Capitalisms Failures?

I just saw a photo on the wall street journal of protesters holding up a giant banner saying "Capitalism Isn't Working" and it made me think of how pointless it is to make statements without context. I would ask these protesters to finish the statement by answering one specific question. That question? Compared to what?
There has blossomed this bizarre mindset that is the downside of the amazing growth the world has seen in the last thirty years and that is one that is unable to make comparative analysis. I mean there is no doubt that capitalism is going through a transition and that mistakes and judgement lapses that have caused real pain to real people have happened. But there has never been a time in humankind where every period of expansion hasn't resulted in a period of contraction. It's very peculiar how protesters don't seem to understand this very simple context adjustment. Do they believe that by some sort of well meaning fiat we can wish away the negative consequences and just kumbaya into a world of never ending growth? What is important here is context and that context can provide some startling realizations. The story of mankind is one of upward trajectory over Milena. Does anyone think that Feudalism or Imperialism or Nativisim would mean a warmer more fuzzy world today? Does anyone seriously believe that even in desperately poor countries their people are in most ways worse off? There is a burgeoning middle class in India that almost eclipses the entire population of the United States. Most of the suffering in the world today is caused by governments that AREN'T capitalist.
If capitalism isn't working (and there is no doubt that there is some grist in the gears) then what is the protesters solution? We have a long sorry history of every conceivable type of "ism" related to economics that has ended in abysmal failure that far exceeds even the worst capitalist crisis. Most other forms of economic control revolve around centralizing power and we have over 100 million corpses buried around the world to show how well centralized power and control works. Even forgetting about Nazism, Communism and Facism the only real alternatives in the world today are Islam and Militarism and it's doubtful most people in world would prefer those alternatives.
Throughout the world centralizing power has resulted in economic contraction, humanitarian suffering and government caused famines that have resulted in needless suffering far beyond anything the misguided protesters can fathom or stomach. From Robert Mugabee to the needless suffering in the Palestinian territories whose government gets billions in aid it spends on weapons to Sudan's Beshir there is no shortage of alternatives to capitalism being tried throughout the world. Even Russia, where an hour outside Moscow homes don't even have electricity, is spending their money on military rather than humanitarian needs.
Capitalism's biggest fault is that it is antithetical to centralized control and the tyranny of the anointed. What politicians and protesters cannot control they despise and demonize and in this case it seems that Barack Obama and Gordon Brown have friends in low places.