There are certain economic systems that promote the virtues of the individual more so than others. Although, at a certain level there will always be people at the top who succeed, there will always be another set of people on the economic fringe who are more vulnerable to the economic systems in which they live and work in.

And, just as well, there will always be individuals who occupy the lower strata of the economic stratosphere that have little or no hope of obtaining a higher standard of living; either out of circumstances that are outside of their control or out of their upholding of a value system which keeps them there. So, in order to accurately access the value system of competing economic frameworks it is best to look at those on the fringe of either becoming something great or continuing in mediocrity.

Two hundred years from now capitalism and free markets will still be the best economic system to promote economic virtues of the individual.  But can the same be said for any country fortunate enough to be founded on free market principals and foolish enough to follow a path of abandonment?