10-20-2011, 03:20 PM
That was a study worth doing, although it doesn't necessarily point to an immense conspiracy to control the masses. People of a certain class of wealth try to maximize and protect it and make investment decisions accordingly.
A free market of goods lets people buy what they want to, including nutritious food and junk food, classical works and porn, and construction goods and dynamite.
A free market of capitalism lets people buy what they want, including risky penny stocks and pop-investments, e.g. Google or Facebook and seriously thought-out ones like those of Warren Buffett, a hero of mine.
Society created investment organizations like pension managers and mutual fund groups that have certain goals that include stability. For the most part, they achieved that stability.
The early history of the U.S. includes many "financial panics" where families and companies lost everything because of poor decisions by others and a lot of absolutely fraudulent thievery. By now, it is a lot calmer because of regulation and transparency with oversight. We saw two recent failures of the U.S. economy caused by unregulated investment bubbles that burst.
If the above study adds to the transparency, and it certainly won't hurt, then society is better off. OTOH, if power continues to concentrate, some bad people will figure out a way to grab it for selfish gain. Ironically, the study might help them do that.
To enjoy Warren Buffet, read his Chairman's Letter to shareholders in the Berkshire Hathaway Annual Report. Here is one of my favorite Buffett quotes: "Charlie and I believe that those entrusted with handling the funds of others should establish performance goals at the onset of their stewardship. Lacking such standards, managements are tempted to shoot the arrow of performance and then paint the bull’s-eye around wherever it lands."
A free market of goods lets people buy what they want to, including nutritious food and junk food, classical works and porn, and construction goods and dynamite.
A free market of capitalism lets people buy what they want, including risky penny stocks and pop-investments, e.g. Google or Facebook and seriously thought-out ones like those of Warren Buffett, a hero of mine.
Society created investment organizations like pension managers and mutual fund groups that have certain goals that include stability. For the most part, they achieved that stability.
The early history of the U.S. includes many "financial panics" where families and companies lost everything because of poor decisions by others and a lot of absolutely fraudulent thievery. By now, it is a lot calmer because of regulation and transparency with oversight. We saw two recent failures of the U.S. economy caused by unregulated investment bubbles that burst.
If the above study adds to the transparency, and it certainly won't hurt, then society is better off. OTOH, if power continues to concentrate, some bad people will figure out a way to grab it for selfish gain. Ironically, the study might help them do that.
To enjoy Warren Buffet, read his Chairman's Letter to shareholders in the Berkshire Hathaway Annual Report. Here is one of my favorite Buffett quotes: "Charlie and I believe that those entrusted with handling the funds of others should establish performance goals at the onset of their stewardship. Lacking such standards, managements are tempted to shoot the arrow of performance and then paint the bull’s-eye around wherever it lands."