The difference is that you will find no shortage of criticism of capitalism in today's day and age, and regarding academia, you might even be shunned for declaring yourself a capitalist.
The other difference is that in capitalistic societies people can criticise the ruling ideology openly on public forums like HN and not be murdered for it.
Fred Hampton was murdered by the police.
Isn't that something that is rather supposed to be granted by democracy and republic? Sure such a regime can enact capitalist policies, but that is never mandatory nor exclusive: capitalism is also implementable in oligarchic plutocraty.
That isn’t exclusive to capitalistic policies.
Capitalism is not inherently a political system. "Liberalism" would probably be more apt here.
Capitalism can be implemented through many different complementary political frameworks/regimes, and doesn't exist outside a political system that can enforce it. Just like communism.
It's no more of a misuse than the parent comment's critique of "communism".