After the 2008 economic bust, the U.S. government took substantial ownership stakes in General Motors (NYSE: GM), Citigroup (NYSE: C), JPMorgan Chase (NYSE: JPM), and dozens of other companies.

Capitalism, some said, was dead. And they were right, at least temporarily.

But compared with other busts, we've been lucky. After past global financial crises, economies clung to socialism as a new way forward, dramatically limiting the ensuing recovery. We're not seeing that today. Despite handwringing and rhetoric, global economies still embrace capitalism. That's an overlooked fact that bodes well for our future, as Wharton professor Jeremy Siegel told me during our recent chat . Have a look:

What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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