There are some obvious problems with what Millennium writes, even though I agree on most part. Since money is the driving force in a capitalistic system, it is possible for a company to reach a critical mass after which it can only be stopped - or even slowed down - by the ruling of more laws. Take Microsoft for a perfect example. There is just one problem in this too: many people can be bought and what such companies don't lack, is money.
Another problem is - as I have criticized earlier (see the last paragraph of my writeup on the subject) - that devotion to money, greed that is, will damage human relationships and the person's own psychological well-being. Opportunism is good, to a degree, since it does work towards the concept of the Survival of the Fittest, thus contributing to the strength of the human genome but, once intelligence and cunning meet greed and possibly other psychological issues the situation spells trouble for everyone all over (except the finance of the company that particular person works for). Opportunism is, with no exceptions, selfish by default (and thus a perfect property to have in a capitalistic system). Like detective Somerset says, in the movie "Seven":
"Apathy is a solution. I mean, it's easier to lose yourself in drugs than it is to cope with life. It's easier to steal what you want than it is to earn it. It's easier to beat a child than it is to raise it. Hell, love costs: it takes effort and work."
I would add: "It's easier to cover a fear than it is to face it. It's easier to treat an illness than it is to cure it", even though this partly falls under his first statement. With illnesses I'm addressing both physical and psychological illnesses here. It's no coincidence that doctors are more than eager to prescribe anti-depressants to patients suffering from anxiety or other psychological issues. It's no coincidence that the use of anti-depressants, and illegal drugs, especially those that boost one's sense of self (Note: as The Oolong Man pointed out, I don't mean drugs that boost your ego in a "damn I'm good" way but, rather, those that generally make you feel more "at home" with yourself), such as ecstacy or amphetamine, are becoming increasingly more popular. Materialism is a way to cover one's own uncertainties behind a maked-up surface and (the image of) financial independence and, since people in capitalistic countries are becoming increasingly more anxious and uncertain of themselves (or, more accurately, lost) - for a combination of reasons - also materialism is becoming all the more popular.
What time and strength can there be for other people, if you consume yourself in the wonders of capitalism? What will and inspiration can there be for you to seek yourself, when all it takes to feel good about yourself for a short while, is to buy something new? Capitalism and opportunism, promote and endorse short-sightedness and greed and discourage patient, long-term planning and unselfishness but, since it takes planning, time, concentration and effort to work on yourself, to get to know yourself and, to come to terms with yourself, we have a potentially huge problem at hand.
Somewhat sarcastically, I dare claim that the big quest for people in capitalistic cultures today is not improving oneself, it's finding yourself in the first place!
Note: as Cletus The Foetus criticized, consumerism does not equal capitalism. Of course not, but they are very closely related as consumerism is a by-product of capitalism and they both - in their current forms - contribute to problems in human relations, especially in the form of creating short-sightedness and escapism from problems and people.