Has Capitalism Come To An End In America.

Today we continue with Part II of a series on the subject of the end of capitalism in America.  I hope that you will continue to follow as the subject is presented and will offer comments on the subject as well.

As  stated before highlighted sections are excerpts from a book by Thomas G. Reed, The Fallen Eagle.



 Part II-- The History and Philosophy of Socialism:

Karl Marx, the 19th century economist, and his man-centered philosophies of socialism (and communism) are the major contributors to the dramatic change in capitalism. Marx’s  writings were little read during his lifetime but yet exploded in the the 20th century’s most catastrophic phenomenon. His ideas clashed with predominant capitalist order but depending on the type of government, authoritarian or democratic, confrontations would either be violent and disruptive or settled quickly and peacefully. 

Reed states in his book:

Socialist take advantage of democratic freedoms to peacefully transfer capitalism’s blessing to the politically active masses through a “democratic revolution.”  Marx argued that democratic republics would be transformed into “dictatorships of the proletariat” by the numerical superiority of the working class. Workers would wrest political control from capitalist, thereby transforming the state into socialism.

In exchange for freedom , the state would offer security and economic equality. Since wealth belongs to everyone in society more or less equally, benefits would be offered to all, regardless of their job status. Ideally the state-supported system would evolve upward until the nation experienced utopian bliss; blessings would be accorded to one and all with absolutely no help from the Christian God.

Marx had no problem with a preeminent state or a defiled man because to him, there was no God in whom man could trust or to whom he should be subservient. Marx was convinced that man projected his ideals onto supernatural beings and actually created gods in his mind. He felt that the unfulfilled human desires for humane, just and loving relationships materialized as characteristics of the gods which man perceived as independent beings.  Marx believed this would be corrected by creating conditions in which these desires could be fulfilled. He believed that the man-made product, be it God or money, assumed ascendancy over man. The reason behind this was the belief that man does not act as a free agent but reacts to external stimuli. Man is a product of his environment and especially his economic environment. How many times have we heard these words from those on the left. It has become their motto to blame all the conduct and ills of the criminal on “economic environment” and demand that more be done to correct this situation. In other words, take from the producer and give to the non-producer in order to improve his economic environment and with this done all the crime and criminal activities will cease. To Marx the evils of the world are not the result of man’s sinful nature but are products of institutions whose removal would bring happiness. The primary institution of evil to Marx and to those on  the left was and is private enterprise as it exists under capitalism.

Paradoxically, Marx viewed capitalism as evil but necessary in the evolutionary process.  In Marx ideal world Capitalism’s powerful forces of production would be turned into vehicles of social reform as they financed socialist human development projects and allowed man the leisure to develop his own creative potential. He believed however that the benefits derived from capitalism could not be fully realized as long as production and distribution capabilities were privately owned. He contended that the owners stole profits from the workers and that all profit motives must be eliminated altogether. He believed that once private ownership of business was replaced with public (social) ownership was achieved then capitalism would disappear. Of course we know that “public” should be translated as “government” as , in socialism, the state assumes ownership or control of previously privately owned institutions. 

In the past two years we have seen Marx ideas played out before our very eyes with the seizing of auto manufacturing, banks, and insurance companies, all in the name of “salvation” of those institutions who were “too big to fail”. But was it for that reason?  How far we have come, and now the questions posed is how and why.

Next: The Uniting of Enemies But Not By Choice.

Has Capitalism Come To An End In America.

In this series of writings I hope to guide the readers through this question by presenting historical background and then by exploring how two opposite ideologies have merged, discussing what is wrong with capitalism then finally deciding if capitalism is dead in America. Feel free to offer opinions , ideas, background and such as this series progresses.  I hope you find it to be stimulating and educational as well.

The parts highlighted are excerpts from a book by Thomas G. Reed, The Fallen Eagle.



Part I. History and Philosophy of Capitalism

“Capitalism is an economic model in which all or most of the production and distribution capabilities are privately or stockholder corporately (not state) owned. It is based on the premise that man will pursue a path that enhances his own self interest. It is fueled by ambition, enterprise, invention, and self sacrifice. It capitalizes on man’s natural desire to improve and to reap the rewards of superior talent, energy or skills.”

Some form of capitalism has existed from the early days of the Egyptians until the fall of the Roman Empire at which time it basically ceased to exist during the era known as the Dark Ages. Feudalism and a strict social class society disabled and inhibited any desire to move forward.

Until the 18th century most industrial production was small, privately owned workshops.  Then came the Industrial Revolution which concentrated production into the hands of a few wealthy capitalist, the independent factory owners. At the same time powerful landlords were driving small business farmers out of business and into the towns and cities where they became a source of cheap labor. Workers with no land or means of production were forced to sell their labor in order to survive. Capitalism, with heavy investments in equipment and human labor, merged the two into producing marriage of man and machine.

During those years government took the “laissez-faire” policy. Private enterprise was characterized by unobstructed competition among independent and unsubsidized businesses. They operated under the premise that competition would bring success to the most efficient producers and at that time Government agreed.

Influencing the Industrial Revolution as much as anything were the revolutionary ideas born in the “Renaissance and the Protestant Reformation.

The Renaissance was characterized by humanist thought that regarded life as an end in itself. This contrasted the medieval belief that life was a short testing period determining whether the soul would be saved or destroyed after death. Contrary to Biblical precepts, this humanist outlook stressed the desirability of material advancement and improved living conditions.

The Protestant Reformation introduced, amid predominant social doctrine, several ideas that complemented humanism's fleshly appeal that was prevalent during the Renaissance. Most noted were the teachings of John Calvin. He “legalized” the collection of interest on loaned money, encouraged savings and stimulated a materialist drive among Protestants by interpreting “predestination” in such a way that made business success appear to be a mark of God’s favor.

By Calvin’s standards, God blessed the 18th and 19th century capitalist. This is shown by the facts that business owners often grew rich, and those who sold their labor to growing companies also prospered as the standard of living in industrialized countries generally increased duiring the period. Banking and investment banking blossomed in response to the insatiable appetite for new capital.  An thus it continued to grow into the 20th Century.

In 1929 the bubble burst. The stock market crashed and the Great Depression which followed took capitalism to it’s knees.  After eleven years of despair it struggled back to it’s feet but was forever altered to alleviate the misery of it’s “Victims”.  (Under FDR) Capitalism was saddled with the responsibility of securing both the present and prospective needs of every member of society, whether they belonged to the economic structure or not. Social, or state managed, capitalism evolved and swept over the world of heretofore free economics. Recent economic crises have greatly accelerated the demise of capitalism at the hands of it’s arch enemy—Socialism.

Next:  Socialism, the history and philosophy

I Will Never Forget!

 On this special day set aside for our Veterans I want to take the opportunity to say a special thanks to some special folks. I know there are more that I should have included but this by no means is a slight to any who served.


To those who served this country, I salute you.

To my Uncle D.P., North Africa campaign, Sicily, Italy Campaign, Invasion of Normandy, captured at Argonne Forest  and spent the rest of the war as a POW. He was released in 1945, after the war was over. I salute you!

To my former Father in law, now deceased, Milton (Mutt) Boaz) 101st Airborne, Invasion of Normandy,  captured at the Battle of the Bulge. and was POW for over 6 months.  I salute you!

To my recently deceased Father in law,  Rudy Mathis who was at the Battle of the Bulge as well as the Invasion of Normandy receipient of the Bronze Star.  I salute you.

To my Dad, Ross T. Williams, now deceased 70th Coastal Artillery, Pacific, I salute you.

To those of my high school class and friends as well as my college class who paid the ultimate sacrifice I salute you.  (These listed are but a few)

JOHNSON CITY, TENNESSEE:
CPL JAMES DAVID BOWERS	CPT ALVIN KLASON BROYLES Jr	SP4 GARY ALLEN CURTIS
SP4 LARRY GENE CURTIS	SP4 DANNY MAX ERWIN	CPT EUGENE DELANO FRANKLIN
SGT CHARLES HARTSELL GOBBLE	PSGT WILLIAM LEONARD GREENWELL	PFC JOHN ALVIN HARLAN
PFC KENNETH LEE HINNANT	SGT KENNETH RAY HODGE	PFC DOYLE HOLCOMB
PFC ARNOLD BRYAN JACKSON	SP4 CECIL BEN JONES Jr	PFC ANDREW MARTIN LARSON
PFC JAMES HARVEY LEDFORD	SSG LARRY JEROME LYONS	SP4 BENNIE EUGENE Mc CORKLE
LCPL LARRY DAYTON MILHORN	1LT FULTON BEVERLY MOORE III	MAJ BILLY JOE NAVE
MAJ HOMER LEFTERAGE PEASE	SGT MICHAEL DEAN RIDDLE	2LT ALLEN TEBBS ROGERS Jr
SGT MARVIN SHELL	CPL THOMAS DEAN SNYDER	1LT HARRY RAY STEWART
SSG THOMAS WILLIAM TRUELOVE	CPT GORDON O DELL WALSH	LCPL JOHN EDWARD WEST Jr
PFC DORSEY BURWIN WILLIAMS	LCPL HAROLD WENDELL WILSON	PFC EARNEST LYNN WITT
JONESBORO, TENNESSEE:
PFC HAROLD GENE AYERS	SSGT JAMES EDGAR BOWMAN	SGT CHARLES JESSE FORD
PFC ROBERT GENTRY HODGES	CPL JAMES EDWARD HYLMON	SP4 RAY MORGAN KEITH JONES
SP4 HAROLD B KING	MAJ EDDIE B STORY	SSGT LOUIS ROBERT TAYLOR

To those of my high school class and college class who served, fought, bled and damn near died, I salute you.

To those of you who are serving today and are standing in the gap for all of us who no longer can serve, I salute you.

To those who bear the scars , both physically and mentally of those times past and battles you wish you could forget, I salute you.

To my friend and fellow blogger, Mustang, I salute you.
And to the rest of my fellow blogger who served, I salute you.
To my friend Dean Tucker, "tunnel rat" Viet Nam, I salute you.


I thank each of you for the service to our country.

May God Bless our Troops and May God Bless America, not only on just this special day set aside for Veterans, but everyday of the year.  I salute you!