"Success is guaranteed only for those who strive for success" - the essential background component of the capitalist way of thought. Developed in the United Kingdom at the time of the Industrial Revolution, modern capitalism is the most practised as well as most influential economic system in the world today. Even though Ed Finn argues that free-market capitalism is barbaric, it creates the most stable economic environment, leading to perpetual international unity, thus eliminating any boundaries of success a hardworking, determined individual can achieve. .
A traditional concept of business, which states that the customer always comes first, is one of the main factors that defines the capitalistic system. It allows for the consumers to dictate their wants and needs, while the role of businesses consists of satisfying their demands. Moreover, capitalism excels in allocating scarce resources to where they are most economically productive, and it is the consumer demand that drives the allocation to the manufacturing of products and to the provision of services. Competition, which arises from the potential of the vast market, provides the incentive to supply goods and services as cheaply as possible and therefore use resources as efficiently as possible. Thus, while satisfying one of the vital human instincts to compete, capitalism also creates an economically stable environment by satisfying the consumer demands, keeping the prices low and using resources in the most productive manner possible. .
As the consumer demands are satisfied domestically, capitalism allows for governments and even entrepreneurs to spread their ventures abroad to other countries. One of the current main goals of the capitalist world is to create a free-trade international market, as NAFTA and the European Union were formed to enhance that ideal. Free trade allows for countries that have a competitive advantage in certain resources to trade with other countries that have an advantage in other areas of resources and products, each side benefiting by receiving a needed component.
