From atop the battered and leaf-strewn Stoa (Irene, you bitch) I ponder how many degrees from "normal" one can be before they are labeled "criminal" or "wizard".
The other night, with power flickering, walls shaking and trees leaning ominously over my abode, I pondered the differences between a criminal mastermind and a business "wizard" like Buffett or Trump.
In very few words one can say that one follows the laws of the land to obtain their wealth and the other one does not. Well of course. However, what I'm looking at why an individual would choose to earn their money one way or the other.
Both describe the "high" of the challenge; the quest for riches is simply the residue of combat. The accumulation of wealth is merely the "score card" to demonstrate their prowess. Why would one choose to do so within the "rules" and why does one feel the need to this outside of the established set of rules.
Let's take Donald Trump as an example of someone who has demonstrated a way of making money within the rules. This man has been bankrupt on more than one occasion, only to fight his way back to wealth. This man has demonstrated the ability to survive as an apex predator within a tank full of apex predators. He has destroyed his opponents, crushed their abilities and bereft them of the ability to make more money than him.
All of this has been done without jail time. Billions of dollars over decades and not one week in jail.
Let's look at Bernie Madoff now. This man made billions as well. Made other people rich too. He was able to cook the books and juggle like no one else around him. He threw off the regulatory hounds on more than one occasion and was able to continue his crimes undetected for decades.
Unlike Trump, he made his money in a manner similar to Buffett. Moistening his finger and choosing which stocks will go up and which will go down. Some say this takes skill, others say luck. All I know is that Trump builds things that I can put my hand upon...but I digress.
Bernie Madoff used his intellect and connections to hide his wrongdoing while raking in money. Bill Clinton used his intellect and connections to wriggle out of Whitewater and other stinky deals. If these people are so smart why can they not play by the rules? What are the rules really but a maze of regulations in which the successful are able to find the loopholes and still make money?
Did I just answer my own question? Are the criminals among that class of geniuses simply lazy?
I love questions that have simple answers, but that answer does not satisfy me. There must be something more because these people work hard...very, very hard to cover up what they do. Could it be that the rules are boring to them and by breaking the rules they add another layer of enjoyment? Does breaking the rules make one richer, faster?
On the other end of the spectrum, you have your common criminals. I have noted a high level of intelligence among them as well, despite a poor education. Many of them, if given a chance earlier in life, could have made something much more out of themselves. Am I advocating Socialism? Hell, no. If you think that then you have not been reading my articles.
Mentoring goes a long way towards giving someone a goal to surpass. It is the dream of every master that the pupil surpass them, as it is the dream of every pupil to surpass the master. There is something here that I will have to ponder upon for another entry...
I still have to wonder what drives a person into criminality. I'll stay away from Federal law, since it seems that by stepping on the wrong patch of grass will get you years in jail...I'll just leave them alone.
Easy money? Quick success? A distaste for the rules? Thrill-seeking?
I'm just as stumped as before. Sometimes a criminal is merely a matter of perception. To me, Che Guevara was a bloody lunatic communist who simply loved the thrill of dealing death; observing expressions on one's face upon death. NUT. To others he is a knight who fought for justice. In his mind, he was the hero, not the villain. Does the criminal have the same thoughts? Does Madoff simply feel that the rules are stupid and irrelevant?
Do they justify the breaking of the rules as part of a larger problem they they are rebelling against?
I'm beginning to think that they simply feel that the rules are put in place to protect the little guy from their predatory intellect. To break the rules is to "stick it to the man" and to make money despite the attempt at shackling them. Perhaps it is just another layer of thrill, the fear of getting caught, the thrill of sticking it to the system while they rake off billions. This would answer for the vast number of corrupt politicians as well. Only chumps follow the rules. Only the intelligent know which rules to follow and which rules to beat over an opponent's head.
Perhaps that is it. Thoughts, class?
Live well.
--Zavost
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