A “capitalist” is someone who makes a living not from their own labor, but from their money, their “capital.” See, that’s why it’s called “capitalism,” and not “laborism,” or “hardworkism.” Interest, dividends, stock sales — not work. If you work for a living — even if it’s intellectual work, and you need that paycheck to live — you are a worker. (Middle class is just a worker with a mortgage.) “Oh, what about the hairdresser on the corner! What about the mechanic down the block!” Well, what about ‘em? If you own a business that you have to work at to make a living, you are an owner/operator, a self-employed worker. Let me say that again: If you own a small business that you have to w...

A “capitalist” is someone who makes a living not from their own labor, but from their money, their “capital.” See, that’s why it’s called “capitalism,” and not “laborism,” or “hardworkism.” Interest, dividends, stock sales — not work. If you work for a living — even if it’s intellectual work, and you need that paycheck to live — you are a worker. (Middle class is just a worker with a mortgage.) “Oh, what about the hairdresser on the corner! What about the mechanic down the block!” Well, what about ‘em? If you own a business that you have to work at to make a living, you are an owner/operator, a self-employed worker. Let me say that again: If you own a small business that you have to work at you are not a capitalist! Sorry to shout, but for some reason people have a hard time with that one. The hairdresser, mechanic and the rest are owner/operators, living on their labor, and if they stop working they fail. Workers.

If, however, their “capital” provides enough financial return for them, they are capitalists.

That’s it.

Most Americans are not capitalists. They might want to be capitalists, but no matter how much you, or that hardworking barista, that well paid techno-nerd, small farmer, or gangsta rapping bank teller may want to be capitalists, you are not capitalists. You are workers.

You probably belong to the class whose income does not cover all its needs, and who rely on public wealth and services to survive. Government-funded roads, police and firefighters, government oversight for clean air, water, and food. Free public schools, libraries, and parks for your kids — all those services that capitalists say don’t work because they haven’t been privatized — all the things and servic...

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Most Americans are not capitalists. They might want to be capitalists, but no matter how much you, or that hardworking barista, that well paid techno-nerd, small farmer, or gangsta rapping bank teller may want to be capitalists, you are not capitalists. You are workers.

You probably belong to the class whose income does not cover all its needs, and who rely on public wealth and services to survive. Government-funded roads, police and firefighters, government oversight for clean air, water, and food. Free public schools, libraries, and parks for your kids — all those services that capitalists say don’t work because they haven’t been privatized — all the things and services we citizens can’t afford by ourselves, so we pool our money in the form of taxes to pay for. Actually, when you think about it, all the wannabe capitalists are living like socialists.

At this point some shiny-toothed twit normally lurches from his barcalounger and snorts “But we’ve never really given real Capitalism a chance!” That’s right, Snuffy. And d’ya know why? Because every time — every time — America starts down an unregulated, pure-capitalism road and lets free-market capitalists get all jiggy wid our economy the whole damn country almost falls apart! Historically the closer we’ve gotten to unregulated capitalism the worse things have gotten, and I, for one, think it would be batshit nuts to let our ship of state hit the easily avoided iceberg of profit-driven stupidity and sink just because crazy old Captain CapitalistPants demands an unfettered chance at...

At this point some shiny-toothed twit normally lurches from his barcalounger and snorts “But we’ve never really given real Capitalism a chance!” That’s right, Snuffy. And d’ya know why? Because every time — every time — America starts down an unregulated, pure-capitalism road and lets free-market capitalists get all jiggy wid our economy the whole damn country almost falls apart! Historically the closer we’ve gotten to unregulated capitalism the worse things have gotten, and I, for one, think it would be batshit nuts to let our ship of state hit the easily avoided iceberg of profit-driven stupidity and sink just because crazy old Captain CapitalistPants demands an unfettered chance at the wheel. Thank goodness our parents and grandparents had the wisdom to save this nation from it’s own