Capitalism requires that for one to get ahead one must get behind. One step up the rungs of the ladder calls for someone to be stepped upon. The stock market used to be people investing their money by purchasing shares of stock. Over the years watching the company, lead by honest, ethical and moral men and women progress; expand providing a product or service. But that is no longer the case. Today investing in the stock market is no different than online poker or the lottery or a crap shoot. For one to sell one must buy. One sells, thinking the price will be going lower, to a person they hope is naïve enough to think the price is going higher. Business leaders no longer can be assumed to be ethical, honest or even moral. The sins of the flesh are quite available thus the high divorce rate among corporate leaders as well as unethical and dishonest behavior by those leaders. Lacking morals and ethics corporate leaders believe they can and must do anything and everything to get the stock of their corporation to increase in price. So do the holders of such stocks.
Dennis just helped people in their drive for more. If his clients thought there was a chance Dennis could lose their money they would not have invested with him. They believed Dennis had some magical formula that could beat the market. Remember for one to win one must lose. For one to sell high one must buy high. His clients assumed they were not going to be the losers. Given a level playing field they might have appreciated a modest growth but they did not expect modest. They expected wealth and lost.
How could they expect any different? When Dennis got money did he help people? No. Like the fellow in the parable he looked at his barns and said to himself I will tear down my barns and build bigger barns to store all I have gained. He built a horrific house useless except for kindling. But guests worshipped at the entrance of his house.
Business leaders fell at his feet and worshipped what they thought they saw. They paid homage to the rich man and ignored the plight of the poor. They ate sumptuously at his table while many of the children in Sevier County do not eat unless school is in session. They buy big cars and big houses while their employees cannot afford health insurance. They saw in Dennis what they wanted to be and the balloon broke. Now no one has anything.
Do not lay up treasures where rust and moth corrupt for where your treasure is so shall be your heart.
So, now Dennis lives his remaining years in prison. He's gone. His client's fortune is gone and the world goes on. Forgive and forget.
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