The Republican Party is generally identified with greedy capitalists. The funny thing is that so many ordinary Americans who are low on the greasy pole to monetary elitism have voted for Republicans over the years.  My father was a Republican, voted Republican and, since we spoke very little about not very much I was able to think for myself. I decided that more often than not, when I turned old enough to vote, I voted Democrat. In a real sense I voted against the greed in others and that meant against those with money who wanted the system in place to stay that way because it favored them. One could say that having no money or power when young, I rebelled against my father who had some of each. He had retired from owning a grocery store and was only a small capitalist.

I have often written about how greed motivates ideas that are not very good for most Americans.  To have people obsessed with greed means they only think about themselves and, if others benefit, that is just how it is - but ME comes first. Greed is what rocks the boat for others but is just not good enough for most of us.  We would rather have ambitions for ourselves while having concern for the welfare of all of us rather than ME first - I think.

In NEWSWEEK for June 22, 2009, the entire issue is devoted to writers on the Capitalist system.  Fareed Zakaria is featured on the front cover writing about "The Capitalist Manifesto".  His concern, and that of other writers in this issue, is with the changing of what Capitalism once meant - an outgrowth of the Mercantilist economies of the seventeenth through the nineteenth centuries. This evolved into what we can call Conservatism and the Republican Party today.  Those two terms need explanation and I agree.  They can be condensed to: ME first, freedom from government restraints, States' rights and freedom of producers of capital to just be able to do anything they can - in order to produce a profit.  Condense this even more and you find: the profit motive underlines what is called Conservatism and the Republican Party.

Capitalism is also supposed to involve personal responsibility but personal responsibility is lost in the ME first philosophy that motivates all people in some way or another. ME first avoids responsibility for others and the rewards sought are, of course, money, attention and power.  What the Conservatives and the Republican Party wants is Power. My conclusion is that Capitalism fosters the Me First, or Greed, philosophy and seeks power, not of, to, or from the people, but for a favored few.  Greed's creed is not good on its own and Capitalism has run its course.  My studies of early Socialists were that they wanted economic democracy - not class warfare.  We should study this.  It is the greasy pole all over again.  Those on top want to stay there while the many at the bottom fight each other greedily to rise up.