Some people, like myself, disagree with many aspects of capitalism because of the reasons listed on wikipedia; however, as a Democratic Socialist, I will give you my personal views on capitalism.
Pro:
-People who work harder, in some cases, are able to get more money than people who don't.
-People who are more skilled, in some cases, are able to get more money than people who don't.
I believe that people who have more skills should be of more value; however, I believe that effort is an essential factor as well. Modern capitalism completely disregards luck. According to studies, little of intelligence is actually capable of being developed by the individual. Intelligence develops when a person is too young to care and is primarily inherited. Therefore, the fact that people have the ability to advance in a capitalist society is simply a matter of chance. Hard work is irrelevant when people are randomly dealt a better hand than others.
Someone mentioned they grew up in a difficult situation and got out of it. That isn't always possible for everyone, and, frankly, it is a matter of luck is some cases. Personality and human characteristics are all a matter of chance. Every action taken is rather a reaction.
Socialism is far superior to capitalism in the fact that it is humane. It strives to eliminate a hierarchy and work towards the good of all people for the best of humanity. Instead of capitalism exploiting negative characteristics for the benefit of some, socialism, in my opinion, should be used to benefit all.
An employer finds it easier to punish employees as motivation than to reward them because of how capitalist society is structured. Socialism, over time, would remove that occurance. The problem with socialism failing is that it is an evolutionary process. Society can be viewed through a darwinian lens and analyzed. People cannot create the perfect society through some violent revolution. Socialism is an inevitable path the world will lead into if, in fact, evolution truly exists.
Structured capitalism, of course, is nice; however, socialism eventually eliminates the characteristics which cause flaws in society. Capitalism uses those flaws to benefit society - which is good - but they are still around to infest the world once again.
As a smart kid growing up, I was once a strong capitalist. I thought, "Why should I have less than people who aren't as skilled as me". I had no realization of the true facts of life and the unfair qualities it contains. Socialism is the answer.
Socialism is an ideal that, in my opinion, we should all strive towards. You will hear peope say socialism is prevalent in kids and not in adults. That is true, and people may tell you that wisdom is the factor. However, it is not. Capitalist society crushes the hearts of the spirited children who grow up striving for a better world. Adults have simply been thwarted by the evils of the world while children and young adults remain stronger in their convinctions.
If you read about socialists and communists, you will usually find that they are emotional and bitter people. Frustrated with capitalist society, they don't give up fighting for the good of all people.
I believe society will improve and should strive towards ideals rather than been caught up in what is 'realistic' according to our peers. Something is realistic if the environment allows it to be, and the environment is malleable.