CAPITALISM
energy of the world has rushed into the immediate production of something, no matter what, and no matter at what cost. And yet our present system is defended on the ground that it safeguards progress!
It cannot be said that our present economic system is any more successful in regard to the other three objects which ought to be aimed at. Among the many obvious evils of capitalism and the wage system, none are more glaring than that they encourage predatory instincts, that they allow economic injustice, and that they give great scope to the tyranny of the employer.
As to predatory instincts, we may say, broadly speaking, that in a state of nature there would be two ways of acquiring riches one by production, the other by robbery. Under our existing system, although what is recognized as robbery
46
