link to original reddit post by /u/Vapejoba
I've been doing some reading on the origin of the term "capitalism" and while "capitalist" was used to describe owners of capital before it was used as an -ism, "capitalism" was first defined within the context of critiquing the political system of the day.
So why are we using a phrase created specifically to criticize free markets as the preferred -ism? Isn't that granting significant intellectual ground to the opponents of the position to defend a title socialists created in a way to always to tie what they didn't like to their opposition? We should be using enlightenment language such as free enterprise and laissez-faire since it is more aligned with the ideals of liberty rather than trying to redefine a straw man put up by those hostile to liberty.