Author: The Crown of Tokamak
The existence of something called "capitalism" is debatable; how can something that likely doesn't exist at all be said to perish?
The reality is that there is no universally accepted clear definition of "capitalism." If you ask four leftists what "capitalism" is, they can provide at least five different explanations, and these explanations often conflict with one another. Leftists may even engage in fierce disputes over whose explanation is the most authoritative and correct.
No so-called "capitalist country" has ever claimed to practice "capitalism," nor has any ideological faction ever referred to itself as "capitalist."
The term "capitalism" is practically used by leftists as a catch-all for everything they disapprove of; it is a label they apply to others, rather than a reflection of the essence of those things. The differences between "capitalist countries" can be greater than the differences between humans and dogs; their economic models are diverse, their social structures are entirely different, their policy directions are at odds, their ideologies vary widely, and their historical trajectories are unique.
In the mouths of leftists, the oil princes of the Middle East are capitalism, the high taxes and welfare of Northern Europe are capitalism, Japan's clusters of small and medium enterprises are capitalism, America's large trusts are capitalism, South Korea's controlled economy is capitalism, Singapore's free trade is capitalism, Germany's conservative financial model is capitalism, France's usurious banking syndicates are capitalism, Australia's dual economy of finance and mining is capitalism, Italy's design-led manufacturing is capitalism, India's small vendor groups are capitalism, and Southeast Asia's family business model is capitalism.
In short, everything can be capitalism; anything that doesn't suit their taste is capitalism.
Isn't this linguistic corruption?
Such a complex social existence cannot be summarized or defined by just one or two terms.
You label all these things with the same tag, calling it capitalism, and then lament loudly why capitalism hasn't perished yet. Isn't that akin to cursing others to death every day?
Is this the level you operate at?
The term "capitalism" was originally coined by British novelist William Makepeace Thackeray, who first used it to describe and satirize a state of having dominion and ownership over substantial assets in his novels, rather than referring to a specific social system. In simpler terms, it is akin to saying "having a mine at home." When Thackeray first introduced the term "capitalism," the closest Chinese phrases to his original intent were actually "unfeeling towards the rich" and "flattering the powerful."
Thackeray's works leaned towards critical realism, and as a failed businessman who experienced the harshness of society, his satire was sharp and incisive, resonating with many who were dissatisfied with the social conditions of his time. Thus, the term spread to express discontent with society, a practice that was gradually adopted by the European political discourse, leading to the generalization of the term "capitalism."
Initially, "capitalism" in European political discourse specifically referred to an economic model where capital assets are privately owned and labor is organized through employment relationships. Later, in the debates within European political circles, the term was infinitely extended and expanded, evolving from describing a mode of production to describing an entire economic system, then from describing an economic system to describing a political structure, and further from a political structure to summarizing a social model, ultimately generalizing to encompass forms of civilization, even reaching the heights of human flaws. The end result was that it became a catch-all term for everything.
Once the term was appropriated by leftists, its scope became uncontrollably rampant. Initially, leftists labeled all social realities they opposed as capitalism, then labeled all political views they disagreed with as capitalism, and later labeled all individuals who opposed them as capitalism. Eventually, they labeled anyone who had reservations when supporting them as capitalism, and during internal purges, anyone deemed insufficiently loyal was also labeled capitalism. In the end, everyone except themselves was labeled as capitalism, fighting in the heart of the enemy.
The famous Bolshevik theorist and early Soviet elder Bukharin was designated by Stalin as a spy for capitalist countries, while Stalin himself was accused by Trotsky's followers of accumulating industry in a capitalist manner. Kautsky, who helped write the scriptures for the leftists, was elevated to the status of a capitalist, and the various social democratic parties in Europe, which were like brothers to the Bolsheviks, were also seen as capitalism. During the period of leveling and adjustment, a farmer raising a few chickens, ducks, or fish at home was also labeled as capitalism's tail. If overseas Chinese relatives returned home and brought two fruit candies wrapped in cellophane, that was capitalism. Teresa Teng's songs were capitalism, Hong Kong and Taiwan videotapes were capitalism, cassette tapes and bell-bottom pants were capitalism, handwritten novels were capitalism, black market trading of foreign cigarettes was capitalism, making your own salt to eat was capitalism, biscuits with little deer printed on them were capitalism, making a few flower wreaths from paper to sell for funerals was capitalism. For a while, even picking a few wildflowers from the roadside to bring home and put in a vase was considered a capitalist lifestyle.
I bet if you dug up Jurassic fossils, leftists would find traces of capitalism.
Capitalism can be said to encompass everything, covering all of human civilization.
In this context, how can capitalism perish?
If this "capitalism" were to perish, would there still be human civilization?
Thus, the conclusion is clear: when a term is used to describe everything, it actually describes nothing at all. There is fundamentally no such thing as "capitalism." The so-called "capitalism" is merely a label leftists place on everything they disapprove of, a term created during their scramble for discourse power, a tool for factional strife.
As long as they wave this flag, leftists can act without restraint, with no taboos; they can seize grain in the countryside, enclose land for their own use, implement urban-rural caste systems, ban strikes, prohibit commerce, disrupt transportation, engage in terrorism, conduct secret police operations, establish a garrison state, and if elections don't go their way, they can surround the polling places. In any case, they can do anything, as everything they do is supposedly in opposition to the "great demon" of capitalism, right? Anyone who opposes what they do stands with this great demon, and if they stand with the demon, they are certainly not human and must be expelled from humanity, fought against, and disgraced.
The confidence in their path is overwhelming.
From this perspective, the term "capitalism" is very similar to the term "White Army" during the Russian Civil War. The Bolsheviks labeled all armed forces opposing them as the White Army, assuming they were all of the same ilk. In reality, the "White Army" was composed of a diverse array of groups: republicans, constitutionalists, local militias, bandits, military usurpers, separatists, nationalists, and even the Bolsheviks' own brothers, the Mensheviks. There were also the Czechoslovak Legion, who wanted nothing to do with Russian affairs and just wanted to get back home on their broken trains, and the Polish forces who only wanted to guard the railways and hitch a ride home with the Czechoslovak Legion.
Capitalism is the same; anyone who disagrees with leftist political, economic, and social views gets labeled with the capitalist label. As for what these opponents think, whether they are of the same ilk, their differences, their positions, views, and measures—none of that matters. What matters is that I am leftist, leftism is right, therefore I am right. Anyone who opposes me is capitalism, and capitalism is bad, so anyone who opposes me is bad.
Thus, leftists weep and wail, angrily denouncing the restoration of capitalism and lamenting why capitalism hasn't perished yet; this attitude is truly comical.
The left's ancestor once said: If there is a profit of twenty percent, capital will stir; if there is a profit of fifty percent, capital will take risks; if there is a profit of one hundred percent, capital will dare to risk the gallows; if there is a profit of three hundred percent, capital will dare to trample all laws of humanity.
He said this too early, for he had not seen his disciples and descendants. His disciples and descendants can disregard coins and demand to trample all of humanity.