Why I Love Capitalism

My intent is to start with specifics as they relate to me and my business, Designs by Eileen LLC, then go on to generalities that could apply to anyone.

I started Designs by Eileen in 2017, although it was not until 2018 that I made any sales. Capitalism gives me my best chance to make a success of my company. I have the same opportunities as any other company, although there is no guarantee that I will have the same results. I control everything about Designs by Eileen. Its success or failure is dependent only on me and my efforts.

Capitalism gives me the chance to use my creative talents to try to make a living. I do not have to sacrifice my principles or be a drone. I have opened a store on Café Press, which allows me to have my designs on more merchandise than would be economically possible for me to do on my own. Capitalism at work! Right now, the money from sales is put back into the company to use to buy materials to make more items to sell at conventions.

I probably will not see a profit in the first couple of years. I will keep track of what items are my best sellers and which are not so good. I will make more of what sells and less of what does not. It is 100% my choice – nobody tells me what I should or should not make. My success or failure is based on my own efforts, not on what the collective tells me I should do. I set my own prices. I have had no problems with people not willing to pay the price I set. In socialism, I would not have that option. I would have to charge whatever the collective told me to charge.

When it comes to a job outside of Designs by Eileen, I have the freedom to choose whatever field interests me. I used to work in accounting. But in the last year, I have found more fulfillment in working in education. If the collective needs more accountants than educational professionals, I would not have the freedom to make a career change. (I am glad there are people who find accounting a fulfilling career choice – especially when tax time rolls around!)

Moving to more general terms, it is because of capitalism that our store shelves are full. Buying day-old bread is a conscious choice, not because day-old bread is our only choice. Competition between brands keeps prices lower than they would be in a system like socialism. Prices are determined by what customers are willing to pay.

I can go on Amazon or Superhero Stuff or eBay (or any other similar sites) and buy whatever I like as long as it is offered at what is to me a reasonable price. If I am looking for something specific at a convention, I can shop around and see who has the best price and buy it from that seller. Without capitalism/free market, my choices are limited and everyone would have to charge the same price.

Looking for craft supplies? Both Hobby Lobby and Michaels offer a wide variety of choices. And within walking distance of a shopping mall in St. Paul, MN (Maplewood Mall) there is a Hobby Lobby on one side of the street and a Michaels on the other side of the street. Even more choices and practically right next door to each other! Capitalism at its finest.

Hard work is no guarantee of success, but without it you are guaranteed not to succeed.  Working hard in capitalism means you reap the rewards of your work. In socialism, working hard means handing everything over to the state and a good portion is handed over to those who do not want to work hard – or work at all – to give them what they want for free.

Capitalism gives me the freedom to do what I love and to have a wide variety of choices when it comes to how I spend the money I have earned. That is why I love capitalism.

Cosplay Update

Long overdue update, but I am working on this cosplay again.

1974 Wonder Woman TV Movie Review

I watched the 1974 Wonder Woman TV Movie recently. (I did not see it when it was originally broadcast.) I have mixed feelings about this version of Wonder Woman. Blonde Cathy Lee Crosby did not fit my image of Wonder Woman. It did not seem as though she had much of a secret identity. Almost everyone knew she was Wonder Woman even when not dressed as Wonder Woman.

A major plus in the casting was having the always wonderful Ricardo Montalban as the villain, Abner Smith. I don’t know if his role as the villain was supposed to be a surprise (we do not actually see his face for quite some time), but he had an extremely distinctive voice so it was no surprise when we saw his face.

The movie opens with Wonder Woman saying good bye to her mother and her Amazon sisters. In the United States, other than having amazing athletic abilities, she has no super powers. Repeated attempts on her life fail. I was hoping for at least one round of bullets and bracelets, but no such luck.

Smith’s henchmen have stolen books that when all gathered together, contain information that would compromise all the U.S. Agents in the world.  Diana Prince informs her boss, Steve Trevor, that she is going to a dentist in France, which just happens to be one of the places Smith may be located... Meanwhile, Steve follows the instructions for delivering the ransom money for return of the books.

One worthy opponent appears – a fellow Amazon who was hired by Smith. Wonder Woman has been warned about her arrival. They meet and Wonder Woman easily defeats her. She shows mercy to her defeated opponent. She, however, tells Wonder Woman that next time they meet, if she wins she will kill Wonder Woman. She is never seen again in the movie. My guess is that if the TV movie had led to a TV series, she would have been a recurring villain.

After the ransom has been delivered successfully, Smith hands the books over to Wonder Woman. He sets a trap for her that he believes will finally be the end of her.

After all of Smith’s minions have been disposed of and he believes Wonder Woman has died, he believes he is free to leave with the money. His plan is foiled when Wonder Woman rises out of the sea and stops him. His parting comment before he is taken away is, “Wonder Woman, I love you.”

Will I ever watch this movie again? The jury is still out on that one.

Review of The Secret History of Wonder Woman by Jill Lepore

I borrowed this book from the library, expecting not to like it. I was not disappointed. (In the interest of full disclosure, I will say right now that I am not a feminist.)

It was well-researched. However, Lepore made sure we knew how well-researched it was. She used paragraphs to say something that could have been said in one sentence. I personally did not need to know the whole life stories of William Moulton Marston, Elizabeth Holloway Marston and Olive Byrne.

I kept reading out of morbid curiosity to see how bad things would get. I learned why things that bothered me in the first volume of the Wonder Woman Omnibus (e.g., women who have been freed from slavery still wanting to wear chains) were there. Marston was into bondage and believed “The secret of woman’s allure is that women enjoy submission – being bound.” He insisted that every story included Wonder Woman being bound.

Among the women who inspired Wonder Woman were Marston’s wife, Elizabeth, his mistress, Olive, and Olive’s aunt, the infamous Margaret Sanger. (Although to be fair, I have read in a few different sources that Sanger eventually abandoned her support for abortion. I have not read anything one way or the other if she also abandoned her racism and support for eugenics.)

Once I got past Lepore’s problem of showing us all her research (doing lots of research – good; showing us all her research in her book – bad), I do not find a lot of admirable qualities in the Wonder Woman Marston created. I will take Silver Age Wonder Woman over Golden Age Wonder Woman any day of the week. Men were frequently depicted in the Golden Age Wonder Woman as brutes who treat women as chattel. It was not about female equality, it was about female superiority. Even Steve Trevor, in a nightmare Wonder Woman had, expected a no longer super-powered Wonder Woman to stay home and take care of him.

Marston was a classic beta male. He could not keep a job, his wife wanted children but did not want to take care of them. Her job provided financial support for the family. His mistress stayed at home to take care of the children. Olive claimed to be a widow and that her children were fathered by her late husband, not by Marston, as was the reality. There were four children, two by his wife, two by his mistress. All of which was kept under wraps until recently.

The infamous Fredric Wertham despised comic books, believing them to be a negative influence on children. Most of his subjects were reformatory residents, which obviously skewed his results. He already decided what he wanted to find – and found it. Wonder Woman was a major target. Robert Kanigher, who took over Wonder Woman after Marston, was not a fan of Marston’s Wonder Woman and did whatever he wanted with her. His Wonder Woman became a romance editor. Eventually a balance was struck between Moulton’s version and Kanigher’s version.

The Secret History of Wonder Woman was not a particularly enjoyable read, but it did give me insight into how feminists view things. It was too long, somewhat boring and plodding. It was not an effective way to get across her message, even if it had been a message I approved of.  I cannot recommend this book under any circumstances. Two thumbs way, way down on this one.