How Has America Survived Two Centuries of Capitalism?

Moderated by Warren Olney, Host, KCRW’s “To the Point”

The United States is envied around the world for its unparalleled wealth. But its riches would not have been possible without what Alan Greenspan has called America’s “unique tolerance” for the messy effects of capitalism’s creative destruction. What is so special about our brand of capitalism that generations of Americans have been willing to endure so much wrenching change in its service? What moments in history have shaped America’s complicated relationship with capitalism? And how have Americans tried to balance our tolerance of economic inequality with our nation’s long-stated principles of fairness and justice? Economist political editor Adrian Wooldridge, co-author of Capitalism in America: A History, visits Zócalo to examine America’s enduring affection for an economic system that produces so much pain alongside its gains.