Capitalism is, specifically, the ability of private individuals to buy and sell companies.

The stock market is capitalist. “Venture capitalism” actually does mean capitalism. Company mergers, hostile takeovers, oligopolies, and monopolies are the direct result of the ability of private people to buy and sell companies. They are therefore capitalist.

i think this definition ignores the in my eyes far more important aspect of capitalism, that private individuals don’t just own companies, but owning companies also means they can command the workers and extract surplus value from them. so a legal classification of private property, and ownership rights.

i think without that, the definition is almost useless for criticising capitalism, because who would care, that people buy and sell companies, if they did not have power over the companies through that?

or am i missing something?