A great question: capitalism

[Mark Kohut]

 In the "capitalist mixed economy", the state intervenes in market activity and provides many services.[16] 
During the last century capitalism has often been contrasted with centrally planned economies. The central axiom of Capitalism is that the best allocation of resources is achieved through consumers having free choice, and producers responding accordingly to meet collective consumer demand. This contrasts with planned economies in which the state directs what shall be produced.----------wikipedia
 
"Capitalism, said by historians to go back to the Late Middle Ages [as merchant capitalism], was first used by Thackeray
in 1854" says the OED......the word "capitalist' a bit earlier by such as Marx, Engels and Proudhon. 
 
the root comes from cattle, chattel....
 
see wikipedia for more.....
 

Bekah wrote:
But the big Communist countries of our times (Russia, China) and many of the smaller ones were the same way - it was all about centralized control of every economic thing and a bunch of political/social things, too.  I think fascism is something more or something other, like the addition of a seriously militarist based society.  (Yes, US ca Reagan and the Bushies and as portrayed  in Vineland.)  Fascism is a just a capitalist-militarist version of Communism - it's about a dictatorship of the state.  -  the problem is (imo, of course)  at what point is some central control necessary and at what point is it too much.

Bekah