Capitalism is definitely not Democratic by default, just look at the fucking CCP or Russia.

Khashdrahr stopped translating and frowned perplexedly. “Please, this average man, there is no equivalent in our language, I’m afraid.”

“You know,” said Halyard, “the ordinary man, like, well, anybody—those men working back on the bridge, the man in that old car we passed. The little man, not brilliant but a good-hearted, plain, ordinary, everyday kind of person.”

Khashdrahr translated.

“Aha,” said the Shah, nodding, “Takaru.”

“What did he say?”

“Takaru,” said Khashdrahr. “Slave.”

“No Takaru,” said Halyard, speaking directly to the Shah. “Ci-ti-zen.”

“Ahhhhh,” said the Shah. “Ci-ti-zen.” He grinned happily. “Takaru—citizen. Citizen—Takaru.”

“No Takaru!” said Halyard.

“Drop dead,” called one of the rock throwers. Reluctantly, surlily, he came down to the road and moved two wheelbarrows very slowly, studying the car and its occupants as he did it. He stepped to one side.

“Thanks! It’s about time!” said Halyard as the limousine eased past the man.

“You’re welcome, Doc,” said the man, and he spat in Halyard’s face.

Halyard sputtered, manfully regained his poise, and wiped his face. “Isolated incident,” he said bitterly.

“Takaru yamu brouha, pu dinka bu,” said the Shah sympathetically.

“The Shah,” said Khashdrahr gravely, “he says it is the same with Takaru everywhere since the war.”

Pithy, but one of the weaker critiques of capitalism imo. All of human history has been a hard struggle against starvation. Any system of government requires enough people working to produce food, or we’ll all “get dead”.

Labor creates all wealth, the problem with capitalism is too few people end up with too much wealth