Ryan, thanks for reading and for the thoughtful commentary. Certainly capitalism has its issues — it is run by humans, after all. Governments have always needed to regulate markets to try to balance the freedom with the excesses it brings.

I think you would be surprised about how big companies like Shell actually operate in Nigeria (where I currently live and work). Since the government just siphons off funds, Shell and other multi-nationals are the ones building schools and hospitals for the local communities. The government then pushes Shell to do business with their friends’ companies, etc. It’s similar to how business was done in England before capitalism and democracy, where the king decided who could do business and who gets rich, etc.

Shell and other multi-nationals are also a major source of the middle-class in a place like Africa. Local professionals can make a good living with benefits and pensions, something they would not have without these companies. Local companies pay much less and have many more safety and environmental issues than the multi-nationals. The main thing they accomplish is to allow a politician or their friend to get rich.

So while it isn’t perfect, I do believe that overall capitalism, even large multi-nationals, are a net benefit. No issues with trying to improve how the world works, but I wouldn’t wait for a ‘perfect’ system before getting started improving lives.