I’m Not a Socialist; I’m a Democratic Capitalist

As someone who is so strongly passionate about economic, social and environmental sustainability but a staunch economic conservative, I find myself never really fitting in with my friends when it comes to political persuasion. For my right-wing friends, I am too left, and for my left-wing friends, I am too right.

I’m not a socialist, and I’m not a traditional capitalist.

While writing a recent article on the Accountable Capitalism Act, the right words to describe what I believe in suddenly dawned on me.

I am a democratic capitalist.

I love capitalism. Capitalism inspires people to work harder, strive to be their best, accomplish more and inspire others.

However, I do not believe in corporate greed. I do not believe that companies should be working purely to further the interests of their shareholders.Yes, a company needs to be economically sustainable in its own right, but it does not need to be so at the detriment of the wider economy, our global society and the environment.

This is where the democratic side of my argument comes in. The more voices we have involved in capitalist decision-making, the more we are operating for the greater good of our entire economy, society and environment. We want to move away from this system where…