Taking a swing at capitalism

Over the course of the last few years (at more than 30 years now, the term is relative), I have come to what seems to me to be a somewhat revolutionary idea*: that Capitalism is almost as bad an idea as Communism.

Note the capital 'C'.

When I was younger, and communism was the dastardly menace of the world, I actually spent some time thinking about the implications of the idea.  Or at least what's behind the idealistic take on the idea:.  To each to their ability,  to each their needs.

When you spend some time thinking about it (as we were without doubt discouraged to do), it makes some sense.  We're all worthwhile humans, right?  Administering a city and cleaning it may matter equally to the furtherment of the human race.

My realization at a young age was: there's no way that human nature can accommodate this system.  Not only is the city administrater going to feel more worthwhile than the cleaner, so, likely, will the cleaner.  Not to mention the engineer, or the plumber or the...

OK, so (and why this didn't occur to Marx is beyond me), communism is bunk.  Which makes capitalism the unarguably best system, right?  The invisible hand, the rags to riches Hollywood stories...

Ah, but that damned human nature again...  Capitalism is all about the free flow of money, the reward of industriousness.  Undoubtedly a better system.  BUT.  This *also* assumes behaviors of humans that are just not natural.   How else can you explain Enron?  WorldCom?  The 1980's Savings and Loan scandal?  Leave humans alone at the controls, and who are they going to look out for first: 'humanity', or 'me and mine'?

Just as Communism is a bad idea, so is Capitalism.  It hasn't been until recently that I could distill why I am a proud Independent.  I do not believe in communism.  It's a pipe dream.  However, for very similar reasons, I cannot believe in Capitalism.  Unfortunately, this leads to a nuanced view: somewhere inbetween the two the real answer lies. Does the CEO of any company REALLY merit 200x or more the income of the people doing the actual work?  Does a riveter REALLY merit the same pay as the engineer that designed that which is being riveted?

All this leading to the un-amazing realization that we've really got it almost right.  Almost.  I feel like John Lennon.  Imagine.

Egalitarians unite!

* I say 'revolutionary' because questioning our blunder in Iraq is considered "unpatriotic" these days, much less questioning the economic assumptions we live by...