Fake Capitalism

Drawn into the stream
Of undefined illusion
Those diamond dreams
They can't disguise the truth
--Level 42

A favorite rhetorical tool of progressives is the positive substitute symbol. Take a concept that people find distasteful, like socialism, and employ words representing concepts that this group views as positive, such as 'America' and 'capitalism,' and you might trick some minds.

Thus a Democratic candidate for president can write a piece proposing that he wants to save 'American capitalism' by instituting various socialist programs and not get laughed off the platform.

Capitalism involves free, unhampered markets of buyers and sellers engaged in voluntary exchange. Property is privately owned. Consumers, not producers, drive the system.

Any proposal that forcibly intervenes in some aspect of this peaceful system is not capitalism. It is fake capitalism. It is socialism.

Do not be fooled by propagandists trying to sneak a positive substitute symbol past you.