Artful Dodger:

I have a great idea. Since EVERY system is bad, let's convince ourselves that there is NOTHING wrong with capitalism. Let's treat poverty as something external. It belongs in the Third World and the rich empires that use those countries and those people for profit have NO RESPONSIBILITY whatsoever for what goes on there. Since that poverty is outside the USA, the fact that American companies make a profit in those countries those not even count when it come sto capitalism.

> People are the ones who oppress the poor.

And who makes capitalism? Geese? Capitalism is the result of PEOPLE pursing profit. So those PEOPLE who oppress the poor are the ruling class, and in capitalism it is those who own the means of production; i.e.: the rich capitalists.

Capitalism has changed nothing, except replace the old feudal lords and the old aristocracy with the mechant class. Instead of a feudal lord, now you have a factory owner, or a CEO.

The reason why there is poor today is simply because the unfair and unequal distribution of wealth has been formalized in the name of profit. Nothing new there. Modern capitalism might be an economic success, but it is also a social failure because it has failed to eliminate poverty, exploitation and hunger.

The Soviet Union (like China) might have been run by the communist party, but it was in essence a form of state capitalism. Instead of the monopolies belonging to CEOs in Wall Street, the monolopy was run by the state. The Soviet Union was run by a communist elite, the USA is run by an elitist plutocracy made of the wealthy donors and lobbyists that run the political parties. The only reason why that plutocracy allows a two party pseudo-democracy is just to keep the general public from exploding into anarchy and revolution.