BC isn't only Before Christ, it's also Before Capitalism!

How did the world function before capitalism shaped our modern economy? Way before capitalism ruled, human societies organized production and trade through vastly different systems.

These early economic models were shaped by power, religion, tradition, and survival. From feudal obligations to barter exchanges, economic life revolved around custom and control rather than competition and profit.

To truly understand capitalism, one must first explore what came before it.

First, Feudalism, which was the dominant medieval economic system from the 9th to the 15th century. It revolved around land ownership, with kings granting land to nobles in exchange for loyalty and military service. Peasants or serfs worked the land and paid rent through labor, crops, or services.

Feudalism was a land-based system where economic roles were fixed by social status, not market forces. There were no real markets for labor or goods; obligations were hereditary and enforced through custom or law. Innovation and profit-seeking were discouraged, and mobility was limited. Local self-sufficiency and hierarchical obligations defined this system. Economic power followed political and military control, not enterprise or trade.

A transitional stage, Mercantilism, appeared in the 16th to 18th centuries as European states centralized power and expanded overseas trade. It emphasized accumulating precious metals, maintaining trade surpluses, and controlling colonial markets. Mercantilism was a state-controlled system focused on national wealth, not individual enterprise.

Governments imposed tariffs, monopolies, and regulations to strengthen national economies and weaken rivals. Capital accumulation began, but it was directed by state interests, not competitive markets. Merchants became more important, but they still relied on royal favor and monopolies.

Mercantilism laid the groundwork for capitalism, but lacked key features like open competition, wage labor markets, and private investment as the central driver of growth.

As we see, capitalism evolved from other systems, so it can be argued with conviction that capitalism will (and must) evolve into a new system of managing economic and social affairs.

Other than the very few super rich, a few million bankers, and an equal number of right-wing reactionaries, the VAST MAJORITY OF PEOPLE HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF CAPITALISM, and I believe will embrace Enufism as time progresses.

It won't be an overnight change, but given the impact of social media and smart phones, the metamorphosis could occcur faster than people generally imagine!