Capitalism, which has become the dominant economic system in the world, requires a strong political and social capsule, made out of regulations and normative restrictions. The capsule in the United States has weakened since 1980; major industries and corporations are engaged in highly unethical and often illegal behavior. It is not a case of a few “rotten apples” in an otherwise healthy barrel—but a barrel whose contents are decomposing as a whole. Public opinion polls and political preferences indicate that large segments of the public are disenchanted with the current form of the capitalist system, and there are some indications that the economic elites recognize a growing public demand for a stronger capsule. This article closes by raising a question about the long-run sustainability of this economic system.

资本主义已经成为世界上占主导地位的经济体系，它需要不受规章制度和规范约束的强大的政治和社会包容。自1980年以来，美国的太空舱已经减弱。主要行业和公司都从事高度不道德且常常是非法的行为。这不是在一个健康的桶中放一些“烂苹果”的情况，而是一个内含物整体上会分解的桶。民意测验和政治偏好表明，很大一部分公众对资本主义制度的当前形式感到失望，并且有迹象表明，经济精英认识到公众日益增长的对更强大胶囊的需求。本文结尾时提出了有关该经济体系的长期可持续性的问题。