Not Just a Capital Idea

Strangely enough even the most important basis of capitalism is now being condemned by those on the right. The basis of Capitalism is the distribution of wealth widely and unevenly among the population. We once used work as capitalism's primary means to distribute wealth. Now income derived from investment is the preferred method. It is given vast preferences in our tax codes. Work has become the poor red-haired stepchild of the Right Wing theory of our times.

 

That is causing an uncommon concentration of wealth in the the hands of the few with large fortunes to invest. Without the broad distribution of wealth Capitalism fails. Read a little history, it will tell you that every time if you are listening. Excessive concentration of wealth is bad for Democracy and Capitalism alike.

 

So the most strident voices you are hearing are selling Autocracy not Democracy or even Capitalism. Maybe they are so angry because they were interrupted on the way to their desired Empire of a few powerful folks running nearly everything. Maybe they are just ignorant enough to believe their own Rhetoric.

 

These new autocracies always seem to stumble over their own excess and fall face first into the muck of their own waste. We have had to clean up their messes every twenty years or so throughout our history. It takes a lot to awaken the people of this nation but they are coming awake now.

 

The latest set of autocrats are now outclassed and outnumbered. Populism will save us from the self-chosen elite who are not dedicated to the will of the people. We pick our own elite here and Tom Delay is not one of them any more, nor is Rush Limbaugh. They still have followers but they are following those men into small historic footnotes that will be imprisoned in unread tomes of the future. That is the fate they have earned and they do deserve it.