The moral of the story is that capitalism, in itself, is not moral.
The founders famously said that the Constitution would only protect a moral society - that it was powerless to protect a society that turned against morality.
The same is true for capitalism. A lot of conservative make the mistake of seeing capitalism as moral, because communism is fundamentally immoral. But it's apples and oranges. For example, fascism is capitalistic communism, etc.
A society that looks to capitalism alone for it's moral balance is doomed just as surely as a communist state. Capitalism, like guns, are merely tools. Who uses those tools, and why, makes all the difference.
I agree with you completely.
We forget that both the Slave Trade and Colonialism were driven by Capitalism. We also forget that many people who were genuinely disgusted by the excesses of Capitalism were drawn towards Socialism.
We also forget that there was a time when the Church acted as a moral guide, imposing limits on the excesses of Capitalists. Today, our infatuation with the “prosperity message” has blurred our vision.
The middle class in the developed World is under threat. There is immense pressure from shareholders for outsourcing and cost reduction. Supply chain managers are scouring the globe for the “next China” and the next set of cheap jobs.
When the history of America is written, will it be said that America’s greed destroyed its economy?