I always thought it was funny how the right uses commerce as the solution to all problems when it’s inherently exclusionary. You have money, you get things. You don’t, you starve… Government is supposed to be inherently inclusionary- all people are guaranteed inalienable rights by dint of their existence.
If we have to use capitalism, it should be backstopped by a system that continues to deliver when markets fail. This idea that we should run government like a business is ridiculous.
If you have capitalism that is heavily supported by a non-market system then you don’t really have capitalism. Heck, the big thing about capitalism is that there’s a massive threat of being without which forces people into exploitative situations. The concept of money is not locked to capitalism, despite the beliefs of what seems to be the majority of people, it is simply hyper-prioritized in that system.
Capitalism is where those with the most money have the most power, socialism is where society at large has the most power, etc. Whatever goes in front of the -ism is what gets put first.
Basically, you can 100% have private businesses under an -ism which largely prioritizes people, not capital. A government will operate utilities, education, healthcare, etc., as well as offer basic services like grocery stores and internet, and private business can handle your fancy bakeries, clothing stores, electronics, instruments, and all that stuff.
