Capitalism has nothing to do with the free market. By which I mean that it has nothing to do either for or against the free market. Monopolies, state or private, may be defined as less efficient forms of capitalism, but they are forms of capitalism. And conversely, freedom only makes capitalism more efficient as it makes every other aspect and area of society more efficient.

The reason why Hermann Cain is an idiot is nothing to do with capitalism as such. It is that when there is no work there is no work, and no amount of positive thinking can make it otherwise. It is as bad, as sick, and as depraved, as to blame your lack of positive thinking for the fact that you are dying of cancer. My own business is going down the tubes at present, because less companies want stuff translated - especially to and from Italian - and also because some people are stupid enough to use computer translation instead of the real thing. I will have to apply for unemployment again, but if anyone tells me that it's my own fault - or the fault of any of the other translators who are similarly getting shafted - I promise I will react violently. Cain, as a member of the director class, has no right to say anything on the matter; his kind will never be unemployed and know nothing of it.