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a more social-democratic form of capitalism is still capitalism--but it is one shaped by concernsz about factors like the uneven distribution of wealth--or full employment---
the idea is usually that extending the benefits of capitalism to a wider circle than would enjoy them without redistribution of wealth makes for a better and more stable social system. of course, you can expect nothing but myopia from the present neoliberalism on this. they would prefer you imagine capitalism to be some hardwired human tendency, equal to all of trade for all of time--they would prefer it be understood as a natural formation--what they do not want is that folk understand it as a historical regime that human beings make and that can--and will--be altered.
on this, filtherton is right--any changes to the system holders of capital and their political affiliates have made in favor of the wider population have the wrenched from the system, usually as a result of fear of conflict, real or symbolic, from the left.
without significant political pressure from organized groups of citizens, capitalists do not and cannot respond coherently to the effects of their own economic activities. these are simple facts of the matter--the present american system will find out about version of this, sooner or later, whether the american right can admit of the possibility or not.
left to itself, contemporary/globalizing capitalism seems to be evolving in such a way as to limit the few remaining rights of citizens to bring political pressure to bear on the institutional framework within which markets operate. but then again, capitalists have always been afraid of politics, and have done everything possible to limit the purview of politics--if the accumulation of wealth is a private affair, and there are inequalities, who are you going to complain to? the american right carries water for the least responsive type of capitalism possible, one that has never worked for any period of time, and will not work this time out either.
this is all pretty straightforward is you actually take the time to look at the history of capitalism as it has unfolded in actual history, rather than relying on fictions about markets drawn from hayek.
on the other question at hand, concerning the enframing of the political left by the right: redbaiting is a fine old tradition of american conservatives. the way the left is characterized in conservative discourse is nothing more, less or different. it's what made mccarthy famous--and we know what folk like ann coulter think of mccarthy.redbaiting: its fun, its exciting, and it doesnt require an actual empirical correlate. its never about the actual left anyway, whatever that might be: its about helping conservatives draw a line between the inside and outside their ideological world.
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a gramophone its corrugated trumpet silver handle
spinning dog. such faithfulness it hear
it make you sick.
-kamau brathwaite
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