There was capitalism in ancient China, there was capitalism in Renaissance Italy, presumably there was bartering in Neolithic times, but the cotton spinney in Britain and other inventions in this inventive country were the big trigger, with Adam Smith's theories providing both the justification and at the same time very Marxian anxieties about capitalism's negative potential.
One of the ancient problems of managerial capitalism is that the managers often have no particular incentive to be frugal with money that belongs to someone else.
Despite the waggish invocation of ancient Rome, the story in "Capitalism" more truly begins where and when its director did, in Flint, Mich., after the end of World War II.
Marx held that human history had progressed through a series of stages, from ancient slave society through feudalism to capitalism.
But they care less about crowd-pulling capitalism and more about an ancient gypsy code.
As the ancient joke runs, what's the difference between capitalism and communism?
Beijing finally learned the lesson: what is the oppressive power of secret police forces, camps and Red Guards destroying ancient monuments compared to the power of unbridled capitalism to undermine all traditional social relations?
Therein lies one of the main problems in the United States-China economic relationship, one that is succinctly explained in James McGregor's new book "No Ancient Wisdom, No Followers: The Challenge of Chinese Authoritarian Capitalism".
Beyond the materialist confines of "economy" and "capitalism," there are nascent movements (always built upon timeless wisdom and ancient traditions) to create a new collective consciousness, a new culture.
The short, choppy thrust-and-parry of How Capitalism Will Save Us is very different in style from the ancient myths and poetic morality tales woven elegantly through Power Ambition Glory.
