Editorial of the Razón de Estado program number  251

From the crises of the first 50 years of the 20th century emerged the generation of men and women who designed the capitalist model with which the free West and developed nations flourished.

In the past 40 years, over 1.3 billion human beings have been lifted out of poverty thanks to free-market capitalism, respect for private property, legal certainty, and free elections.

This is the truth, although at times, it may seem like capitalism needs to be saved from itself. It is true that there are excesses, abuses, and corruption, but these are mercantilist practices, not capitalist ones.

That is why communism is no longer the main enemy of liberal democracy and capitalism, but rather populism. However, even the populists who claim to be left-wing are careful not to apply communist recipes: nationalizations, collectivism, and economic statism, because they know they don't work.

They practice corrupt crony mercantilism, like Putin, with criminal alliances, monopolies, and privileges for the submissive as long as they pay the agreed bribes. Only Maduro in Caracas and the heirs of Castro in Havana, besides being criminals, have destroyed their economies.

Capitalism is not perfect, but it is the system that has allowed a person born in poverty to not have to die in poverty.

Where liberal capitalism is practiced in competition, with effective and transparent public policies, a source of opportunities and well-being is guaranteed, the middle classes are strengthened, and more families escape poverty. There will be more wealthy individuals, it is true, but there will also be fewer poor.

The challenges of capitalism for the 21st century are not easy, but it remains the only path to the development of nations.

Despite this, the word "Capitalism" evokes a sense of injustice, inequality, and selfishness that makes it unpronounceable, on the one hand, for politicians during campaigns as they would lose votes, and on the other hand, for businessmen who are ashamed of what they are and represent.

This inferiority complex weakens the system that has brought wealth and modernity to developed nations.

Educating oneself, learning, practicing common sense, and developing critical thinking about capitalism prevents reducing it to cheap labels manipulated by scoundrels, populists, illiterates, and opportunists.

Capitalism in a liberal democracy must preserve its origin in spirit and intention to guarantee the conditions of freedom that are the only path to the prosperity of nations.