Charity Shows Where Capitalism Fails.

While good, donations are an attempt to paper-over the shortcomings of Capitalist distribution.

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Thank you, and enjoy! - Joe

Photo by Joel Muniz on Unsplash

Now that the holiday season is in the rearview, it’s time to reflect on the annual tradition of charity. I purposefully held off on writing this piece until after the new year, as I don’t want to dissuade anyone from charitable donations. Despite my grievances with how our society relies on charity, individual giving helps impoverished Americans keep a roof over their heads and food on the table.

But while charity is well-intentioned, its existence highlights the intrinsic flaws of our Capitalist system.

Good At Producing, Not Distributing.

If there’s one area in which Capitalism deserves credit, it is in its ability to produce. If you want to buy a car, say the new BMW XM, there are literally thousands of ways you could configure the colors, seat cushions, drive options, tires, and other aesthetics. If you go to any pharmacy or superstore, you’ll find dozens upon dozens of kinds of toothpaste, often with little distinction besides the flavor. There’s no doubt, Capitalism incentivizes production. After all, the more flavors of toothpaste there are to sell, the more profit there will be.

And people say American healthcare is “inaccessible.”

But where Capitalism fails is in its ability to distribute the things it produces. Sure, you can get a DoorDasher or Amazon Prime delivery driver to bring you a hot burrito or a cold Pepsi at any time, but simply walking through a downtown city will lay bare the fact that Capitalism has failed to adequately distribute necessities like homes, food, and healthcare. Figures vary, but an estimated 14% of Americans experience some degree of homelessness in their lifetime. 10.2% of Americans live in a food-insecure household, and up to 43% of working-age adults have inadequate health insurance, meaning they are priced out of even the most basic healthcare.