Another Noncapitalist Form of Development - Merchants and Middlemen

Capitalism is defined by exploitation of labor. The reason capitalists treat employees like dirt is because they exploit them. If they didn’t exploit their workers, they’d be friendlier to them.

Workers are not treated like garbage and ruthlessly exploited under state socialism, in cooperatives, and family owned businesses. There are employees under single proprietorships, artists, and middlemen.

If you hire workers and make a profit, you’re a capitalist or you are practicing capitalism. Businesses that just break even are noncapitalist. So nonprofits could actually make and sell widgets. The gross income would be enough to pay salaries and that’s it.

Middlemen and many single proprietor merchants are also noncapitalist. Unless the middleman is brokering out some individual worker’s labor. That would be capitalist with a twist that that the broker desperately needs the worker so the worker is not replaceable.

A woman who buys apples wholesale and sells retail at the market is not a capita…