Capitalism

   Capitalism is an economic system in which investment in and ownership of the means of production, distribution, and exchange of wealth is made and maintained chiefly by private individuals or corporations, especially as contrasted to cooperatively or state-owned means of wealth. Capitalism is also something that most of the world sees as a valid and effective way of running business, but is it?

   Capitalism operates on producing a good or a service for a price but that price isn't always monetary. Sometimes that price is cheap labor, bad wages and blood. When speaking about the diamond industry it's rarely missed that many diamonds have been funding insurgencies and rebel groups in attacking legitimate governments. These wars have plagued West Africa for many, many years, governments have failed to step in and attempt to stop these wars because of capitalism. Many countries ignored the problems in Sierra Leone and other African countries because of the thoughts of negatively impacting the diamond industry and capitalism. 

"As cold as the company's response to publicity about conflict diamonds sounds-- the potential commercial loss is "enormous but the moral dimension is merely "big",as if it were an afterthought-- De Beers is at least consistent in it's thinking.Very little, if anything, has been done in the company's lifetime that didn't further its commercial potential, even if it meant funding warfare to do it. Before the conflict-diamond issue gathered steam, it made economic sense to continue to trade with killers since no one was paying attention and it didn't threaten the demand for the goods after the issue began attracting the attention of the human-rights organizations and the people started whispering the dreaded "B" word(boycott), it made economic sense for the industry to wash its hands for good. Since De Beers is the world's largest dealer in rough diamonds, not only was a great deal of responsibility placed at its feet in early 2000, but so were many expectations that the company would act swiftly to end the practice."

                                                                                                              Greg Campbell, Author of Blood Diamond

Although capitalism has worked for many countries as an effective way of handling business, when it comes to the African people and the diamond industry it has been a destructive and bloody institution. 

 So in conclusion, the diamond market and capitalism hasn't been helpful when it comes to 

saving lives in Africa.