Article: The Cycles and Spirals of Capitalism: The Rise and Fall of Italy, The Netherlands, Britain and Yankeedom - How long has capitalism existed? Has it always been with us all the way back to tribal societies or a product of the modern age? Is there any pattern to its evolution or is it random? Can capitalism go on forever or does it have fatal internal weaknesses? Why does capitalism grow flush in some countries, then die out and re-ignite elsewhere? What is happening in the world-system in the 21st century has never happened before.