Capitalism In Ron Swanson's Parks And Recreation

In the TV show Parks and Recreation, the character Ron Swanson, a self proclaimed libertarian, argues that that capitalism is, “God’s way of determining who is smart and who is poor” (Daniels and Schur). While many modern supporters of capitalism share Swanson’s sentiment toward this economic system built on the notion that anyone can pull themselves up from their bootstraps, the historical rise of of capitalism, along with its modern implications, show that it may not be as perfect and “godly” as advocates may proclaim. Beginning with European exploration, the history of the world would never be the same after the expansion of capitalism and the exploration and subsequent exploitation performed by the Europeans. As soon as the first European explorers set foot on new lands, the history of the world would never be the same. When

With the Spanish primarily in Latin America and the English and French in the north, the Europeans toppled empires, destroyed villages, and killed countless civilians on false criminal charges (Leon-Portilla). The Atlantic Slave Trade followed on the heels of conquest after the Europeans had killed so many of the indigenous population that they no longer had enough workers on their plantations and in their gold mines. Millions of enslaved Africans were kidnapped from their homeland and forced to work for their white masters. This slave trade, while highly lucrative for the Europeans who gained both product and production, was ultimately detrimental to the governments and economies of