People On This Page Are Mocking Capitalism, And Here Are 30 Of Their Best Memes
Like Neo from ‘The Matrix,’ some of you Pandas might sense that there’s just something deeply wrong with the world. You might not be able to put your finger on it, but some online groups like the ‘Late Stage Capitalism’ subreddit, with over 624k members (ironically called ‘consumers’) document what’s wrong with capitalism and highlight some of its hypocrisy.
Below, you’ll find some spot-on, insightful, and even funny memes about capitalism from the online community. Upvote the ones you agree with, share your personal thoughts about the weaknesses of capitalism in the comment section, and let us know how you’d go about improving things, dear Pandas. What economic alternative from the many, many theoretical ones do you think is the best for everyone?
The term itself, late capitalism, is a catchall phrase that refers to all the inequalities and absurdities of contemporary capitalist society. From inequality to the continuously shrinking middle class.
Finance writer and financial independence expert Rick Orford spoke to Bored Panda about the pros and cons of capitalism, socialism, the link between greed and financial crises, as well as about inequality. Rick was very open that extremes—any extremes, whether we're talking about dieting or capitalism—will always be problematic. "And with that, there will always be folks on either side who scream that their ideas are better." You'll find our full interview with Rick, as well as with another expert from the world of finance who explained the importance of accountability, below, dear Pandas.
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Jesus
Upvote If You Would Never Donate Money To Kylie Jenner
According to Rick, extreme capitalism and excessive greed both thrive when a large enough part of the population is willing to take the risks. "Remember though, greed is widely accepted to be the reason for the two largest financial crises in the last century; namely 1929 and 2008. It also creates the income inequality that’s largely seen in the United States. Indeed, while everyone, in theory, has an equal opportunity to flourish, the scales seem to tip to those with the most money," he explained to Bored Panda.
However, Rick points out that capitalism in and of itself isn't dangerous to society. "It allows folks like you and me to succeed by creating or investing in businesses. Indeed, one looking to borrow money from the banks today won’t have to pay much for the loan. As such, it encourages growth. However, extreme capitalism creates a scenario where greed overtakes reason, and it risks the financial system," financial expert Rick said.
Put The Blame Where It Belongs
A citizen gets a fine for littering because he accidentally loses a tissue, a company that discharges 100,000 liters of toxic waste water into the sewer gets a hefty reprimand.
Important Truth
Someone Explain This To Me
At the other end of the scale, we'll find modern socialism or social democracy as it's sometimes known. The way that this system works is by taxing citizens more than capitalistic countries. "However, in return, citizens are given services such as free and (easily) accessible healthcare, child care, social welfare, etc. Conversely, highly capitalistic societies charge for these services, making it incredibly challenging for the poor," Rick noted.
Rick added that capitalism, theoretically, gives everyone the ability to flourish. And even the titans of industry that pretty much everyone knows today aren't always raking in the cash: they've also undertaken big risks and losses before making a profit.
The Economy Is Booming. Jobs Everywhere!
All You Need To Know About American Healthcare
And that's illegal because it's unfair competition with the pharmaceutical industry who are stuck with their legal drugs.
When Making Money Is The Only Moral Compass
"Today, the news is largely distributed by some of the largest American corporations: Google, Facebook, and Twitter," Rick said, drawing attention to the fact that social media sites have the potential to shift people's thinking and even influence elections. "Think Brexit or the 2016 American Presidential election."
What helped these companies flourish is capitalism. However, just the same, capitalism is what helps ordinary people open up a business or sell their products. "And those with the best quality, price, customer service, or combination (of at least two) often do well. Increasingly, however, those who are willing to spend more at the beginning are seeing both extreme gains and losses. Famously, Amazon and Tesla, for example, have spent hundreds of millions of investor’s dollars before ever making a cent," financial independence writer Rick told Bored Panda.
Walmart Welfare
Ooooo Facts
Greed
literally like three billionaires could feed a third-world country...I'm just sayin
Meanwhile, a banking expert and independent investor who preferred to stay anonymous due to the sensitive nature of his work, told Bored Panda that capitalism disproportionately rewards individual incentive and punishes the lack of it. Especially when compared to socialism.
"As someone acquires more capital, it—on average—becomes exponentially easier to acquire even more of it, which adds to extreme wealth inequality," he said. "It really bothers me when trillions in pension funds are wiped out only for a couple of bankers to get slapped on the wrist. Making sure that the costs of financial crises are borne by financial institutions that manufactured them (even if unintentionally), as opposed to transferring the burden to other members of society, would increase accountability."
Socialism Not Socialism
The "Radical" Idea Of Universal Healthcare
Beyoncé, The Idol Of Bourgeois Liberal Feminists, Pays 64 Cents/Hour To Female Workers Who Make Clothes Of Her Brand Ivypark In Sweatshops In Sri Lanka While Preaching Female Empowerment.
In the expert's opinion, free markets are responsible for standards of living that are "unparalleled in human history," and he personally believes that it's the best system. However, he's an advocate of capitalism with "effective social programs," not pure capitalism. "Honing in on how social the capitalism should be is the path with most future rewards," he shared.
The expert also added that a lack of proper education about communism leads some individuals to have an unrealistic and even romantic understanding of such regimes. What's more, he believes that such beliefs are further propagated by "the belief that unlimited compassion is a virtue" and by certain university professors who have worked hard all their lives on research that isn't valued much by the market and other people. He said there's an easy way to figure out where you stand: "Ask yourself—do you really want to help the poor, or do you simply hate people richer than you?"
Meanwhile
The Simpsons Did It
A Copy Of The Bill We Got When Our Daughter Was Born In Canada
Canadian here as well. What an amazing coincidence! That’s exactly what we paid when my husband had a massive heart attack, went to hospital by ambulance, spent 5 days in intensive care, then was flown 300 kilometres by medical air ambulance to a larger cardiac centre, had a quintuple bypass, spent 5 days in that intensive care, and then came home to recuperate with the cardiologist calling us 3 times a week to check his recovery, and then spent 12 weeks in a formal cardiac rehab program including consults with a dietician and a behavioural therapist.
damn i would have blown the budget for an ambulance ride
Load More Replies...They don't have a bill. Shows that the good people in America should move over to Canada
Or people in America should not vote on rich people with no intent on making life better for the people.... Good you got it right this time
Load More Replies...Not entirely true as you would have to pay the 'eigen bijdrage' of 300-something euros
Load More Replies...Having a baby in the US: "The Truven Report put the uninsured cost of having a baby at anywhere from $30,000 for an uncomplicated vaginal birth to $50,000 for a C-section." No joke, y'all. This place is a sh*t hole, and you can rest assured that if I had ANY way out, I'd do it in a heartbeat.
Why would you? Don't you pay taxes from your wages to contribute to society?
Load More Replies...I could have paid off my mortgage with our med bill here in the US
Got the same bill in Denmark both time I give birth and 12 months of paid maternity leave
Mine was 5,700 in 2012. That's was just the hospital not including the 9 months of appointments, sonograms, and everything else. This is a big reason why birthrates are going down. With everything together, I cost about 8,000 to have a kid and we had "good" insurance for America.
Im German....Im mad as hell that i have to pay €5 per day I stay in a hospital cause "additional charge" for a 4 weeks rehab after a back injury. 4 weeks all inclusive with 1 on 1 treatment cost me € 400 but thats okay Ill get it back with taxes lol
I just looked it up, the average overnight hospital stay in the US for someone without insurance is $9,300. I swear I'm not making this up: https://www.debt.org/medical/hospital-surgery-costs/#Hospital_Costs
Load More Replies...btw on my paycheck for 3 days work here in Canada that was $860 only $35 in taxes were taken and $53 for pension and unemployment.
I guess your hospital and doctor don't get any money and you don't have to pay taxes because of that?
Some of the main criticisms that academics throw capitalism’s way include the accusations that it’s exploitative, alienates people, it’s unsustainable, and deepens economic inequality.
What’s more, critics point out that capitalism essentially turns people into commodities and slowly erodes away human rights while also putting a large emphasis on expansionism and warfare. By this point, these criticisms sound almost like a stereotype of capitalism. One that everyone knows but something that’s more akin to a caricature.
Like all things in life, however, things aren’t always so black and white. There’s plenty of nuances even when talking about capitalism which people seem to have a Marmite-like relationship with (i.e. they either hate it with the fiery passion of a hundred burning suns or they think it’s the best thing since sliced bread).
Lets Ask The Real Question
This astonishes me. In the UK the current £9.35 per item ($13). Thats the maximum you'd pay for each item on your prescription. However, if you have a life dependent condition like type 1 diabetes then a) your insulin is free and b) everything else on your prescription is also free because we don't want you to get ill and make your diabetes unstable and cost the NHS more money. Free insulin/$750 insulin. Why are people so opposed to nationalised healthcare in the USA?!
Maybe He Should Just Stop Being Poor!
No Words Describe This
While there are some theoretical alternatives to capitalism, far from every one of them is practical or even attractive. For instance, anarchism might sound attractive on paper, but actually abolishing the State and potentially even private ownership would lead to outright chaos. And it’s well worth pondering whether this sort of system could survive for long.
A more practical alternative could be a very soft form of socialism where public ownership would replace private ownership in some form and give workers greater rights and input in how the economy is planned out. However, one of the biggest fears there is that this sort of system might, in turn, evolve into communism. And history shows us that this is something that many countries who lived under such a regime would want to avoid repeating.
Anyone who’s opened up a history book knows that communism has led to the deaths of around 100 million people worldwide in a century. To put it bluntly, if history is anything to go by, it’s not a valid alternative to capitalism, no matter how exploitative the latter might be.
How True
Actually a couple people got arrested, and a very old man went to jail. Not “nothing”, but yes, very little.
Hits A Little Too Close To Home
Just Got My Bill From The Hospital... Being Charged $426 For This $8 Can Of Pain Relieving Spray.
So what else are we left with? Economic democracy could potentially be the answer. It’s a model where firms are democratically controlled by their employees. Meanwhile, a network of public banks takes charge of investments that affect the entire society. In other words, it’s a way to extend people’s democratic rights to more areas of their lives. In a way, it’s a point between capitalism and socialism without truly being either.
Climate Change Meets Mass Incarceration
That's... that's not the right way to hold a chainsaw. But yes, that whole deal majorly blows.
The Evil Of Bezos
Cool
Every so often I think about the fact that before that article and the resultant backlash, I (a New Zealander) didn’t know what Applebee’s was. I now know that it’s a chain of restaurants that has bad food. Was that the PR Applebee’s was hoping for?
But what do you think, Pandas? Do the pros outweigh the cons when it comes to capitalism? What alternative to capitalism could work out the best? Should we aim to completely reorganize the system? Or should we focus on keeping the current one while making small changes that would improve things for everyone?
Remember: The Royal Wedding Cost £32 Million, Nearly All On Security. Last Year 71 People Burned To Death In The Grenfell Fire In London, UK Because Tory Govt Refused To Spend £5,000 On Fireproof Cladding And £200,000 On A Sprinkler System.
Accurate
A corrupt political system giving subsidizes and tax relief to major companies is not capitalism. Making higher education in-affordable and hinder social advancement is not capitalism. It's a feudal system. Democratic capitalism is the best system we ever had. Now we no longer have real democracy or real capitalism.
Reminder That Corporations Only Care About Diversity When It Benefits Them
Your Company Loyalty Is Clearly Insufficient
It's Time To Stop Blaming Bob.
The Thing Is, Bob, It's Not That I'm Lazy, It's That I Just Don't Care
Happy 4th Of July
Literally Profits Over People
How Did We Get Here?
One Way To End Capitalism:
So true. if if more people are failing than people are winning, it shouldn't be a thing.
Me Too Thanks
If The Federal Minimum Wage In 1968 Had Kept Up With Inflation And Productivity, It Would Now Be $22 An Hour. Instead, It’s $7.25.
And the rich would even be richer. Fun fact: the more people can spend, the better the economy, the more profit you make, the richer you get.
Time To Eat The Rich
Fox News Posted This Without Any Sense Of Irony
The American Healthcare System Be Like:
So True
Enough Said
40 Hour Work Weeks Were A Thing Once
Really Makes You Think...
"F**k The Planet Cuz Wind Turbines Are Ugly"
Yes
How To Bribe A Lawmaker 101
Stonks
The 1% Through Time
Murica
Shilling: The Worlds Oldest Profession
We Keep Lookin At It The Wrong Way
Wrong, it's everyone against everyone because everyone hates everyone for some reason.
Facts
And Janitorial Staff. And Bus Drivers. And Kitchen Staff
Food Bank Line 1932 vs. 2020
Congratulations
All Hail The Master Race
Peak Market Efficiency
Capitalism can be good for a country, but remember business are run by humans. And that is why you also need social welfare. It is not of or the other, it is about finding the right balance.
Public Relations
Blue Shell The Top 1%
Defund The Police
But One Day I Might Wear The Boot!!!
Wow 50% Is So Unfair Tho!!!
Winning
And when you worry so much you can't sleep, you can even work a fourth job.
On The Useless Distraction From Class Struggle - Nationalism
Everyday
Capitalist Housing
Ohh, I hate these kinds of neighbourhoods. Makes me so uncomfortable. No personality at all, and it just reminds me of some horror movie. I never want to live in an area like this.
When Boomers Say "Why Don't You Buy A House?"
Gotta Deport 'Em!
No Insurance? Go Die
I am not republican or democrat, but I believe in equal access to healthcare and lower taxes
Director Bong Joon-Ho About His Oscar-Winning Movie Parasite
When You're Pro-Gun Rights But Against Public Healthcare Services
A Drug Dealer Doesn't Use Drugs Himself
I Fail To See A Lie Here
A Reminder Of The Past!
Some Of Those That Work Forces Are The Same That Burn Crosses
Us
Because prisons are private businesses who dictate how many people should be incarcerated so that their business stays profitable. https://www.salon.com/2017/08/04/private-prison-demands-new-mexico-and-feds-find-300-more-prisoners-in-60-days-or-it-will-close_partner/
Tax Them Till They Cry
The to people in Europe, American political rallies look a lot like the kind of thing they used to have in Germany in the 30's
Let's Get Our Priorities Straight!
War. Who Is It Good For?
Oh Irony
Is This Communism™
To 50% of the Americans it is. The next step will be that the government can order you to hand over your house and possessions to them.
The Kid Is A Criminal!
And for seeing an exposed nipple. Mother will be charged S300 for the privilege of holding her new born.
How To Become A Class Traitor In 38 Minutes
This Could Have Been A Headline Every Day For The Last 150+ Years
Seems About Right
This one's a lie! Only the super rich can afford that much stuff! JK. But in all seriousness, it's true. We produce, so THEY can consume. Working class people are slaves and the dollar is a glorified rations ticket.
You’ll Know When It’s The Right One
Things Cartoon Villains Say, For 400 Alex
They Are So Misunderstood!
Thinking Two Steps Ahead
You Said It, Linus!
The Internet If The Fcc Win:
Good Boot Straps...duhh
Friendly Reminder Companies Don't Care About Identity Politics, Unless It Benefits Them Financially.
While I don't believe that any economic/political structure is ever truly perfect, I do 1000% think that the version of capitalism described here has some major flaws that can definitely be fixed and should be fixed.
Oh your poor person, Capitalism can never run a country successfully for the benefit of all
Load More Replies...I duly believe that no one person/family should be allowed to amass the kinds of wealth the 1% have been permitted to. They should all be stripped of their wealth and have it redistributed for the "common good" or at the very least increase the pay of the ground-level employees to have a decent income and to pay out profits to them and not to a small number of investors.
capitalism noun an economic and political system in which a country's trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit.
Some are dishonest and petty, others have nothing to do with capitalism... But some are sadly accurate.
Ken Cheshire: yes the people barely living off of food stamps while working 3 different jobs are ungrateful little shits.
I figure we'd do better with a basically capitalist economy overseen and limited to some extent by a democratic-socialist government that guaranteed basic living needs/education/infrastructure... But hey, I'm just some rando on the interwebs.
People seriously need to read Mistborn. Or it needs to be made into a movie. Point is, poor people aren't people, only rich people are people, and only because the richest man says they're allowed to be. World is saved by poor people eating the rich, wouldn't ya know it?
What I find funny is that people are still going to call Americans lazy after this
Okay I'll bite. How is it a good thing people die because they are $50 short for life saving medication? Also, I'm sure it's excellent that a person working a full time job isn't paid enough to cover their rent, but I'm missing how. Can you explain? Thank you.
Load More Replies...Romania wasn’t socialism or communism, it was a kleptocracy, run by a selfish elite. The eastern bloc collapsed in 1989 because it wasn’t ‘socialism’ at all, but the same kind of kleptocracy. Socialism built things like the wonderful National Health Service in Britain, which Boris Johnson and co. are busy trying to destroy and sell to unscrupulous American companies.
Load More Replies...While I don't believe that any economic/political structure is ever truly perfect, I do 1000% think that the version of capitalism described here has some major flaws that can definitely be fixed and should be fixed.
Oh your poor person, Capitalism can never run a country successfully for the benefit of all
Load More Replies...I duly believe that no one person/family should be allowed to amass the kinds of wealth the 1% have been permitted to. They should all be stripped of their wealth and have it redistributed for the "common good" or at the very least increase the pay of the ground-level employees to have a decent income and to pay out profits to them and not to a small number of investors.
capitalism noun an economic and political system in which a country's trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit.
Some are dishonest and petty, others have nothing to do with capitalism... But some are sadly accurate.
Ken Cheshire: yes the people barely living off of food stamps while working 3 different jobs are ungrateful little shits.
I figure we'd do better with a basically capitalist economy overseen and limited to some extent by a democratic-socialist government that guaranteed basic living needs/education/infrastructure... But hey, I'm just some rando on the interwebs.
People seriously need to read Mistborn. Or it needs to be made into a movie. Point is, poor people aren't people, only rich people are people, and only because the richest man says they're allowed to be. World is saved by poor people eating the rich, wouldn't ya know it?
What I find funny is that people are still going to call Americans lazy after this
Okay I'll bite. How is it a good thing people die because they are $50 short for life saving medication? Also, I'm sure it's excellent that a person working a full time job isn't paid enough to cover their rent, but I'm missing how. Can you explain? Thank you.
Load More Replies...Romania wasn’t socialism or communism, it was a kleptocracy, run by a selfish elite. The eastern bloc collapsed in 1989 because it wasn’t ‘socialism’ at all, but the same kind of kleptocracy. Socialism built things like the wonderful National Health Service in Britain, which Boris Johnson and co. are busy trying to destroy and sell to unscrupulous American companies.
Load More Replies...