Reply #3: No.

[JHBowden]

Democracy is a system of rule by the ruled, which can either be direct or through representatives. Capitalism is a fuzzier term like "socialism" and usually refers to an economic system where the convention of private property exists, commodities are produced, a system of currency is in place, etc.

One can have democracy without capitalism, though it would get pretty ugly really fast. The majority would decide whether I listen to Brahms or some pop junk, or worse -- elected representatives could make production decisions for all. On the other hand, capitalism without democracy looks like a totalitarian state where corporate interests merge with the government -- Chile under Pinochet, Germany under Hitler, Indonesia under Suharto, et cetera.

I conclude that while democracy and capitalism are not the same thing, their conjunction is more preferable than only one in isolation.