There is no risk-free value generation. And in order to provide future "social security" - you need future value generation. Furthermore it's a little bit of a

There is no risk-free value generation. And in order to provide future "social security" - you need future value generation. Furthermore it's a little bit of an oversimplification to say that the market is just gambling. It allows the innovators to realize a gain from the value they generate, which gives them the capital to innovate again, while non-innovative investors take over during the capitalization phase (when the business actually generates profit). The entrepreneurs have no interest in that phase since it offers the least amount of growth and their expertise is in the innovation phase. So yes, in aggregate... it has been good for society. It provides a quicker turnaround for innovators to innovate. And since innovation leads to growth, it's also a good way to secure people's retirement future.