Great article. Agree with everything you said except capitalism always leading to authoritarianism. Honestly, I don’t think it’s worse in that regard to any other system in potential for abuse. I believe all government systems must be kept in check by some means or they go off the rails. I can agree that unchecked and unbridled capitalism will lead to authoritarianism.
Also, American capitalism is not a pure capitalist system anymore as it has been corrupted against it’s natural cycles by government regulations, stimulus, subsidies, and erosion of consumer protections. It’s become predatory. Example, the fossil fuel industry. We can go round and round about what comes first — the chicken or the egg — but ultimately it took advantage of a vicious feed forward loop due to insufficient checks and balances. The same thing would have happened under communism, a technocratic system, a monarchy, a theocracy, an oligarchy, and even pure socialism.
Socialist countries tend to fall into corruption, excess, and failure. But Democratic socialism (like Australia) seems to do well. Very well in fact. Right now, Democratic socialist countries are among the best countries to be in and have the most advanced human rights on the planet.
But that may not always be the case if, as Democratic socialists, you fail to keep your economy and government in check. Like we failed. Your American Democratic Republican neighbors let the ‘Democratic’ part of that slip through our fingers. We’re trying to grasp it back. Maybe we’ll be successful. I hope so as I truly believe truly representative Democratic Republics focused on the will and benefit of the people is one of if not the best options for government out there.
As for the rest of everyone out there, the (attributed) words of Thomas Jefferson or Mad-Eye Moody come into play:
‘The price of freedom is constant vigilence.’
And also Baron John Acton:
“Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
Keep a weather eye on your power structures and anyone who has power. All of them. They will all turn to corruption and rot if allowed to.
