The stock market as it currently exists in America is roughly the equivalent of a game shipping with an bug with an unintended consequence that breaks the in-game economy, but so many of the whales used it to get rich that the devs are afraid to roll it back, because the newbs think that they need the bug to compete and the rich people are dependent on it for their ability to enjoy the game because they've gotten used to how it works and their ego demands they be able to curbstomp in order to keep supporting the game. + For example: [Path of Exile](https://www.reddit.com/r/pathofexile/comments/l6hohp/ggg_turned_off_the_ability_to_create_watchstone/) and [Neopets](https://www.alexirpan.com/2018/11/10/neopets-economy.html) (although this one focuses more on [The Neopets Economy](https://www.themarysue.com/neopets-economy/). (Related: [the neopets scam](https://mobile.twitter.com/everestpipkin/status/1297488038830977025)) My preferred system would allow for things like capitol investments, but people could only buy and sell to the company they are investing in, it's the whole secondary market and the gambling and speculation that I find objectionable. --- See also: [[economics]]