The ‘Anti-Work’ Facebook Group Shows The Dark Side Of Late-Stage Capitalism, And Here Are 35 Of Its Most Powerful Posts (New Pics)

Reality is rarely (if ever) completely black-and-white. Capitalism, with all of its flaws and the need for reform, isn’t the all-encompassing evil that some think it is. The things that some people blame capitalism for are usually the result of excessive greed and corporatism. It’s capitalism taken to excess that’s the issue, not necessarily the system in and of itself.

Financial expert Rick Orford previously explained to Bored Panda that extreme capitalism and excessive greed are the results of a large enough part of the population being willing to take risks. Too much greed creates widespread problems. However, there are alternatives to capitalism, or rather, ‘softer,’ more humane forms of it.

“Greed is widely accepted to be the reason for the two largest financial crises in the last century; namely 1929 and 2008. It also creates the income inequality that’s largely seen in the United States. Indeed, while everyone, in theory, has an equal opportunity to flourish, the scales seem to tip to those with the most money," financial expert Rick told us during an earlier interview.

“[Capitalism] allows folks like you and me to succeed by creating or investing in businesses. Indeed, one looking to borrow money from the banks today won’t have to pay much for the loan. As such, it encourages growth. However, extreme capitalism creates a scenario where greed overtakes reason, and it risks the financial system," he pointed out that capitalism, when it’s managed fairly, isn’t the main problem.

The financial expert suggested that social democracy, aka socialism, could be a good alternative to capitalism. Social democracies tax their citizens more than capitalistic systems, but the payoff is that more people have easy, free (or cheap) access to services that are deemed vital.

"Citizens are given services such as free and (easily) accessible healthcare, child care, social welfare, etc. Conversely, highly capitalistic societies charge for these services, making it incredibly challenging for the poor," Rick explained.

The expert also noted that capitalism gives everyone the opportunity to grow and flourish. What’s more, he said that there’s a misconception that the wealthy are always making a profit: business owners take big risks and can suffer financial setbacks, not just victories. The issue, however, is that some major corporations begin influencing the general public, and how they think.

“Today, the news is largely distributed by some of the largest American corporations: Google, Facebook, and Twitter. Think Brexit or the 2016 American Presidential election,” he said that small companies have to compete with multinational corporations with a lot of power. Not everyone has the kind of capital necessary to make it big.

“Those [products] with the best quality, price, customer service, or combination (of at least two) often do well. Increasingly, however, those who are willing to spend more at the beginning are seeing both extreme gains and losses. Famously, Amazon and Tesla, for example, have spent hundreds of millions of investors’ dollars before ever making a cent," the expert told Bored Panda.