by Matthew Zipple

Created on: October 27, 2009   Last Updated: October 28, 2009

When considering whether capitalism and the free market are the best economic systems for our nation, all we have to do is examine our current economic position. Over the last 30 years, ever since the inauguration of one Ronald Reagan, the nation has flourished economically, with massive increases in wealth and per capita income. But this economic growth has been built on nothing!

Allow me to explain, through the borrowing and lending of enormous amounts of money by banks and other financial institutions, growth in the immediate time period has been made possible. Due to a positive global economy and minimal government regulation, this immediate time period has drawn on and on, until recently, as we have seen the collapse of our economic system in recent years.

This collapse is the direct result of the ideals of capitalism. Over the past thirty years, story upon story of our economic skyscraper have been built, but we have forgotten to install the first floor, hoping that our building will learn to float indefinitely, or at least that we are no longer standing beneath it when it drops to the ground.

After reading this essay thus far, you may be asking the obvious question, "If not capitalism, then what?" If I were to answer this question with any sort of socialist suggestion, I would be immediately shot down, rejected by the eurocentric audience that I am most likely writing for. So I will not suggest socialism, at least not yet. The common argument against socialism is one of example.

According to popular belief, we need only to look at the failures and social injustice of modern day China and Cuba, and the recently destroyed Soviet Union in order to see the obvious flaws in socialism. But these governments are not examples of properly practiced socialism. All of these modern day examples are the result of greed, and lust for power that lead to the eventual oppression of all non-government members of society.

Yet in a properly practicing socialist state, greed would be non-existent. Rather, those in power would lead by honest and ethical example. Another problem in these societies is the eventual development of a dictator, who is practically irremovable from office. Yet this need not occur in a unified socialist America. The democratic election of a leader could still be possible in a socialized country. This may seem contradictory, but it doesn't have to be.

The concept of "leadership for the greater good" is still practical with a single adapation to the

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