33 Comments

I love this tremendously informative essay on capitalism. It takes someone growing up without it, to appreciate it. As stated in the article, « It’s easy to take the Ritz Cracker for granted in the current era. After all the progress capitalism has enabled, we often forget how far we’ve come and what it took to make today’s world possible. But instead of looking down at our past, we ought to regard it with gratitude. Finding joy in the little things, as Depression-era consumers found in the Ritz Cracker, is a hallmark of wisdom » Others have lost their lives in search of the freedom I’m grateful for to be able to enjoy today.

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Well said!

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Thank you! Given your history in Cuba, I’m particularly glad you liked this one :)

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An excellent article with a ton of history about crackers, Nabisco and several historical figures I did not know! Three cheers for Ritz Crackers! Hip, Hip, Hooray! They are a personal favorite snack of mine. You are so right Jake that free-market capitalism changed the world for the better forever! Think about feudalism in the Middle Ages. If you were a peasant you would remain a peasant. Your day consisted of back breaking labor for the noble who owned your land and expected a cut of your crop which you had to give him or be thrown in jail. You had no freedoms at all, died young from diseases or injuries we can easily treat today and you’re existence would be brutish, nasty and short as Thomas Hobbes would say. The birth of capitalism changed all that. Free-market capitalism has lifted millions around the world out of poverty, serves as a check on racism, is good for the environment, provides opportunities to aspiring entrepreneurs and inventors, improves the quality of goods and services, and is essential for a free society. As the late eminent economist Walter Williams once said: “Prior to capitalism, the way people amassed great wealth was by looting, plundering and enslaving their fellow man. Capitalism made it possible to become wealthy by serving your fellow man.”

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100%! Thank you! Walter Williams was great, I know a lot of people who were students of his.

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Fascinating story.

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Thanks for reading Zander!

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i have been wrestling with capitalism for some time. i think i understand the beauty of it, that people can create and earn and even become wealthy. but i struggle with the downsides of it. to me, corporations are consistently trying to reduce labor costs, which leads to low pay and ill treatment of employees. that was my experience working for the giant grocer, kroger.

these are cool stories about ritz and nabisco. the main thing i take issue with in the piece is this idea that anyone can make it. "people only have themselves to blame." while there may be *some* truth in that, there are systemic issues that create awfully high barriers to overcome.

there are companies in the us and in japan (that i know of -- there are probably others in the world) that are practicing their capitalism in a much more humane way. that's my dream.

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If you think the the current status quo late stage Capitalism with most of the wealth going to the greedy top .01% (300 to 1 average worker CEO pay ratio=rigged perversion) with 10% of petty bourgeoisie who own 90% of Wall Street Casino Stocks, 80% of the spectrum of Middle classes just making ends meet (stressed out) and 10% living in abject poverty with one in 5 kids going to bed hungry every night and half a million homeless people as something to put up on a pedestal based on an empty calorie snack food- then you have a limited vision and low expectations of what a better, more equitable economic system and country could look like! I am no communist but surely we could do better! We write books, symphonies, paint and sculpt masterpieces, figured out electricity and split the atom and put people on the moon several times (and yes figured how mass manufacture junk food) but we can't come up with a better, more egalitarian economic system where all humans at least have the basics, some dignity and breathing space as President Biden understands? Come on Man! Give me a break!

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It's so disappointing you could read an essay that blatantly lays out the story of people escaping poverty by using the free market to create useful things for others and still come away demanding an "equitable" economy—Marxist newspeak for government control.

Why not actually learn about free market capitalism and the basics about economics before coming to the conclusion that people having economic freedom is to blame for homelessness and food insecurity? Economic freedom is what's allowed food and housing to be produced in mass—the government intervention you're advocating for is what's led to artificially increased costs for both today.

Just your use of the word "equitable" in discussing economics betrays a serious lack of appreciation for how the economic freedom that capitalism affords people works. There is no such thing as an "equitable" economy without giving some people more power than others to control the freedom of all. Pursuing an "equitable" economy is partially what led to the Cuban revolution and its outcomes, where basic medicine and food are scarce. I still have family living there and they would be thrilled to suffer even under today's "late stage capitalism" instead (the correct term is "mixed economy", which refers to the partial implementation of socialism).

What you misunderstand, just as I once did, is that people advocating for free market capitalism aren't at all advocating for the status quo—we're advocating for a return to respecting everyone's right to economic freedom so that every person can better their lives without depending on permission from anyone.

It's hard for me to restrain my frustration with your misinformed opinion because it's exactly the flawed understanding I once held of capitalism when I was a socialist. I'm lucky I got out of that perspective and actually learned about capitalism instead of continuing to repeat propaganda talking points without knowing anything about how economics or capitalism actually work. You don't help impoverished people by giving the government control of the economy they rely on for sustaining themselves. Please take the historical suffering caused by government economic control seriously. Actually learn about why people like the author and myself believe free markets have and always will be the best pathway for maximizing upward mobility for ALL people.

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STFU AI Troll! Get a Life!

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Classic anti-capitalist response lmao

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It’s not often I stumble upon an article quoting Ludwig Von Mises. Thank you. More please, and perhaps with a cracker.

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So refreshing to know you appreciate Mises too! Definitely more Mises-inspired content to come. Thanks for reading!

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I had no idea Ritz Crackers had such a rich history! They are buttery and yummy! I like them best with cheese!

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Me neither! Glad you enjoyed discovering it as I did. And yes, Ritz with cheese is perfect!

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😋

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Great read. Ritz crackers, cream cheese and a splash of soy sauce. My mom’s go-to snack when I was a kid.

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Glad you liked it! And wow that's a hell of a recipe, I need to try that... This essay (and Jake's research for it haha) has already gotten me to eat way more Ritz Crackers than I ever would have!!

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Ritz crackers and chicken noodle soups is one of my favorite comfort foods ;)

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Oh wow that's a GREAT comfort food combo!

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So much better than putting lint in one’s soup!

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Hahaha

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What a fun (and educational) read! Thank you.

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So glad you enjoyed it!! Thanks for reading.

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Totally excellent article. Interesting, informed and correct. Capitalism is a miracle, really.

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Happy to hear that! And absolutely, once you understand it, appreciating it comes very easy.

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Mmmmmmmm. Animal crackers soaked in milk.

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omg just took me back to a childhood memory with your comment!!

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Your childhood memory was my five minutes ago.

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Excellent white pill article

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Thank you!

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Hahah yes! That's exactly what it is. Glad you enjoyed it and thanks for reading!

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