--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The trouble with capitalism as a system…" description: "\"The trouble with capitalism as a system is that only those who have or can get capital can make it work for them, and that leaves out damn near all of ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/24e/molly-ivins-1296_capital_the-trouble-with-capitalism-as-a-system_503442.png" --- # The trouble with capitalism as a system is that only those… ![“The trouble with capitalism as a system is that only those who have or can get capital can make it work for them, and that leaves out damn near all of us.” quote by Molly Ivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/24e/molly-ivins-1296_capital_the-trouble-with-capitalism-as-a-system_503442.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/24e/molly-ivins-1296_capital_the-trouble-with-capitalism-as-a-system_503442.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/24e/molly-ivins-1296_capital_the-trouble-with-capitalism-as-a-system_503442.png) > “The trouble with capitalism as a system is that only those who have or can get capital can make it work for them, and that leaves out damn near all of us.” [Molly Ivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-ivins/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Capitalism benefits those with capital, excluding most people from its advantages. **In simple terms:** Only the wealthy can make capitalism work for them. Key Takeaway Recognize systemic inequality. Themes economics inequality politics Mood critical analytical Type political social commentary When to use this quote - policy debate - activism - education reform - community organizing Key Concepts capitalism distribution of wealth social stratification Questions to Reflect On - How can we redesign systems to be more inclusive? - What alternatives exist to mitigate wealth gaps? A Different Perspective Capitalism can also foster innovation and social mobility for some. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Capital](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capital/) [Capitalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capitalism/) [Economics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economics/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [Capitalism without capital is just an ism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-jackson/capitalism-without-capital-is-just-an-ism/) [Jesse Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-jackson/) > [“No other place can so convincingly claim to be the capital of capitalism, the capital of the 20th century and the capital of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-t-jackson/no-other-place-can-so-convincingly-claim-to-be-the-capital-of/) Kenneth T. Jackson > [Things own you. That's the trouble with capitalism. Things own you. With communism and fascism - ideas own you. One idea and you can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-capra/things-own-you-that-s-the-trouble-with-capitalism-things-own-you-with/) [Frank Capra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-capra/) > [The highest use of capital is not to make more money, but to make money do more for the betterment of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ford/the-highest-use-of-capital-is-not-to-make-more-money-but-to-make/) [Henry Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ford/) > [The only trouble with capitalism is capitalists - they are too damn greedy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/the-only-trouble-with-capitalism-is-capitalists-they-are-too-damn/) [Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/) > [If you bail out every investment bank that gets in trouble, that's not capitalism, that's socialism for the rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rogers/if-you-bail-out-every-investment-bank-that-gets-in-trouble-that-s-not/) [Jim Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rogers/) > [“The only trouble with capitalism is capitalists; they're too damned greedy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/the-only-trouble-with-capitalism-is-capitalists-they-re-too-damned/) [Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/) > [The whole thing is, really, money makes money. That's the whole thing about capitalism. Without the capital, there is no -ism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/li-lu/the-whole-thing-is-really-money-makes-money-that-s-the-whole-thing/) [Li Lu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/li-lu/) > [I don't like the idea of capitalism anyway. Because it's not capital we are talking about; it's knowledge and creating well-being. 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Try to maintain balance. Don’t make work your whole life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bronnie-ware/don-t-work-too-hard-try-to-maintain-balance-don-t-make-work-your/) [Bronnie Ware](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bronnie-ware/) > [I try to make work about things that matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/i-try-to-make-work-about-things-that-matter/) [Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/) ## More by Molly Ivins > [Preemptive war is what Israel did in '67 with Arab armies on its borders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-ivins/preemptive-war-is-what-israel-did-in-67-with-arab-armies-on-its/) [Molly Ivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-ivins/) > [The idols of one's adolescence tend to endure - you never forget how you worshipped them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-ivins/the-idols-of-one-s-adolescence-tend-to-endure-you-never-forget-how/) [Molly Ivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-ivins/) > [Having breast cancer is massive amounts of no fun,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-ivins/having-breast-cancer-is-massive-amounts-of-no-fun/) [Molly Ivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-ivins/) > [How the American right managed to convince itself that the programs to alleviate poverty are responsible for the consequences of poverty will someday be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-ivins/how-the-american-right-managed-to-convince-itself-that-the-programs/) [Molly Ivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-ivins/) > [To mistake Midland for the volk heartland is the West Texas equivalent of assuming that Greenwich, Connecticut, is Levittown.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-ivins/to-mistake-midland-for-the-volk-heartland-is-the-west-texas/) [Molly Ivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-ivins/) > [I only aim at the powerful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-ivins/i-only-aim-at-the-powerful/) [Molly Ivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-ivins/) > [Even for southerners, Arkansans are amazingly friendly and extend hospitality to all strangers with astonishing openness. You couldn't find a pretension in that state…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-ivins/even-for-southerners-arkansans-are-amazingly-friendly-and-extend/) [Molly Ivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-ivins/) > [It's hard to convince people that you're killing them for their own good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-ivins/it-s-hard-to-convince-people-that-you-re-killing-them-for-their-own/) [Molly Ivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-ivins/) > [the pyramids were built for pharaohs on the happy theory that they could take their stuff with them. Versailles was built for kings on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-ivins/the-pyramids-were-built-for-pharaohs-on-the-happy-theory-that-they/) [Molly Ivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-ivins/) > [Any nation that can survive what we have lately in the way of government, is on the high road to permanent glory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-ivins/any-nation-that-can-survive-what-we-have-lately-in-the-way-of/) [Molly Ivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-ivins/) > [I think provincialism is an endemic characteristic with mankind, I think everybody everywhere is provincial, but it is particularly striking with Texans, and we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-ivins/i-think-provincialism-is-an-endemic-characteristic-with-mankind-i/) [Molly Ivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-ivins/) > [During a recent panel on the numerous failures of American journalism, I proposed that almost all stories about government should begin: “Look out! They're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-ivins/during-a-recent-panel-on-the-numerous-failures-of-american-journalism/) [Molly Ivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-ivins/) > [Naturally, when it comes to voting, we in Texas are accustomed to discerning that fine hair’s-breadth worth of difference that makes one hopeless dipstick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-ivins/naturally-when-it-comes-to-voting-we-in-texas-are-accustomed-to/) [Molly Ivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-ivins/) > [Be outrageous, ridicule the fraidy-cats, rejoice in all the oddities that freedom can produce.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-ivins/be-outrageous-ridicule-the-fraidy-cats-rejoice-in-all-the-oddities/) [Molly Ivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-ivins/) > [Texas is not a civilized place. Texans shoot one another a lot. 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They deprive businesses of oxygen with their support…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amity-shlaes/democrats-who-see-virtue-in-the-estate-tax-are-doing-the-equivalent/) [Amity Shlaes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amity-shlaes/) > [People in private equity complain that they have so much capital and so few places to invest. But you have lots of entrepreneurs trying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-christensen/people-in-private-equity-complain-that-they-have-so-much-capital-and/) [Clayton Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-christensen/) > [I still put punctuation in my texts. 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