What strikes me as being conspicuously absent as of late, is the desire of many Americans to work at all. That’s where this magical thinking comes in. Invest in the internet and make millions! Buy a house and make millions! Stuff envelopes part time in your den and make millions!
Very true Allan. Of course the common man isn’t stupid. He knows that he will never be able to retire. He knows that he’s likely to be laid off at age 50. If he’s a technical person he knows that his job will probably be sent to India. He knows that his insurance company will deny his benefits should he become sick. He knows that social security will be scaled back before he can access it. He knows that unless you’re an “inside man” in some sort of scam industry like finance or real estate, you will have these same worries. His only hopes are to play the lottery or to join the scammers himself. In the very worst, most unlikely case he might do a couple of years in prison for lying on his loan applications or absconding with a bunch of unsecured loan money; however, if he robbed a bank directly he’d be in for life. Better to rob them indirectly.
The system is set up to reward crooks and scammers, not hard working people. Why are we surprised that so many are choosing to engage in crooked behavior (lying on loan applications, etc…) when this system is so obviously tilted in favor of crooks.