The hottest Capitalism Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Mistreating WNBA Players Undercuts A Key Argument for Capitalism

JoeWrote • 42 implied HN points • 26 Jul 25
🎾 Sports Capitalism
  1. WNBA players are raising awareness about their low pay, as seen when they wore shirts stating 'Pay Us What You Owe Us' before the All-Star Game. This highlights the ongoing struggle for fair compensation in their professional careers.
  2. The WNBA is seeing a massive rise in popularity, with record-breaking attendance and viewership. Even though the league is making a lot of money, the players are not receiving their fair share.
  3. Despite the WNBA's success and increasing revenue from various sources, the pay for players remains shockingly low, leading to questions about the fairness of the capitalist model in sports.

Why real environmental action is so hard

Technology, Environment, and Art • 39 implied HN points • 19 Feb 24
🌞 Climate & Environment Capitalism
  1. The global capitalistic-consumerist system is fundamentally destructive and promotes unsustainable practices, causing cognitive dissonance in individuals.
  2. Efforts to address environmental issues are often evaluated based on their ability to further global consumerism rather than their actual impact.
  3. To truly make a difference, we need to challenge the current industrial and capitalistic systems, reassess our reliance on technology, and make significant lifestyle changes to prioritize sustainability over convenience.

Mark Fisher was right: The desire for Starbucks really is the thwarted desire for communism

The 21st Century Proletarian • 79 implied HN points • 21 Oct 23
🎭️ Culture Capitalism
  1. The desire for Starbucks might be a yearning for a communal space like communism, highlighting how economic systems affect our social interactions.
  2. Third places, like coffee houses or the Agora in ancient Athens, play a crucial role in fostering community, political consciousness, and social connections.
  3. The shift from real-life third places to online bubbles has led to increased loneliness, with digital interactions lacking the depth and variety of human connections found in physical communal spaces.

Returning to Origins

Unpopular Front • 103 implied HN points • 23 Jan 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Capitalism
  1. The idea of endless expansion is central to certain political and economic beliefs. It suggests that growth is the ultimate goal, often seen in capitalist thinking.
  2. Many thinkers, like Arendt, have been quoted and referenced without fully understanding their ideas. This results in misinterpretations of their work and less meaningful conversations about important issues.
  3. The current alliance between different societal groups, like tech-oligarchs and the mob, shows a shared mindset that prioritizes power and accumulation, often at the expense of ethical considerations.
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The Non-Negotiable Empire

Black Lodges • 39 implied HN points • 02 Feb 24
🌍 World Politics Capitalism
  1. Politicians in the West often manipulate fear to justify their power and actions.
  2. The capitalist empire prioritizes the accumulation of capital by any means necessary.
  3. Elections in the US have global significance due to the impact of the capitalist empire.

Capitalists Do Not Take Risks.

JoeWrote • 130 implied HN points • 19 Nov 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Capitalism
  1. Capitalists often claim they take risks when starting businesses, but the reality is they just risk losing money, while workers create the real value.
  2. The idea that financial risk deserves the biggest reward is flawed. Labor plays a crucial role in producing wealth and should be valued more than just money at stake.
  3. Ultimately, capitalists face the possibility of becoming workers themselves if their businesses fail, but this isn't much of a risk compared to the actual physical and personal risks that workers take daily.

The Spritual Basis for Capitalism

We're Gonna Get Those Bastards • 8 implied HN points • 29 Nov 25
💼 Business Capitalism
  1. Capitalism works like a miracle where everyone does their own thing, and somehow the economy grows without anyone in charge. It shows that people can create prosperity just by acting in their own self-interest.
  2. Intervening in the free market often does more harm than good, leading to unintended consequences and market failures. Prices send important signals about supply and demand, and messing with them can cause shortages or surpluses.
  3. Having faith in capitalism means trusting that things will work out over time, even if prices fluctuate. Realizing that we don't know everything and that sometimes we should just let systems operate leads to a healthier mindset.

The Price of Passion (Life is like a jar of marbles)

Neckar’s Notes • 111 implied HN points • 25 Nov 24
💰 Finance Capitalism
  1. Being passionate about your work can be great, but it can also lead to burnout. It's important to find a balance so that you don't end up hating what you once loved.
  2. Some wealthy individuals work hard without needing the money, and they often question why they keep doing it. Reflecting on the usefulness and purpose of their efforts can lead to deeper self-understanding.
  3. Philanthropy can be a way to find meaning and happiness for those with excess wealth. However, just giving money away doesn’t always bring fulfillment if one is stuck in a life of work they don't enjoy.

Welcome to The (Im)Posture

On Looking • 239 implied HN points • 05 Apr 22
🎨 Art & Illustration Capitalism
  1. The newsletter 'The (Im)Posture' aims to offer a critical space for illustrators to engage beyond common industry narratives and delve into the complexities of the field.
  2. The author emphasizes illustration as an expertise and a critical practice, encouraging questioning and reflection on topics like creativity, capitalism, and ethics.
  3. Unlike most newsletters, there is no extra content for paid subscribers; the focus is on creating valuable work without monetary barriers, with an option for readers to support if they find the content adds value.

FIFA Women’s World Cup Hijacked by Fourth Wave Feminism

Anxiety Addiction & Ascension • 59 implied HN points • 15 Aug 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Capitalism
  1. Fourth Wave Feminism hijacking the FIFA Women’s World Cup, turning it into a platform for identity politics and woke Neo-Marxism.
  2. Channel 9's portrayal of women's economic power at odds with the reality of corporate influence and manipulation in cultural narratives.
  3. The societal dynamics suggest that women have cultural and social power but do not face oppression, despite the narrative pushed by certain media outlets.

Work, Abuse, and Unwinnable Games

72 Degrees North • 39 implied HN points • 14 Jan 24
🎭️ Culture Capitalism
  1. Life can sometimes present unwinnable situations where moving on is the best option.
  2. People may engage in unwinnable games like pursuing unattainable goals in relationships or falling into abusive patterns.
  3. Corporate work under capitalism shares similarities with abusive relationships, using small rewards and big punishments to keep workers captive.

Rise of civilization Part 2

America in Crisis • 39 implied HN points • 21 Dec 23
💾 History Capitalism
  1. Capitalism involves the accumulation of capital through entrepreneurial growth ethic to increase labor productivity.
  2. Capitalism allowed a release from Malthusian limits to economic growth, enabling the rise in GDP per capita seen through history.
  3. The development of capitalism involved utilizing surplus population in profitable activities, leading to economic conditions for industrial revolution and modern Western-centric world.

Why US Health Insurance Companies are Hated

Erik Examines • 89 implied HN points • 11 Dec 24
🏥 Health Politics Capitalism
  1. People in the U.S. often face a tough experience with health insurance companies, which frequently deny care instead of helping patients. This differs a lot from the experiences in countries with socialized healthcare systems like Norway.
  2. For-profit health insurance companies prioritize their profits over patient care. This leads to a system where they often refuse necessary treatments, pushing patients into stressful battles just to receive care that should be available to them.
  3. Health insurance companies in the U.S. have little incentive to promote preventative care because they risk losing patients. In contrast, public health systems are designed to encourage preventive care, as healthier citizens reduce overall costs.

Big Tech's Class War Politics

Unpopular Front • 88 implied HN points • 05 Dec 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Capitalism
  1. Silicon Valley has shifted political views due to crises in both the U.S. political system and its own beliefs, leading to new coalitions forming that differ from the past.
  2. The tech sector is experiencing a class conflict where some entrepreneurs are pushing for changes against traditional management and labor structures, inspired by authoritarian models.
  3. This new tech movement could attempt to gain majority support, but its harsh approach may limit its ability to create a long-lasting, stable social system.

This is the Most Interesting Time in Human History. So far.

The Digital Anthropologist • 79 implied HN points • 22 Apr 23
🕹 Technology Capitalism
  1. This may be the most interesting time in human history due to the rapid advancements in digital technologies and societal changes.
  2. Humanity has always progressed through massive societal changes driven by revolutionary technologies, and the pace of such changes is accelerating.
  3. Key changes underway include a shift in our relationship with nature, advancements in genetic engineering for longer lifespans, the evolution of capitalism and democracy, and the impact of invisible technologies.

Is capitalism making you lonely?

inexactscience • 2 HN points • 13 Aug 24
📖 Philosophy Capitalism
  1. There is a loneliness epidemic seen around the world, and some people think capitalism might be contributing to it.
  2. Research shows a moderate negative relationship between economic freedom and loneliness. When economic freedom increases, loneliness tends to decrease.
  3. While there are arguments that capitalism could increase loneliness, such as encouraging long working hours and individualism, the data suggests that capitalism, in fact, may help reduce feelings of loneliness.

Ghosts in the Hallway: Liminal Spaces As Mirrors of Modern Alienation

antoniomelonio • 82 implied HN points • 15 Dec 24
🎭️ Culture Capitalism
  1. Liminal spaces, like empty malls or silent hallways, make us feel a deep sense of loneliness and nostalgia. They reflect how we often feel lost and disconnected in modern life.
  2. Many people are drawn to images of these spaces online because they remind us of a simpler time. We yearn for connection and purpose in a world that feels increasingly empty and overwhelming.
  3. These places, while haunting, can also inspire us to rethink our priorities. They might push us to seek genuine community and meaning beyond the surface of consumer culture.

HOISTED FROM THE ARCHIVES: An Ur-Text by George Stigler for Dark Satanic Millian Liberalism, & Related Matters...

Brad DeLong's Grasping Reality • 76 implied HN points • 15 Dec 24
💼 Business Capitalism
  1. The market economy is seen not just for creating wealth, but for shaping character and virtues like self-discipline and resilience. This suggests that economic struggles can help people become better individuals.
  2. Some economists argue that uncertainty and risk of poverty are necessary for a society to function well. They believe without these challenges, people might not push themselves to improve.
  3. Critics of this perspective think that focusing on the hardships of capitalism ignores the real needs and experiences of everyday people. They see value in prosperity and security, not just in struggle and sacrifice.

The Capitalist is Useless.

JoeWrote • 92 implied HN points • 15 Oct 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Capitalism
  1. Capitalists were once important for society by helping to build industries and trade. Now, they are seen as less useful because most work is done by the people, while capitalists take the profits without doing much themselves.
  2. Modern technology comes a lot from public funding and resources, showing that capitalists often profit off ideas created by the public. So, people can question what actual role capitalists play in today's economy.
  3. Instead of relying on capitalists, society could benefit more from worker-owned businesses and government-managed industries. This would allow everyone to get fair value for their work and reduce exploitation.

Critics Of Capitalism Misunderstand Economic Success

QTR’s Fringe Finance • 25 implied HN points • 30 Jun 25
💼 Business Capitalism
  1. Economic success reflects how well someone serves others, not just a personal gain. When people succeed in business, it usually means they are meeting needs in society.
  2. Critics often see successful entrepreneurs as oppressors, but this view misunderstands the nature of profit. Profit can actually indicate cooperation and mutual benefit, not exploitation.
  3. Admiring economic success can inspire others to improve and create value, instead of fostering a sense of victimhood or grievance. A culture that values hard work and success can lead to positive outcomes for everyone.

The Violent Rules Based Order

Black Lodges • 39 implied HN points • 18 Oct 23
🌍 World Politics Capitalism
  1. The concept of bourgeois legality as a facade for ruling class violence is crucial to understanding power dynamics in the 21st century West.
  2. In the face of government crackdowns, it is essential to move beyond illusions of freedom and work towards a strategic response.
  3. Recognizing the true power structures and oppressive nature of the capitalist class is key to offering a meaningful future by acting accordingly.

ESSAY 9: VALUE, SOCIETY, MONEY & WORK

Engineering the Future • 39 implied HN points • 15 Jul 23
💼 Business Capitalism
  1. Humans are hardwired to work for survival and growth.
  2. Capitalism incentivizes innovation and wealth creation but has flaws like valuing money over true value.
  3. Success in work is not just about hard work; it's about adding value, enjoying the process, and making money in a meaningful way.

The Political Implications of Digital Worlds

The 21st Century Proletarian • 39 implied HN points • 06 Aug 23
🌍 World Politics Capitalism
  1. Socialism is facing challenges in the current political landscape, with capitalism prevailing as the dominant system.
  2. The increasing immersion in digital worlds through technologies like VR may distract us from addressing real-world problems and fuel isolation and inequality.
  3. Hyper-personalization and isolation in virtual spaces could hinder political engagement, highlighting the importance of real-life connections for meaningful change.

Rabbit Holes 🕳️ #123

Creative Destruction • 20 implied HN points • 09 Jul 25
🕹 Technology Capitalism
  1. Capitalism has borrowed too much from the future, making sustainable and ethical products expensive. It shows that we need bigger societal changes, like basic income or new ways to share resources.
  2. Many people feel depersonalized and unseen in today’s tech-driven world. This lack of personal connection creates a crisis where people feel invisible, highlighting the importance of being recognized and valued.
  3. AI technology is often used to hide and minimize human labor, making it seem less visible. Instead of fostering creativity, AI shifts work to less visible places and can even weave itself into monopolistic systems that repeat old patterns.

Iron Cage

Brain Lenses • 19 implied HN points • 25 Jan 24
📖 Philosophy Capitalism
  1. Max Weber coined the term 'iron cage' to describe how modern humans are enclosed within capitalistic systems with strict structures.
  2. The structures of capitalism and bureaucracies have created an almost indestructible shell that governs social, relational, and resource management aspects of our lives.
  3. Many people operate within this 'iron cage' without realizing the system they are enclosed in.

The reality distortion field

Thoughts on Writing • 239 implied HN points • 19 Aug 21
💼 Business Capitalism
  1. Reactions to discussions about brand purpose can vary, with some finding it hard to openly express skepticism in certain professional settings.
  2. The concept of purpose in business is complex and often seen as a grey area, leading to varied opinions about the role of advertising and selling.
  3. Criticism of the emphasis on brand purpose and potential distortion of ethics in business highlights the need for a deeper reflection on the motivations behind corporate actions.

"Make America Healthy Again" is a Dumb, Rich Guy's Idea of Public Health

JoeWrote • 54 implied HN points • 19 Dec 24
🏥 Health Politics Capitalism
  1. American health issues stem from capitalism, not just personal choices or corporations. This system often prioritizes profit over people's health, leading to serious public health crises.
  2. Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s health campaign promises are vague and do not address the fundamental issues behind America's health problems. Instead, they seem designed to raise money rather than provide real solutions.
  3. Critics argue that Kennedy's brand of anti-corporate rhetoric is disingenuous. They point out his connections to the very industries he claims to oppose, suggesting that real change needs to come from collective action rather than relying on wealthy individuals.

Violence

Black Lodges • 19 implied HN points • 24 Jan 24
🌍 World Politics Capitalism
  1. Reject barbarism by focusing on mutual aid networks and refusal of labor.
  2. Violence may be necessary to establish democratic control over labor and profits.
  3. Consider the use of violence in response to capitalist resistance to genuine organization efforts.

Rabbit Holes 🕳️ #104

Creative Destruction • 41 implied HN points • 29 Jan 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Capitalism
  1. Young people are struggling to find jobs despite having skills and experience. They often feel frustrated because it seems like jobs are only available through connections and luck, rather than hard work.
  2. We are shifting from a meritocracy, where hard work matters, to an 'inheritocracy' where family wealth plays a big role in opportunities. This makes it harder for those without financial support to succeed.
  3. The fast pace of life and reliance on technology often stress people out. Instead of helping us, it feels like we're collapsing under pressure, losing our ability to focus and maintain balance.

2024

Black Lodges • 19 implied HN points • 08 Jan 24
🌍 World Politics Capitalism
  1. The writer expresses urgency for action towards total revolution.
  2. There is a strong rejection of soft cultural approaches and a call to oppose capitalist powers.
  3. The writer emphasizes the importance of sharing and supporting the publication.

Yes, we took your stuff and are making a killing. Why aren't you happy when we offer you scraps?

Alex's Personal Blog • 131 implied HN points • 04 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Capitalism
  1. OpenAI is incorporating internet content, including from the New York Times, into its AI models
  2. OpenAI is making deals with publishers to mitigate legal risks and continue using content
  3. The New York Times initiated a lawsuit against OpenAI for using its material without compensation, highlighting the importance of fair compensation in technology innovation

Meditations on Machinic Desire

Nothing Human • 57 implied HN points • 23 Oct 24
📖 Philosophy Capitalism
  1. We are moving towards a future where artificial intelligence may surpass human intelligence, and it might happen gradually rather than suddenly. This means machines could take over many tasks we currently do without a clear turning point.
  2. The idea of capitalism is being explored as something that may harm our human nature. It could act like a virus that drives us to work endlessly for money, rather than for meaningful relationships or experiences.
  3. Our desires are becoming more virtual and less tied to reality. Instead of wanting real things, we often find ourselves chasing numbers or metrics, which can make us less happy even as society becomes more prosperous.

Los bancos de EEUU se enriquecieron durante la pandemia de Covid-19, mientras millones murieron

Geopolitical Economy Report • 119 implied HN points • 19 Jan 22
🌍 World Politics Capitalism
  1. The US banks profited greatly during the Covid-19 pandemic despite millions dying, indicating a stark wealth disparity.
  2. Capitalist oligarchs gained $5 trillion during the pandemic while a vast majority of people suffered financially.
  3. The US government largely neglected its people during the pandemic, resulting in high death tolls and emphasizing the stark individualistic nature of the country's response.

How cultural evolution works

America in Crisis • 39 implied HN points • 09 May 23
🎭️ Culture Capitalism
  1. Cultural evolution is faster than biological evolution and is driven by innovation, competition, and replication.
  2. Cultural transmission involves biases like direct bias, indirect bias, and prestige bias that influence the spread of cultural information.
  3. Capitalism emerged from a cultural evolution driven by the accumulation of capital, prestige, and cultural transmission, leading to economic growth and societal changes.