The biggest criticism of the capitalist or free market economy is that it causes homelessness and despair. There is no provision or systematic importance given to caring for all people, so that is left to charities and empathetic individuals. Inevitably this guarantees a fairly sizable class of homeless and destitute people that cannot lift themselves out of misery and despair. Even if one person manages to muster the super human effort to escape this ultimate poverty, the structure of the system guarantees that there will always be a large lower class of unfortunate "under achievers" living in poverty. This is a statistical certainty. It also guarantees the existence another group of totally destitute and desperate homeless people.
The greatest praise of capitalism and the free market economy is the splendid lifestyle that the successful achievers have created with their access to wealth and a good career. The material goods, clothing, a house, automobiles, vacation travel, education, a diversity of entertainments are all important. The modern diet, access to modern medicine, and the possibility of a long healthy life are also mentioned favorably.
Which scenario do you suppose carries more moral weight and presents a stronger social argument:
1. The self satisfied enjoyment of selfish pleasures, or
2. The empathetic understanding that great numbers of people are condemned to ill health, misery, and even death in the streets?
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copyright (c) 2018
William Schaeffer
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