Nowhere is this more evident than in the Michael Lewis related brouhaha over HFT. It even harkens back to the old days of Jews being criticized for “usury” and “speculation” (or in the modern analog: liquidity provision) by economically illiterate peasants.

Get a bunch of Neanderthal-like floor traders who collude and rip off their clients, and everyone loves their charm, gumption and ruggedness. Replace them with a few quants and computer nerds who do their job at 1/10 their cost and 60 Minutes starts running puff pieces for charlatans selling snake oil protection.

Get those nerds out of the market, bring back the slick talking men in suits. At least you felt good when your pocket was being picked.

Not the first crime of its type either

Not only did the Feds back down 30 mins later the Rancher demanded of the Sheriff [who also declared the dangerous farce was over] –the Ranger demanded the Rangers be disarmed and the arms bought to him. . At about the same time the armed citizens grabbed their thundersticks and formed a mob to go and recover the cattle already seized.

http://www.reviewjournal.com/news/nevada/armed-crowd-mobilizes-free-cattle-caught-bunkerville-roundup

And shortly thereafter a deal was announced to free the cattle.

http://www.8newsnow.com/story/25231502/breaking-news-protesters-gather-on-i15-causing-traffic-delays-cliven-bundy-blm

Oh Dear. What ideas will the rest of the Cattle get now?

Oh Dear.

Well. I seem to have fallen in with Spartacists. I’m afraid this doesn’t end well, ever.

How fortunate I have the Freikorps CV. Let no one tell you it’s not worth the sacrifice.

PS – Civilization is first a crippling then a fatal pathology.