My parents instilled a good work ethic in me when I was young. They encouraged us kids to work mowing lawns and other jobs. I became a capitalist at an early age, appreciating the monetary rewards and taking pride in funding a good chunk of my higher education.

I still favor the capitalism model but fear that it’s unbalanced and in jeopardy. While people deserve to be rewarded for their risk and hard work, there needs to be balance in the control of resources. Resources are money, minerals and lobbying influence, to name a few. To have one entity or individual control too many resources disrupts the free and fair flow of resources. Excessive control will crowd out startups, limit the introduction of new ideas and eliminate funds from the tax base.

How does one rebalance the capitalist system without unduly punishing anyone? Without a fair way to have those using the resources support the replenishment of infrastructure, capitalism gets a black eye. Measures to reach this goal include an creating equitable tax system, limiting campaign/lobbyist spending, creating of a medical system that affords more secure coverage and reducing the national debt. 

In order for capitalism to survive, we need to keep the excesses in check and thus ensure incentives to prosper are available for more people, especially the next generations.

Peter Wellman
York