Late-stage Capitalism

Capitalism only works when theres is an exploitable working class

In this late-stage form, capitalism begins to cannibalize itself. As the pool of exploitable labor shrinks and the cost of living outpaces wages, the unsustainability of the model is exposed. Capitalism depends on a working class that is both expendable and replaceable. Cheap labor fuels profits. But when jobs are automated, off-shored beyond viability, or eliminated entirely, and people can no longer afford even the basic costs of survival, the promise of infinite growth collapses. With no new markets to exploit and no one left to carry the burden, the system begins to unravel.

To delay this breakdown, corporate interests work hand in hand with the politicians they fund to maintain control. The government, rather than protecting the public, actively denies access to quality education, undermines labor organizing, and dismantles social safety nets. These policies keep the population overworked, underpaid, and too overwhelmed to demand change. Practices like exploitative wages, at-will employment, and blocked pathways to advancement are not incidental. They are central to a system designed to extract labor while offering little in return.

At the same time, the state shields corporate power through tax breaks, deregulation, and bailouts. Risk is rewarded at the top while the working class is burdened with making up for any shortfalls. These are not isolated policy failures. They are intentional strategies used to preserve a system in decline, holding off collapse for the powerful by placing the weight of the crisis on those least able to bear it.