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Capitalism was bound to grow from the beginnings of simple barter to the globalism monster we have today roaming the earth with greedy hands calling out for more more more. General Motors, the American icon has just folded as has been the path of destruction evident since the economic collapse starting in Wall Street last year.The twin towers while they dominated the New York skyline represented the world trade center, the final palace of capitalism. Look, you have to be realistic and it is now eight years since the tragic event. May the poor souls trapped that day rest in peace. For in their own they were each working in a system they had grown up with and one in which individual skill and imagination could flourish for better or for worse. Capitalism gave freedom and I think that is it's major benefit when compared with a totalitarian system like communism or socialism, which necessitate control by the government.

Other pros of capitalism, and I also think this equally important, is that it provides lots of work for people willing to work in a free enterprise system. Without the employer you would not have the employees and some of these corporations become like families to the workers. A General Motors union rep spoke in these terms just last night about how the workers he represented felt. This feeling of a family company can grow depending on the benevolence of the employer. My great uncle who ran Bell's Scotch whiskey in Perth Scotland, having taken it over from his father Arthur Bell, actually built houses for all his workers and gave them at a nominal rent to help. So the family aspect as opposed to the state run aspect is certainly in favor of capitalism. Inherent in the capitalism notion is the fact that free enterprise is open ended and open to new ideas and inventions and above all the growth of people's imaginations. When you live in a free enterprise country that embraces capitalism the sky is your limit as to how far you can develop you business. It's exciting stuff and has been the reason in the past for many defections from communist states where individual creativity is put down. But look at the former communist countries now with the advent of capitalism. They will pass the original founders soon so much do the people like it compared with the former system of censorship.

Now some cons or drawbacks. The first one is obvious and has caused the economic crisis we are now all experiencing . Because there is a bench mark for capitalism, and in this case it was America, then every country connected in some way to the American dollar follows in collapse or recession, with a domino effect scenario spreading round the world. What caused the calamity? Greed and that is what can happen when a board of directors with no government regulation make unscrupulous decisions to fill their pockets. Why it is absolutely criminal what some C.E.O.'S walk away with now, even though their companies go into receivership. Another drawback from the employees point of view is that he or she is not protected by the state and can be sacked, although that is what unions are for, to protect against the power of employers. Capitalism is a system where shareholders create some companies and are always given preference over workers when a company folds. The shareholders govern and yet they are not directly on the shop floor, so to speak. Overall, capitalism is the sort of system that Helium has grown from, and look at the free expression and pleasure this company is giving people.

Learn more about this author, Jishi Santos.
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