Capitalism Quote by Ludwig Von Mises
““Nonetheless, many people, and especially intellectuals, passionately loathe capitalism. As they see it, this ghastly mode of society’s economic organization has brought about nothing but mischief and misery. Men were once happy and prosperous in the good old days preceding the Industrial Revolution. Now under capitalism the immense majority are starving paupers ruthlessly exploited by rugged individualists. For these scoundrels nothing counts but their moneyed interests. They do not produce good and really useful things, but only what will yield the highest profits. They poison bodies with alcoholic beverages and tobacco, and souls and minds with tabloids, lascivious books and silly moving pictures. The “ideological superstructure” of capitalism is a literature of decay and degradation, the burlesque show and the art of striptease, the Hollywood pictures and the detective stories.””
About This Quote
Source Book: Human Action by Ludwig von Mises, 1949
Capitalism is criticized for causing suffering, exploitation, and cultural decay, contrasting with perceived past prosperity.
In simple terms: Critique of capitalism’s harms.
Key Takeaway
Question economic systems and values.
Themes
capitalism
exploitation
culture
history
Mood
critical
analytical
Type
political
economic
When to use this quote
- policy debates
- education curricula
- media analysis
- social activism
Key Concepts
economics
social critique
ideology
Questions to Reflect On
- What alternatives address both prosperity and inequality?
- How can we mitigate capitalism’s negative side effects?
A Different Perspective
Capitalism also drives innovation and wealth creation for many.
![“Neither Italian fascism nor German national "socialism" have anything in common with such a [Soviet socialistic] society, primarily because private ownership of factories, plants, lands, banks, means of transportation, etc., remain untouched there, and, therefore, capitalism in Germany and Italy…” quote by Joseph Stalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/411/joseph-stalin-1734_capitalism_neither-italian-fascism-nor-german-natio_1430.jpg)
