Capitalism

The Zero-Sum Myth Driving Anti-Capitalism Politics

Yes, capitalism can cause some problems. It's also the only thing that works.

John Stossel | 5.13.2026 3:55 PM

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Young people now blame capitalism for poverty, racism, high prices, even climate change.

They listen to people like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D–N.Y.), who says, "Capitalism…is the absolute pursuit of profit at all human, environmental, and social cost. That is not a redeemable system."

Give me a break.

Yes, capitalism is often ugly. It brings out greed in some, exacerbates wealth differences, creates pollution (creating an actual need for government regulation, which capitalism funds), and leaves some people behind.

But nothing else works! Nothing else makes life better for most people, including the poor!

"Capitalism is moral, precisely because success comes from meeting the needs and wants of others," says Steve Forbes of Forbes magazine. "Higher standard of living comes from trading, buying, and selling with one another. Everybody gets something from a transaction."

Everybody,........

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