5 ms·

It still amazes me how people have absolutely no problem stealing or screwing people. I mean, no guilt whatsoever. If you look at the history of how a lot of pe

It still amazes me how people have absolutely no problem stealing or screwing people. I mean, no guilt whatsoever. If you look at the history of how a lot of people have made their money many of them have accumulated their money by methods that I would consider theft (or screwing people) even if technically legal. The robber barons provide rich evidence of what I'm talking about. Even in current times you can find them, although no longer called such.

gnaritas 11y ago
Guilt is not problem everyone suffers from. Some only behave just well enough to avoid criminal trouble. They have no problem separating a fool from his money, what you label as "screwing people".
- jondubois 11y ago
  Since this is tax evasion, the 'fool' you are referring to in this scenario is basically any honest American taxpayer. Those honest tax payers are the ones who are funding transport, education, healthcare, infrastructure, subsidies and welfare in America and are therefore making the world a better place for everyone. There is a huge difference between being a fool vs being misinformed. It's sick how some people in this society can equate 'honesty' with 'foolishness'. Honesty is the fabric which holds our society together.
  - puredemo 11y ago
    Another way of looking at this is these executives didn't necessarily agree to the "social contract," they were simply born into it. There is frequently a rather pervasive attitude that life is competition and any rules were made to be broken. Also, many would disagree that welfare makes the "world better for everyone." A more competitive outlook would say welfare simply encourages dysgenics on a massive scale and multiplies problems.
    - mirimir 11y ago
      > Another way of looking at this is these executives didn't necessarily agree to the "social contract," they were simply born into it. There is frequently a rather pervasive attitude that life is competition and any rules were made to be broken. All criminals think that way. > It is related that Cherry Nose Gio, rescued from drowning, spit in the lifeguard's face: "Crumb! Worka fora living.” The Place of Dead Roads by William S. Burroughs
      - tedunangst 11y ago
        Hardly limited to criminals. "I never agreed to the social contract" is a pretty frequent sentiment on HN, too.
        sharemywin 11y ago
        Hard to want to do business with someone that's looking to screw me over at every opportunity. That's the problem with america today a handshake don't mean what it used to.
    - jondubois 11y ago
      I think some level of welfare is necessary. When you're born into poverty, you have very little control over your life - Getting out of it is nearly impossible. Society should account for this. People born into poverty also didn't agree to any "social contract" - They were screwed from the beginning.
    - Terr_ 11y ago
      Their parents initially accepted the contract for them, since obviously newborn babies can't be fully-autonomous legal entities. Most "executives" are part of a socioeconomic class who could have left for a different society/jurisdiction if they had wanted to. Staying and then quietly flaunting the "contract" is, if not "fraud", at least acting in bad-faith.
Asbostos 11y ago
True, but since 2008 at least, I think any level headed rich person would have to take any promises made by JP Morgan with a grain of salt. They might get screwed but they might still get the best return on their investment compared to more honest alternatives. It's still a choice to make in where you put your money. Everything I hear about investment banks is that their job is to rip off rich people. If you don't like that, then use a regular bank and get a regular couple of percent interest.
- mstade 11y ago
  > If you don't like that, then use a regular bank and get a regular couple of percent interest. It's not that simple when you have retail banks and investment banks all tangled up.
gcb0 11y ago
today they're called #-mafia. as in PayPal-mafia.
lukasm 11y ago
It's skewed by media reporting this. You don't read articles that someone is working 9-5 and never screw anyone.

gnaritas 11y ago

Guilt is not problem everyone suffers from. Some only behave just well enough to avoid criminal trouble. They have no problem separating a fool from his money, what you label as "screwing people".

jondubois 11y ago
Since this is tax evasion, the 'fool' you are referring to in this scenario is basically any honest American taxpayer. Those honest tax payers are the ones who are funding transport, education, healthcare, infrastructure, subsidies and welfare in America and are therefore making the world a better place for everyone. There is a huge difference between being a fool vs being misinformed. It's sick how some people in this society can equate 'honesty' with 'foolishness'. Honesty is the fabric which holds our society together.
- puredemo 11y ago
  Another way of looking at this is these executives didn't necessarily agree to the "social contract," they were simply born into it. There is frequently a rather pervasive attitude that life is competition and any rules were made to be broken. Also, many would disagree that welfare makes the "world better for everyone." A more competitive outlook would say welfare simply encourages dysgenics on a massive scale and multiplies problems.
  - mirimir 11y ago
    > Another way of looking at this is these executives didn't necessarily agree to the "social contract," they were simply born into it. There is frequently a rather pervasive attitude that life is competition and any rules were made to be broken. All criminals think that way. > It is related that Cherry Nose Gio, rescued from drowning, spit in the lifeguard's face: "Crumb! Worka fora living.” The Place of Dead Roads by William S. Burroughs
    - tedunangst 11y ago
      Hardly limited to criminals. "I never agreed to the social contract" is a pretty frequent sentiment on HN, too.
      - sharemywin 11y ago
        Hard to want to do business with someone that's looking to screw me over at every opportunity. That's the problem with america today a handshake don't mean what it used to.
  - jondubois 11y ago
    I think some level of welfare is necessary. When you're born into poverty, you have very little control over your life - Getting out of it is nearly impossible. Society should account for this. People born into poverty also didn't agree to any "social contract" - They were screwed from the beginning.
  - Terr_ 11y ago
    Their parents initially accepted the contract for them, since obviously newborn babies can't be fully-autonomous legal entities. Most "executives" are part of a socioeconomic class who could have left for a different society/jurisdiction if they had wanted to. Staying and then quietly flaunting the "contract" is, if not "fraud", at least acting in bad-faith.

Asbostos 11y ago

True, but since 2008 at least, I think any level headed rich person would have to take any promises made by JP Morgan with a grain of salt. They might get screwed but they might still get the best return on their investment compared to more honest alternatives. It's still a choice to make in where you put your money. Everything I hear about investment banks is that their job is to rip off rich people. If you don't like that, then use a regular bank and get a regular couple of percent interest.

mstade 11y ago
> If you don't like that, then use a regular bank and get a regular couple of percent interest. It's not that simple when you have retail banks and investment banks all tangled up.

gcb0 11y ago

today they're called #-mafia. as in PayPal-mafia.

lukasm 11y ago

It's skewed by media reporting this. You don't read articles that someone is working 9-5 and never screw anyone.