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No government actually practices capitalism. No government actually practices Communism. It is still the rich ruling the poor, be it via corporate oligarchy, totalitarian dictator, or pharaoh.

If we were truly free market capitalists, there would be no need to bail anyone out. The market would speak, and the companies that were unsustainable would fail. Anheuser Busch wouldn't be campaigning against marijuana, because the free market would be allowed to reign.

What we have is what we have always had. The people at the top control the people who make their money for them. In modern times, they employ methods to control culture and perceptions so that everyone is on their side. It is scary how good they have become at it.

emilysmith wrote:
What we have is what we have always had. The people at the top control the people who make their money for them. In modern times, they employ methods to control culture and perceptions so that everyone is on their side. It is scary how good they have become at it.

There are various forms of capitalism. To go back to adam smith or to ayn rand is an impossiblity. The capitalist market brought the world to a great depression in 1929. And the people had no safety net. We have also various forms of capitalisms since the end of WWII. The nordic countries had the nordic welfare state. But it was still capitalism but with a human face. And the rest of western europe had differing versions of a social democracy. But it still was capitalism. And in america? Survival of the fittest with volunteerism picking up the pieces. But it was still capitalism.

And you were right in your above post. But it is all done with ideology and even though nationalism is another form of a subideology it can be exhibited within various forms of ideologies, if the elite wish it so.