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Originally Posted by Ustwo
Influence will never go away in any society, so yes you can rig the system, be it with political power directly, or bribes. Despite this most of the wealthy are honest because there is no need to be dishonest about it. If I buy a house at $40k and sell it a week later for $60k was I dishonest? You won’t find to many self made rich men running because we have been taught to revile the rich in this country rather than respect them. We allow our own jealousies to take over and assume they must have cheated to get where they are.
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I would like to believe that most of the wealthy are honest. I am always amazed at how corrupt many are no matter how much they already have. I don't like to use her as an example but I think she is typical of this. What gets into someone like Martha Stewart to cheat on stock trades to make a paltry $150K (from our pension funds) when she is worth over a billion already. It seems like they do it because they can and feel entitled or something. I can imagine this sort of thing happening thousands of times when no one gets caught. They are no different than someone who picks our pocket. I would say that I am more disgusted and puzzled rather than jealous.
If you buy a house for $40K and sell it for $60K a week later you are not dishonest, unless of course you have inside information from your political friends that the land will soon be rezoned. I fear the rich may get richer not just from their superior economic understanding. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to buy low and sell high when the game is fixed.