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The difference between commerce and capitalism might seem like a semantic distinction, but understanding this gap illuminates how our entire economic system functions today. Commerce—the simple exchange of goods based on mutual needs—has existed in all human societies since time immemorial. It's relational, built on trust and reciprocity. But capitalism? That's something else entirely.

In this deep dive, we trace capitalism's evolution from feudal Europe through the first multinational corporations to today's tech monopolies. The story begins with the rise of merchant classes who threatened landed elites, and the subsequent creation of corporate charters that married private capital with state violence. The Dutch and British East India Companies—with their own militaries, courts, and prisons—represent the first true capitalistic enterprises, extracting wealth globally while distributing risk through public stock offerings.

This historical development fundamentally transformed human values. Worth became determined not by usefulness but by exchange value. Time became money. Work became wage labor. The abstraction of wealth from tangible goods to returns on investment created our modern financial system where billionaires claim to assume risk while actually transferring it to workers and consumers.

From ExxonMobil's resource extraction backed by military force to Amazon's 30% marketplace cut while enjoying massive tax breaks, the mechanisms have evolved but the underlying structure remains. Delaware's corporate secrecy laws hide the modern version of those early public charters from scrutiny, while our legal system obligates companies to maximize quarterly profits regardless of human or environmental costs.

Understanding this history challenges us to reimagine what trade could look like without domination. How might we increase reciprocal commerce in our communities while resisting exploitative capitalism? Join this conversation about one of the most misunderstood but influential systems shaping our world today, and discover practical ways to support alternatives that benefit everyone, not just those at the top.

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