It used to be that US capitalists had a certain code of ethics. They actually believed in the good they were doing as captains of industry and though they did not mind getting rich, they adhered to certain business practices that were good for the reputation of the company and their own personal reputation.

Competition was key in enforcing this morality. An immoral company would soon be blackballed by the public and the competitor would get all the business. US Oil companies found a way around that by going into collusion and making all sellers mutually corrupt, fixing prices and giving the customers no alternative - effective stifling competition and creating a de facto monopoly. Same with the tobacco companies who united to addict the masses and preserve their market share at the expense of the public good.

Whenever competion is stripped from capitalism, capitalism becomes mercenarial and assaults the masses much like communism. Wal-mart has written the book on destroying small business for their own gain and impoverishing the people they claim to serve. Playing games with prices to undercut competition in one area while jacking up prices in neighborhoods where the competition had folded up to compensate. A bandit with tempting food in one hand and a dagger in the other. Once you take a bite, you get the knife. As competition disappears the prices go way back up to make up for any loss and the people have few other places to shop for a whole variety of goods.

The screwing over of employees is now acceptable practice. Short-shrifting employees of health insurance, benefits or even the ability to work full time are common in almost every retail industry.

The lessons learned by employees are not good ones. The workforce learns it is expendable and when they assume any position, fall back on this experience and help perpetuate it. Employees work for one company while having their resume on Monsterdotcom to find a better one. They show no loyalty to companies, because too many companies have betrayed their employees. Sinc companies are made of people this creates a whole generation of workers who are mercenarial, rude, foul-mouthed and disloyal.

Capitalism needs competion and morality. It relies on ethics to work. When these are present, capitalism is like the shining sun - bringing life, wealth and collective prosperity to civilization. When these are absent capitalism morphs into a decadent beast more akin to socialism or communism, exploiting the masses and creating a workforce of folks who just don't care and will do anything just to survive. Poverty spreads in one sector and then the next. Less wealth is created and the wealth that is created is isolated into the hands of very few - mostly immoral parasites.

Morality, Ethics and Competition (MEC) are what we need in spades right now. If we are to offset all the drains on American wealth, we need to start right now in refusing to let others taint us - and teach the teens and their siblings the importance of MEC-Capitalism. ;-) We need a generation that will be able to survive the exploitation and rise above it - forming and reforming the coporate world.

It's a tall order - but it means AMERICA's very survival.