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The Morality of Capitalism

By Nina Camoriano

(This essay was submitted as a portion of Nina’s application to the Kentucky Governor’s Scholars Program.)

“I am a valuable person,

I have dignity and worth,

And what I do makes a difference.”

This is the credo of the “Affective Skills” program, part of our Freshman religion class at Assumption.  The goal of this class is to learn to apply this ideal in our daily lives, learning that it is true not only for ourselves, but for every individual.  When this ideal is honored, it comes with many benefits for all, and there is only one economic system that embodies that credo for every individual: Capitalism.

Capitalism is truly the ideology that treats every person as a “valuable person” with “dignity and worth.”  A unique part of Capitalism is that it respects private property, which really means respecting the individual and the fruits of his labor.  For example, I recently purchased a customized doll for a friend’s Christmas present.  Under Capitalism, the girl who made this customized doll is a valuable person, regardless of her race, religion, family connections, or social status.  All people “have dignity and worth” in the Capitalist system, because everyone has something to offer.  From paper routes to PCs, services and products have value as do the people who create them.

          In the Capitalist system, people are also valuable as consumers.  Businesses compete to serve their customers, and customers have the power to choose which products they will buy.  I recently started a business making DVD Photo Slideshows (www.Cherubproduction.com), and I quickly learned that, if I want to stay in business, I have to treat my customers with dignity and respect on a daily basis.  I use the music and photos they want, and I painstakingly touch up every photo, because—regardless of how good I feel my taste is—if my customers are dissatisfied, I am out of business. 

Capitalism also gives people the power to accomplish goals, thus fulfilling the third portion of the creed, “what I do makes a difference.”  For example, when Hurricane Mitch pummeled Honduras in 1998, it left many people in dire straits.  My family felt a special connection to those families, because my father is from Honduras.  We were able to organize a relief effort and sent a Chiquita Banana container filled with medicines, clothing, and food down to my aunt’s church in Honduras, where they distributed the materials to people in need.  We also sent monetary donations to aid this church in its mission of building housing for the many families whose belongings were swept away.  Thanks to Capitalism, we were able to marshal our resources immediately without having to deal with bureaucratic red tape and without having to get a majority of people to agree with us—and we made a huge difference that would have been nearly impossible under any other ideology.

          Capitalism has served our country well by respecting the inherent value of each person and by helping people achieve their dreams.  As such, Americans are called to respect and protect Capitalism in order to help our people flourish.

(Editor’s note:  We are very proud of Nina’s accomplishments!  This year, she was on Assumption’s field hockey team, which won the state championship.  She was named a National Merit semifinalist, received first place in Kentucky on the national Spanish IV test, and had a perfect score on the verbal portion of the SAT (math still has a little room for improvement).  She was also in Assumption’s advanced choir, and she has been accepted into the Kentucky Governor’s Scholars program, which will occupy her for five weeks this summer.  Nina hopes to find a good college where she can study engineering and liberal arts, and her parents, currently suffering from college sticker shock, will spend the next year trying to figure out a way to pay all those bills!)

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