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Capitalism refers to an economic and social system in which the means of production are predominantly privately owned and operated, and in which investments, distribution, income, production and pricing of goods and services are determined through the operation of a market economy. It is usually considered to involve the right of individuals and groups of individuals acting as "legal persons" or corporations to trade capital goods, labor, land and money.

Capitalism in The Gladiator[]

Capitalism on a large scale was vanquished by the end of the 20th century with the Soviet Union's triumph in the Cold War. Small scale capitalistic ventures remained as a necessary evil. However, capitalism on the whole was condemned to the ash heap of history, and any efforts to revive it was perceived by the world as a threat.

Crosstime Traffic had decided to subtly introduce ideas of capitalism into this particular alternate by establishing gaming shops in the Italian People's Republic and San Marino. While these were ultimately shut down by the Security Police, they planted an idea in the minds of game fans such as Gianfranco Mazzilli that the world did not have to remain stuck in its current rut forever. Eventually, Crosstime returned to that alternate with bookstores as their front.

Capitalism in A World of Difference[]

Unusually, a Soviet mission supported a capitalist society during the Minervan expedition of 1989. The crew of the Tsiolkovsky observed that the Skarmer society was capitalist. However, since most Minervans were feudalists, the Skarmer were actually progressive according to Karl Marx' dialectical materialism.

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