I'm not suggesting that the alternative to unregulated capitalism is a powerful state, unless by powerful you mean a state that regulates businesses for the good of the people. I'm also not suggesting that capitalism should be entirely replaced. It just needs to be managed with proper boundaries and rules, else it devolves entirely into a financial-only scenario.
Take for example the recent deregulation that is undoing clean water and air protections to the benefit of a few industries. That obviously takes something (health) away from the people and gives it to a few companies as financial profits. Of course, those deregulations came because the companies had lobbyists and other agents who were providing financial benefit to a few politicians, and those politicians greedily placed themselves above the people.
When the government bodies that should be prosecuting criminal negligence (such as the 2007/8 banking crisis), the pharma-created opiod crisis, etc. have been gradually staffed by people from the industries doing the bad acting, that leaves society armless and unable to do anything other than protest (which they do, at times). But unless those protests become really violent (which I don't want), nothing can happen. Remember Occupy Wall Street? That was beginning to be an effective protest campaign, but eventually the cities began employing illegal tactics to break it up and shut it down. Since the people didn't turn violent, it was successfully put down.
I don't see a solution to the current situation other than waiting it out until the old corrupt people in power die off naturally. Younger generations are enough pissed that they might change some things once there are fewer kings of the political hills.
Take for example the recent deregulation that is undoing clean water and air protections to the benefit of a few industries. That obviously takes something (health) away from the people and gives it to a few companies as financial profits. Of course, those deregulations came because the companies had lobbyists and other agents who were providing financial benefit to a few politicians, and those politicians greedily placed themselves above the people.
When the government bodies that should be prosecuting criminal negligence (such as the 2007/8 banking crisis), the pharma-created opiod crisis, etc. have been gradually staffed by people from the industries doing the bad acting, that leaves society armless and unable to do anything other than protest (which they do, at times). But unless those protests become really violent (which I don't want), nothing can happen. Remember Occupy Wall Street? That was beginning to be an effective protest campaign, but eventually the cities began employing illegal tactics to break it up and shut it down. Since the people didn't turn violent, it was successfully put down.
I don't see a solution to the current situation other than waiting it out until the old corrupt people in power die off naturally. Younger generations are enough pissed that they might change some things once there are fewer kings of the political hills.