Consider oil extraction, for example: Under more strict capitalism access is reserved for those with large, existing resources, e.g. existing oil producers. But in some contexts, e.g. Alaska under Palin, it's viewed as a natural resource, benefiting every resident.
Why does company X get to keep all the oil that was just there naturally? One can say, 'they did the work,' but others were denied the opportunity to do the work bc it requires loans from the government.
In a nation better set up to respond to its committments to its citizens to enable them to pursue equality, opportunity, happiness, etc., internal competition isn't as ruthless bc all will benefit from its extraction more equally. There's no fight for the precious resources, so we don't have to pretend that certain people suck at their jobs so we can fire them.
If anything, the competition sounded even worse, because losing often meant privation or even death.