tl;dr - true capitalism results in economic singularities and infinite wealth for everyone. that’s why i like capitalism as a leftist.
to get us started, my definition of capitalism is “unregulated competition”.
i ask because… …i really like capitalism. but i’m a leftist.
i am someone who has been called numerous 6 letter words my entire life by people who think i’m a socialist or communist. but i’m really not.
it’s funny really, those calling me a f##### can’t handle real competition. especially at this point in a planetary species’ development. where nimbleness, flexibility and cooperation among economic partners is more profitable than most government intervention. obviously.
government is meant to ensure security, authenticity and veracity of economic claims. not limit markets with patents or unreasonable prohibitions.
i think authentic capitalism is wonderful and the ideal choice for a free society.
That’s called social democracy. At its core, being left means being anticapitalist. Social democracy itself does not reject capitalism, though does regulate it strongly (and rightly so).
One reason people may favour social democracy is that it allows for a market economy, but another for opposition is that this still enables bribery through lobbies, as in all forms of capitalism.
And so I myself (being an ancom) wouldn’t count social democracy as quite being left. But it’s a good introduction for liberals and centrists to eventually get them on board with more thorough democratic socialism.