So, maybe it will help to look at what is Not Capitalism. In say some midecentury communist country, the workers owned the capital, right? In practice, though

So, maybe it will help to look at what is Not Capitalism. In say some midecentury communist country, the workers owned the capital, right? In practice, though, someone who called themselves a worker (a party secretary) with political power had de facto control over how and where the capital was allocated and spent. Sounds an awful lot like private ownership. Also, it resembles some parts of the US, like defense, where single bid contracts go conveniently to the friends of lawmakers. It's the taxpayer's capital, right, not privately owned? The capital in these cases is not explicit in a spreadsheet, but it undeniably exists and is owned. My example of the Japanese salaryman is similar: if my boss at Mitsubishi is the division leader of heavy industry, my paycheck comes in large part from being able to give his name on the phone with someone when asking for a favor. I'm not paid that, but I own the privilege -- the capital -- if I get high enough up at Mitsubishi. I can even pass this intangible owned thing along to my children, through my family name. These are all of my cut-and-dry examples, but there are many which are more muddled. The spending of huge companies on lobbying--is that Capitalism? Or some perversion? Depending on what point you're trying to make ideologically, these situations are all either Capitalism OR Not Capitalism, OR somewhere in between. So what the hell is capitalism anyway and why is it even useful to talk about it like the way the OP talks about it? That is my point.