BB is a 19 year old bi racial male, who recently graduated from high school in his hometown of Fredericksburg, VA. He is currently employed at a popular fast-food chain restaurant in the same area.
How would you define capitalism?
a free market economy
What has your personal experience with capitalism been? What is your relationship with capitalism?
I am a consumer, and I’ve have a good experience because I have been able to buy my own things and no one can tell me what to buy
What do you think are some alternatives to capitalism?
Communism, it looks good on paper, but doesn’t work in reality.
How does capitalism influence America? How is it influenced America in the past?
“capitalism allows the American Dream of the house with the white picket fence and 2 kids to be possible, that if you work hard you can attain that. It was easier to get in the past
What do you think are capitalism’s origins? Both globally and in the United States?
I don’t know, probably with the start of democracy.
Why do you think that?
because democracy and capitalism are tied together
How do you think social issues have affected capitalism, both now and in the past?
There can be discrimination because in a free market, if an employer doesn’t want to hire a certain person, whether they’re a woman or of a different race, they can do that.
How do you think capitalism has changed over time? What are some examples?
The government has gotten more involved in the economy in recent decades, by doing things like bank bailouts, and corporations have more influence. So, now it’s harder for small businesses to start.
Do you think capitalism is a natural fit for human nature? Why or why not?
Yes, because people naturally want to have things, and a free market allows them to have the things that they want.
But, you said earlier that there can be discrimination. How do those affected by employment discrimination get to have the things that they want?
Oh, yeah…but for the most part..
Has capitalism been taught to you at different levels of your education?
Yes, I learned about it in high school government
Ultimately, BB believes that capitalism is a natural fit. He believe in the “American Dream,” that people can attain the things that they want under capitalism if they work hard. However, he is contradictory in his answers, also pointing out that there are exceptions to those who can flourish under a capitalist system. However, his inability to manage those contradictions shows his limited understandings. Furthermore, his understandings of the historical background of capitalism are limited, but he makes the connection between democracy and capitalism.
