If Tesla or SpaceX goes bust, Elon Musk will lose his fortune. This is one of the infatuations that Musk’s fans have with him – whether they are cognizant of it or not. Surely the reasons a Musk admirer would give you for their admiration is that Musk is pushing technology to the next level, he does not mind being outspoken about serious, sometime unpleasant, issues facing humanity, and he certainly does not mind dreaming up big ideas and pursuing them. He is also a freak-of-nature that can work a 20 hour/day schedule and sleep on a sleeping bag at the end of an assembly line during the final push of a project. Not to mention he is still the driving force behind the technological advances in each company while maintaining a vital role in the day-to-day operations of each of his companies. Particularly in the case of SpaceX, which is still a non-public corporation, the tech, managerial, and business expertise of Musk is the critical factor in the business’ success – or failure. Taking these risks has made Musk a billionaire and a well-respected individual across industry lines, and there are dozens of examples of similar personalities in the world. These CEOs have truly shown the beauty of an operational meritocracy that allows for the advancement of those who work hard and deliver value to society.

However, these men and women represent a small portion of the CEOs in today’s business environment.

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The “golden-parachuters” of Wall Street do not share such admirations from the common man – perhaps because, as Americans shockingly witnessed in 2008, the CEOs of Wall Street and massive entrenched industry leaders were neither liable for the mishandling of their own businesses nor of the American economy.

If Capitalism were religion, it was as if the consumer apostatized. God was dead.

Capitalism had failed, and continues to fail, Americans in key industrial, commercial, and financial sectors of the market. Some market engines have thrived such as hardware and software sector, I.T. sector, to some extent the energy sector, and perhaps even the high-tech manufacturing sector. But so many other crucial sectors seem to have plateaued and entrenched themselves in a counter-capitalistic way. Pseudo-monopolies via economies of scale have stunted manufacturing industries; mergers and acquisitions on a scale not witnessed since the Roaring Twenties have created sector goliaths that have either bought out or stomped out any potential David; diversification of wealth and capital by the incredibly wealthy have insulated them from any potential sector specific market disruptions; technology has driven down the value of labor and increased the bottom line of companies exponentially; hordes of professional lobbyists have positioned government in a way that advantages certain entrenched interests; the litany of examples goes on. It is no wonder why so many constituents feel that the “Washington is broken,” or that the “system is rigged.” The very foundation of our meritocracy has been hijacked. Capitalism is no longer working for the majority – no longer can one expect to sign a social contract exchanging ones labor for fair wages and security. Capitalism has become a cutthroat, amoral endeavor.

And soon the majority will revolt.

Donald Trump Donald John TrumpBiden leads Trump by 36 points nationally among Latinos: poll Trump dismisses climate change role in fires, says Newsom needs to manage forest better Jimmy Kimmel hits Trump for rallies while hosting Emmy Awards MORE is trashing traditional Adam Smith David (Adam) Adam SmithWhen 'Buy American' and common sense collide Overnight Defense: Marine Corps brushes off criticism of Marines' appearance in GOP convention video | US troops injured in collision with Russian vehicle in Syria | Dems ask for probe of Vindman retaliation allegations Democrats press Pentagon watchdog to probe allegations of retaliation against Vindman brothers MORE, Free Market, true capitalistic notions that Republicans have pushed for decades. Bernie Sanders Bernie SandersNYT editorial board remembers Ginsburg: She 'will forever have two legacies' Two GOP governors urge Republicans to hold off on Supreme Court nominee Sanders knocks McConnell: He's going against Ginsburg's 'dying wishes' MORE has uncovered a massive populist hungry for what adds up to “Diet Socialism”. The country is at odds between those how have navigated the effects of globalism relatively successfully and those who have not. And even amongst those who have successfully navigated globalism there are scores of grievances directed towards Washington and Wall Street. If those grievances are not addressed acutely, accurately, and expeditiously, it should come as no surprise to anyone that a man such as Donald Trump could be elected the President of these United States.

But there is a solution. Moral Capitalism. Adam Smith talks about so much more than just the “political economy” and free trade concepts in his 1776 The Wealth of Nations that is often touted as canonical scripture by those in favor of globalism. In his magnum opus, Smith prerequisites all of his revelations with a series of conditions. For instance, Smith argued that “factions” that used their influence to coerce government into acting a certain way were potentially detrimental to a capitalistic society. He also notes how organized labor, which is important to maintain decent wages and protections for workers, is often disparaged as a net negative for society and any form of perceived aggression coming from these groups is swiftly subdued. Yet, he goes on, the organization of “masters” (read: mergers and acquisitions) often is “never heard of” and masters “enter into particular combinations to sink the wages of labor even below [the fair] rate.” Smith also rails against monopolists for manipulating stock so that they can receive the “highest [price] which can be squeezed out of the buyers.”

Smith was intimately aware of the dangers and flaws posed by capitalism and devotes a large portion of The Wealth of Nations discussing, and warning, about these potential shortfalls. It’s apparent that many regulating, participating, and leading the global economy skipped these chapters. Today, we find ourselves with monopolies-in-practice that manipulate the wages workers and the supply and availability of products to reap profits high above margins; lobbyists that influence government with frightening efficiency; and a string of “combinations amongst masters” in private while the tarring of unions and organized labor carries on publicly. Smith’s dystopian prophesy of capitalism is today a reality.

But it does not need to be this way. Moral Capitalism as Smith proscribes is still a possibility. With intelligence and information at unprecedented levels, consumers have the collected knowledge of humanity at their literal finger tips. It’s time that we vote and properly award businesses with our dollars. The consumer must play their role in supporting companies that support the same ideals you do. Whether that be a local business, Costco, Chickfila, or a community bank. Shopping the places you truly believe are an example of Moral Capitalism is the beginning of the systematic transformation. No utilitarian business is going to change their business model if it is grossly profitable.

The government could aide in this endeavor as well – but as was mentioned above, the entrenched D.C. interests may prove too large a hurdle for the anti-nimble Congress to overcome. But just to hypothesize, the Congress could take lessons from FDR’s New Deal as an working example of a successful regulation on the financial industry that not only protected the market economy, capitalism, and individuals, but it also helped growth (though some skeptics claim it was in fact WWII that saved America from The Depression, not FDR’s policies), it maximized the societal benefits of capitalist institutions while mitigating the amoral side effects.

The real drivers of change, however, must be the CEOs in charge of these corporations. This brings me back to Musk. Forever adventurous, efficiently reallocating capital to add value to society, and making hard decisions with good intentions, these are the traits and values that must be adopted not only by the leaders of corporations, but as a culture in the organization itself. By listening to the grievances of laborers, professionals, and communities, the faith in capitalism can be restored.

That, or prepare for an economic revolution.

Mercer May is a J.D. Candidate at the University of Richmond and has worked in numerous public policy and legislative rolls - including the Virginia House of Delegates, the Senate of Virginia, and the Office of the Attorney General of Virginia. He holds a B.A. in Political Science, a B.A. in Religious Studies, and a minor in Economics from Virginia Commonwealth University.