After all it's made billions rich by historical standards, delivered incredible innovations and the foundation for our current astounding level of peace and prosperity. No really I mean that - there have never been fewer wars killing fewer people and the average and median income in this world is many multiples of what it was everywhere until oh, 1825. Yet people will cheer socialism, environmentalism, googleism, you name it but capitalism doesn't get respect.
Now I nicked this question from Jonah Goldberg so I could answer it because he botched the job. I believe "Capitalism" is unpopular because the concept capitalism was in fact invented by Marx to be the antithesis of Marxian Nowheresville - I mean utopia. Its an ism and all isms stink because they are ideologies - made up mental Disneylands where people who don't do much build fantasy systems in the sky. Capitalism is just the bad word attached to real life - what happens when people are left alone.
The Founding Father's original language for the Declaration of Independence said it better. Jefferson said our goal is to secure for each of us: Life, Liberty and Property. If those are secure, then 'capitalism' the naughty fartfigneugen of a German Marxist word is what happens. Reality is not an ideology - and capitalism for want of a better word is what happens when free, secure people get to do what they want.
Which is pretty damn cool even if the word is afartfigneugen.
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