Dilemma Capitalism

I grew up in a family that was half socialist and half monetarist — both equally convincing world views to an impressionable child. Every Passover, we celebrated the Seders and marked the liberation of oppressed peoples, but we also crossed picket lines during garbage strikes. We tried not to buy fruits and vegetables farmed by exploited labourers, but we were extravagant consumers of cars and shoes. Most importantly, we argued about it all — almost always over dinner. We debated and exchanged our thoughts, children and adults, over how this thing called “the economy” actually worked. Was it fundamentally about extortion and exploitation, or did it really create a trickle-down movement of increased purchasing power? Was it by definition a legitimization of corrupt and usurious power, or was it the best system that self-interest could create?

The debates were thrilling and intense, but we never settled anything around the dining-room table. I yearned for clarity, and...