The basic problem with capitalism is that it relies on a fiction (I’d even call it a fairy tale) that there is some independently created thing called “capital” (i.e., money) to which certain people, by their virtue, have access.

It fails to recognize that the cause of all wealth—the thing that creates the capital in the first place—is labor. Things move to a better place because of the labor of people. Nothing is created by capital.

Capitalism allows, and outright encourages, those who invest capital to skim off the labor of another in order to enrich themselves.

Further, our tax system in many ways gives preference to this activity, which is exactly backwards. A person making money through capital is stealing it from the laborer, and is taxed far less on that enrichment than what is left to the laborer.

If gains from capital were taxed at the same rate and in the same manner as gains from labor, well, let’s just say that the cost of universal health care (as an example) wouldn’t pose a problem.

Jeff Bezos’s wealth has increased by $74 billion in the past year. Practically all of that is from capital gains. Practically none of that is taxed (because he hasn’t “realized” those gains by selling the stock).

Elon Musk has seen his wealth increase by $76 billion. Just take those increases and tax them at an income tax equivalent rate (let’s say 33%), and from those two men, you’d have $50 billion to use to make things better for everyone. And that’s just by taxing two people.

I can only assume that the reason people don’t find this absolutely outrageous is that they are ignorant of it.