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Bankman-Fried Would Fit in ‘Atlas Shrugged’
WSJ Opinion ^ | Dec. 13, 2022 | Philip Grant

Posted on 12/14/2022 5:14:31 PM PST by george76

Ayn Rand referred to the business and political masters (and clueless destroyers) of the economy as ‘looters.’

...

One guesses that Ayn Rand, author of the 1957 dystopian novel “Atlas Shrugged,” wouldn’t be surprised by our government-business partnerships and moral crusades. Sam Bankman-Fried would fit perfectly as a character in an “Atlas Shrugged” sequel.

In Rand’s novel, a do-good industrialist collaborating with political managers of the economy opines, “It’s generally conceded that the free economy is now on trial. Unless it proves its social value and assumes its social responsibilities, the people won’t stand for it. If it doesn’t develop a public spirit, it’s done for.” He adds, “The only justification of private property is public service.”

Rand referred to the business and political masters (and clueless destroyers) of the economy as “looters.” Mr. Bankman-Fried’s save-the-planet goals were more audacious than those of the “Atlas Shrugged” utopians, but his looting turns out to be more transparent and mundane.

(Excerpt) Read more at wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: atlasshrugged; ayn; aynrand; bitcoin; cryptocurrency; ftx; rand; sambankmanfried

1 posted on 12/14/2022 5:14:31 PM PST by george76
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To: george76
How does someone piss away a couple of billion dollars?

I'll tell you, someone who has never learned the value of money, someone who never had to meet a payroll. Someone who never had to scrape through their cupboard to find something to eat. FTX Fat Boy never missed a meal.

2 posted on 12/14/2022 5:19:32 PM PST by Governor Dinwiddie (LORD, grant thy people grace to withstand the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil.)
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To: george76

With his size D cups


3 posted on 12/14/2022 5:19:54 PM PST by Trump.Deplorable (Woke Fascists are a threat to our republic )
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To: Governor Dinwiddie
He did NOT PISS AWAY BILLIONS!!! They are in OFF SHORE ACCOUNTS!!!

His parents MUST be ARRESTED ALSO!

4 posted on 12/14/2022 5:24:07 PM PST by Ann Archy (Abortion....... The HUMAN Sacrifice to the god of Convenience.)
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To: Ann Archy
You are probably right. Evidently they traced him recently depositing 300 million to a Brazilian bank.

5 posted on 12/14/2022 5:27:21 PM PST by Governor Dinwiddie (LORD, grant thy people grace to withstand the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil.)
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To: george76

It is worse than that. Its Obama/Biden shrugged.

They are taking us down the road to Communism and they are laughing about it.


6 posted on 12/14/2022 5:31:33 PM PST by Kaiser8408a (z)
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To: george76

“Looters, moochers, and second-handers”

Every day, I feel like I’m living in an Ayn Rand novel.


7 posted on 12/14/2022 5:37:36 PM PST by FrdmLvr
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To: george76

80 million votes only cost $4 Billion to buy. Yes, I would say the rest was laundered nicely in the Beltway 2020 model washing machine. The body politic wants to get to the bottom of FTX and Sammy boy’s ledger sheets about as much as what really happened to Jeffery Epstein or Seth Rich.


8 posted on 12/14/2022 6:28:04 PM PST by blackdog (The head, hands, and heart, serve even further than the purse. )
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To: FrdmLvr

Lawyers and money......now all we need are the guns.


9 posted on 12/14/2022 6:29:12 PM PST by blackdog (The head, hands, and heart, serve even further than the purse. )
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To: FrdmLvr

10 posted on 12/14/2022 6:31:08 PM PST by DoodleBob ( Gravity’s waiting period is about 9.8 m/s²)
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To: george76

Ayn Rand heroes don’t really exist, but Ayn Rand villains absolutely do.


11 posted on 12/14/2022 8:03:38 PM PST by Salman (It's not a slippery slope if it was part of the program all along. )
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To: Salman

Ayn Rand heroes don’t really exist, but Ayn Rand villains absolutely do.

I see a bit of the Hank Reardon character in Elon Musk.


12 posted on 12/14/2022 8:29:22 PM PST by Flick Lives (Cui bono)
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To: Governor Dinwiddie

These billions were never real. It was always pretend-money.


13 posted on 12/15/2022 1:06:00 AM PST by Krosan
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To: george76

btt


14 posted on 12/15/2022 4:30:57 AM PST by GailA (Constitution vs evil Treasonous political Apparatchiks, Constitutional Conservative.)
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