We've been witnessing the slow, torturous death of capitalism, our long-proven economic system, for more than a generation, with its decline marked by incremental laws and regulations. The presidency of Ronald Reagan briefly impeded this decline in the 1980s, but the advance of socialism resumed under George H.W. Bush, who introduced new taxes despite campaign promises to the contrary. The emerging economic system is a hybrid of socialism and capitalism, with socialism as the dominant partner, accelerating significantly under the Obama administration and even before with the T.A.R.P. bill under George W. Bush, who claimed to scuttle capitalism to save it. This hybrid system has led to trillions of dollars in government debt through bailouts for banks, auto manufacturers, and other sectors, under the guise of economic rescue and job creation, while also redistributing wealth not based on merit but on addressing past wrongs. There are ongoing arguments about capitalism's merits, with some viewing it as a breeding ground for greed and exploitation of the poor. While such abuses occur when capitalism is taken to extremes, resembling a survival-of-the-fittest struggle, it doesn't have to be this way. Capitalism, when bounded by ethical principles, can function effectively, as evidenced by the U.S. per capita GDP growing seventeenfold between 1820 and 1989, from $1,048 to $18,317 annually in real 1985 dollars. Capitalism is rooted in individual ownership of land and the ability to produce and trade goods or services, allowing each person control over their destiny through their labor and talents, choosing their level of work and income within limits. However, in the current hybrid system developing in the United States, wealth, power, and control are increasingly concentrated in the hands of the government, particularly the President. Individual liberties and choices inherent in a capitalist system are rapidly disappearing, as government permission is required for nearly every action, from driving a car to starting a business. The government takes a significant portion of income for redistribution or its projects, with progressive taxation burdening higher earners more heavily. It regulates every aspect of business, from building standards to employment practices, shaping a command-and-control economy that transforms the American way of life into one of subservience to governmental whims in Washington and state capitals.

Richard Ritenbaugh acknowledges that young people display a proclivity to accept socialism, oblivious to the horrendous damage socialist experiments have brought to the world. Politicians of the ilk of Bernie Sanders have fomented hatred toward capitalism by comparing it to an imaginary utopia. Economist Walter Williams insists that the free market, with all its warts, is far superior to collectivism at protecting people from poverty. Poverty is not usually an economic issue but stems from ethical and moral deficits. Socialism simply transfers wealth to the leaders of a government, leaving most of the citizenry in greater poverty. Williams, in his article, "Do These Four Things to Avoid Poverty," suggests that a young person, to keep his nose above poverty or failure, needs to (1.) complete high school, (2.) get a job, (3.) get married before having children, and (4.) be a law-abiding citizen. Poverty is self-caused—not the result of society, bad laws or systemic bigotry. Young people who drop out of school, take drugs, and fornicate set themselves up for failure. The law is no problem for those who obey it, but it will break those who break it, making it difficult to rebound.