I believe that capitalism, if unrestrained, can be deadly.

When capitalism is sensibly regulated, it is the world's best system, because it utilizes innovation and hard work. When functioning properly, it generates wealth and prosperity like no other system.

However, it is not perfect. It welcomes self-interest, which tends to generate greed. Some are driven to selfishness and crime to satisfy their lust for money, as demonstrated by our current financial debacle.

It would be wonderful if our country were run as if by a well-managed family, loving and caring for all of its members, and responsibly so.

We are not all of equal skill or drive. Many are born into poverty, a few into riches. Some are gifted, some are dull. As a capitalist country, there becomes a tendency for a few to become unbelievably wealthy, and many to become utterly destitute.

Cheating, theft and pure selfishness are avenues to great wealth, as so recently demonstrated, but these are few compared with the power of capital to create wealth.

So, I believe we should delegate more to our government than national defense, highways, police and fire, the courts, etc., and delegate that it oversees the function of capitalism to ensure that it is honest and fair to all participants, including workers and stockholders. If redistributive taxation is part of the process, than so be it.

Russ Connors

Orcutt

October 27, 2009