Capitalism? Whats that?

Capitalism is a term that has been the subject of ongoing debate among scholars, with no clear consensus on its precise definition or how it should be used as a historical category. Some define capitalism as a system based on private ownership of the means of production, while others argue that it is defined by the existence of wage labor and markets. Despite this lack of agreement on a precise definition, most scholars agree that capitalism involves the creation of goods or services for profit in a market economy, with prices and wages determined by supply and demand.

Capitalism has been applied to a variety of historical cases, varying in time, geography, politics, and culture. Some of the most common forms of capitalism include free-market capitalism, mercantilism, social market economy, state capitalism, corporate capitalism, and mixed economy.

Free-market capitalism is based on the idea of a free-price system, where supply and demand are allowed to reach their point of equilibrium without government interventions. In a free-market capitalist system, productive enterprises are privately owned, and the role of the state is limited to protecting property rights.

Mercantilism, on the other hand, is a nationalist form of early capitalism that ties national business interests to state interests. Under mercantilism, the state apparatus is utilized to advance national business interests abroad, with the belief that the wealth of a nation is increased through a positive balance of trade with other nations.

A social market economy is a nominally free-market system where the government intervention in price formation is kept to a minimum. However, the state provides moderate to extensive provision of social security, unemployment benefits, and recognition of labor rights through national collective bargaining schemes. The social market is based on private ownership of businesses.

State capitalism consists of state ownership of profit-seeking enterprises that operate in a capitalist manner in a market economy. Examples include corporatized government agencies or partial state-ownership of shares in publicly listed firms. The term state capitalism has also been used to refer to an economy consisting mainly of private enterprises that are subjected to comprehensive national economic planning by the government, wherein the state intervenes in the economy to protect specific capitalist businesses (although this is usually referred to as state monopoly capitalism or corporate capitalism). Many socialists and anti-Stalinist leftists argue that the Soviet Union was state capitalist instead of socialist since the state owned all the means of production, functioned as an enormous corporation, and exploited the working class.

Corporate capitalism is a free or mixed-market characterized by the dominance of hierarchical, bureaucratic corporations, which are legally required to pursue profit. State monopoly capitalism refers to a form of corporate capitalism where the state is used to benefit, protect from competition, and promote the interests of dominant or established corporations.

Finally, a mixed economy is a largely market-based economy consisting of both public ownership and private ownership of the means of production. In practice, a mixed economy will be heavily slanted toward one extreme, with most capitalist economies defined as “mixed economies” to some degree, characterized by the dominance of private ownership.

Despite the different forms of capitalism, the reality of capitalism in practice is often different from its idealized form. For example, the Federal Reserve System, which is a “private” bank, controls the money supply in the United States, making decisions without the permission of Congress or the President. This creates a rigged market that is not equal, as one “private” party controls all the money.

The Occupy movement and Anonymous protests have been misdirected to end capitalism, which is not the correct target of focus. It is crucial for people not to throw capitalism into one category and instead pick up a dictionary to learn more about its different forms. The confusion surrounding capitalism is being pushed by the powers that be to maintain their control over the economy and further their own interests.

Agorists, on the other hand, believe that the ideal form of capitalism is one where individuals are free to trade goods and services in a truly free market, with no interference from the state. Agorism is a strategy of creating a new society within the shell of the old, by engaging in counter-economic activities that operate outside of the state’s control.

In this sense, agorism offers a solution to the problems associated with the current capitalist system, such as state intervention and collusion between corporations and the state. By creating a new, truly free market based on voluntary exchange, agorists aim to create a society where individuals are free to trade without interference from the state and entrepreneurs are free to compete and innovate without fear of government intervention.

Most scholars agree that capitalism involves the creation of goods or services for profit in a market economy, with prices and wages determined by supply and demand. Despite the different forms of capitalism, the reality of capitalism in practice is often different from its idealized form, with the state wielding enormous power and influence over the economy. Agorists advocate for a system of free market anarchism, or anarcho-capitalism, where all economic transactions are voluntary and based on mutual consent, and engage in counter-economic activities to create a new society based on the principles of free market anarchism.