With a comparison of virtues to sins, in terms of capitalistic mandates, it becomes obvious that the nobility of virtue has fallen victim to the evils of a capitalistic system run amok.

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CAPITALISM AND PUBLIC CONCERN

According to a Pew Research survey conducted in June of this year, the top ten concerns of American citizens were by percentages as follow:

Economy 84

Terrorism 80

Foreign Policy 75

Health Care 74

Gun Policy 72

Immigration 70

Social Security 67

Education 66

Supreme Court 65

Treatment of Minorities 63

Let us examine them in the light of how capitalism run amok negatively weighs heavily upon each one. In general, such a system would seem to sacrifice the nobility of the seven heavenly virtues, substituting for them, instead, the abasement of the seven deadly sins:

Lust for Chastity

Gluttony for Temperance

Greed for Charity

Sloth for Diligence

Wrath for Patience

Envy for Kindness

Pride for Humility

As for the economy, what could be more obvious? Since 1976, average real income for the bottom 90 percent of the nation's households has increased by only 10 percent, whereas that for the top l percent of the nation has increased by 232 percent. Where else could one lay the responsibility but at the feet of unregulated capitalism, in which money and power are privileges accorded only to the most elite?

The war on terrorism is an economic drain on human resources that could otherwise be used for the betterment of mankind. It is a most devious strategy manufactured and employed by a sociopathic cabal to engender and sustain the acquiescence of a deceived populace for any number of inhuman atrocities. Because of its promise of a more immediate return on investment, plus the added gain of enhanced power to force others into a state of compliance, the capitalistic incentive for expansion and exploitation relegates the Golden Rule to an archaic folly.

Our foreign policy is based on the perceived need by an international, capitalistic oligarchy to establish a global military and economic hegemony--a one-world government. Such a government would, of course, adopt the earmarks of fascism as defined by Mussolini: "Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the merger of state and corporate power." Here, of course, corporate and capitalistic are synonymous.

The concern over health care is very real in the United States. Our country, perceived as the richest among nations, ranks 37 ^th in health care efficiency but first in terms of health care expenditure. It is the only major country without universal health care. Throughout the health care industries, we find the most shining examples of capitalism at its most efficient in terms of return on investment, but a glaring disgrace in terms of ethical consideration.

Our gun policy is dictated by the National Rifle Association. In keeping with its ethos and capitalistic need for expansion, this association has flooded the country with a number of guns that approaches the number of its citizens. A bill was backed by President Barack Obama, who's made gun control a signature issue since December's horrific shootings by a gunman at Sandy Hook Elementary School, which left twenty young children and six adults dead. The president, a vocal advocate for passing gun control legislation, had this to say in questioning why his proposals have failed in the congress:

" How can something have 90% support and yet not happen?" The answer is simple. The congress is owned by the NRA. The Citizens United ruling by the Supreme Court gave the NRA not only the right but the power to purchase the congress to insure that gun manufacturers could market their despicable product with no regulation.

There is but one solution to the immigration dilemma, and that is to enforce the laws already on the books. I refer to the laws that prohibit employers from hiring illegal immigrants. Here again, we see the bottom-line mentality of capitalism, which mandates that labor costs must be kept at an absolute minimum. There is no question but that the odious practice of hiring illegal immigrants at insufferably low salaries should be properly labeled "wage-slavery."

It should be clear that there is no place in a pure and unregulated capitalistic system for entitlements of any kind. They are viewed as unadulterated incentives to avoid work. It is my belief that any government that does not in some fashion assure that each of its citizens has the necessities to sustain life (food, shelter and health care) is a failed state.

Our pathetic system of education is a particular calamity in this capitalistic state. It is unquestionably designed for two purposes. The first is to provide for industry a competent work force. The second is to provide for a neurotic society a sufficient number of sychophants to maintain a stable populace. The true purpose of education should not be the simple passing on of knowledge, but teaching the student to think. Therefore, any reform in education should begin not with the question of how best to teach but of why we are teaching--not of methods but of purpose.

One of the great fears during the last election has been and remains that the incoming President will be in a position to appoint perhaps a multiple number of Supreme Court judges. The election of Donald Trump could mean the end of Roe v Wade and a continuance of Citizens United. It would sanction both the government's intrusion into a woman's right to decide and the capitalist's money declared equal to freedom of speech.

Of course, it is in the interest of the capitalistic system to preserve the second-class status of all minorities. What more need we say?

Could it be that the "invisible hand" of Adam Smith has plundered man's nobility?

Authors Bio:
Hal O'Leary is an 88 year old veteran of WWII who, having spent his life in theatre, and as a Secular Humanist, believes that it is only through the arts that we are afforded an occasional glimpse into the otherwise incomprehensible. As an 'atheist in the fox hole', he composed his epitaph at age 20.

With open mouth and open mind,
I came into the world to find
Life's riddle in one word defined,
BELIEVE!

And now, that Life is left behind,
Although I know they would be kind,
With open mouth and open mind,
I LEAVE!

Hal was recently inducted into the Wheeling Hall of Fame and is the recipient of an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from West Liberty University. His two favorite quotes are:

"I build my house on nothing, therefore the whole world is mine."
Johann Wolfgang Goethe

"I don't know if there is a Utopia, but I am certain that we must act as though there can be."
Sean O'Leary