. In this economic system wealth and property are owned, accrued, and highly valued by individuals. This economic system is different from others in which a state, community, or tribe owns the capital and decides the means and modes of production and consumerism. Through this system Americans are convinced that monetary gain is a reflection of success. Thus, those members of a capitalist economy who accumulate large amounts of capital are deemed both very respectable and powerful within our society. In the same light, those who remain impoverished are negatively categorized as being either less intelligent, less ambitious, even less moral, or all of the above. The United States is represented as a democracy; however, the inequalities o...

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... benefit. I believe many Americans have the desire for a nation that is more united economically, however they are too afraid that they cannot handle it. Where would be the incentive to work harder, where would be the incentive to be innovative, and where would be the incentive to do anything at all? I believe this may be the reason that capitalism is an element of our dominant culture. We are afraid that ourselves and our country could not live up to the selflessness, and the acceptance of payment beyond monetary gain, that it would take to be a non-capitalistic nation.
Americans love freedom; we love money; we love capitalism. Maybe this statement is not true in its entirety, however is plain to see that capitalism is most definitely an element of dominant American culture. It may not be the best system, but it is a working system, at least for now that is.

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