Democracy and Capitalism are two different topics. I don't think that Democracy is a good thing. 1. Because it requires an educated involved population. 2. Because education systems can be manipulated.
While there may be many challenges with Capitalism, I most definitely believe Socialism and Communism would leave us worse off. Looking around the world I see tyranny. In order to progress there needs to be a certain amount of stability and freedom. Looking at books like A Wealth Choice and Black Fortunes, I see that while we have had many challenges in this nation there are still more opportunities that exist today which don't exist elsewhere.
I saw someone mentioned our own economic systems. The challenge with that is when you look at books like Civilization or Barbarism one sees that most societies have fallen from outside influences and not from internal rot. There are plenty of books which describe the history of Black Economic Systems, none have really been able survive in a meaningful way today.
I don't think it's helpful for us to look at stats that say 50% of US families can not afford to by the cheapest cars. With the subprime auto market most people can buy a car, they have to pay a higher price. In terms of credit scores, that is why financial education is essential. Plus the statistic doesn't take in account the used car market. Isn't the real object to acquire independent transportation?