@etherdiver @jpkoning it's just a foundationally bad model. "upstanding" people — people who by reputation can get into a "good" pool — evade scrutiny, while grubbier people whose tarnish is obvious are virtuously set apart. no one deserves immunity from scrutiny by reputation. no one had a better reputation than Bernie Madoff. indeed, the whole nature of confidence scams, often more lucrative than muckier dealings, is to capitalize on license from a cultivated reputation.