Comments on: The Art of the Con http://www.michaelshermer.com/2009/03/the-art-of-the-con/ books, essays, columns, reviews, and multimedia clips of famed skeptic Michael Shermer Tue, 20 Jul 2010 13:08:23 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Jack http://www.michaelshermer.com/2009/03/the-art-of-the-con/comment-page-1/#comment-3307 Jack Wed, 15 Jul 2009 19:00:49 +0000 http://www.michaelshermer.com/?p=684#comment-3307 Bernie Madoff was sentenced to 150 years in prison for running a Ponzi scheme. Congress has been running a Ponzi scheme since 1935 (Social Security), so why aren't they in jail? Bernie Madoff was sentenced to 150 years in prison for running a Ponzi scheme. Congress has been running a Ponzi scheme since 1935 (Social Security), so why aren’t they in jail?

]]> By: Sharon http://www.michaelshermer.com/2009/03/the-art-of-the-con/comment-page-1/#comment-3297 Sharon Sun, 12 Jul 2009 04:11:30 +0000 http://www.michaelshermer.com/?p=684#comment-3297 @everyone else: booyah! question everything! @everyone else: booyah! question everything!

]]> By: NMcC http://www.michaelshermer.com/2009/03/the-art-of-the-con/comment-page-1/#comment-3123 NMcC Tue, 09 Jun 2009 20:16:41 +0000 http://www.michaelshermer.com/?p=684#comment-3123 j_hotch: Your point being? Moridin: "Michael Shermer is, among other things, the editor-in-chef (sic) of a magazine..." Yes, his own. "...and a writer and contributor to Scientific American." Churning out the kind of pointless drivel evidenced above. "Maybe NMcC should try to read some of Shermer’s books." Er, like The Mind of the Market? The one in which disciple Shermer pays homage to High Priest market? When was that published, now? Oh yes, at the time the market was collapsing and being bailed out around the world by the State. The genius is palpable. j_hotch:

Your point being?

Moridin:

“Michael Shermer is, among other things, the editor-in-chef (sic) of a magazine…”

Yes, his own.

“…and a writer and contributor to Scientific American.”

Churning out the kind of pointless drivel evidenced above.

“Maybe NMcC should try to read some of Shermer’s books.”

Er, like The Mind of the Market? The one in which disciple Shermer pays homage to High Priest market? When was that published, now? Oh yes, at the time the market was collapsing and being bailed out around the world by the State.

The genius is palpable.

]]> By: Moridin http://www.michaelshermer.com/2009/03/the-art-of-the-con/comment-page-1/#comment-3120 Moridin Sun, 07 Jun 2009 15:49:05 +0000 http://www.michaelshermer.com/?p=684#comment-3120 Michael Shermer is, among other things, the editor-in-chef of a magazine and a writer and contributor to Scientific American. Those are real jobs. Maybe NMcC should try to read some of Shermer's books. Michael Shermer is, among other things, the editor-in-chef of a magazine and a writer and contributor to Scientific American. Those are real jobs.

Maybe NMcC should try to read some of Shermer’s books.

]]> By: j_hotch http://www.michaelshermer.com/2009/03/the-art-of-the-con/comment-page-1/#comment-3119 j_hotch Fri, 05 Jun 2009 20:34:00 +0000 http://www.michaelshermer.com/?p=684#comment-3119 Hey NMcC, Is this your wallet? Hey NMcC,

Is this your wallet?

]]> By: NMcC http://www.michaelshermer.com/2009/03/the-art-of-the-con/comment-page-1/#comment-3118 NMcC Fri, 05 Jun 2009 11:02:25 +0000 http://www.michaelshermer.com/?p=684#comment-3118 What on earth is the big 'wow' here? We live in a society in which having money means 'good' while having no, or little, money means 'bad'. A guy thinks some money had been found and that its rightful owner may not be traceable. The way the conversation progressed, he was included in the 'find', so to speak. He 'joined in' i.e. trusted the two conmen, because he didn't realise that there are some people in the world, like you Shermer, who don't have proper jobs and who can spend their time amusing themselves with this kind of nonsense. If the guy had seen the wallet falling from someone's pocket, the chances are he'd have simply handed it back. Perhaps he wouldn't have done so. Well, there you have it folks, Shermer's great revelation: some people are more honest than others, and some people can be conned rather easily. As I asked above, where's the big 'wow'? Sometimes, Mr Shermer, I think you are the one of the greatest of the most pointless titheads on this planet. What on earth is the big ‘wow’ here? We live in a society in which having money means ‘good’ while having no, or little, money means ‘bad’. A guy thinks some money had been found and that its rightful owner may not be traceable. The way the conversation progressed, he was included in the ‘find’, so to speak. He ‘joined in’ i.e. trusted the two conmen, because he didn’t realise that there are some people in the world, like you Shermer, who don’t have proper jobs and who can spend their time amusing themselves with this kind of nonsense. If the guy had seen the wallet falling from someone’s pocket, the chances are he’d have simply handed it back. Perhaps he wouldn’t have done so. Well, there you have it folks, Shermer’s great revelation: some people are more honest than others, and some people can be conned rather easily. As I asked above, where’s the big ‘wow’?

Sometimes, Mr Shermer, I think you are the one of the greatest of the most pointless titheads on this planet.

]]> By: Mike MacInerney http://www.michaelshermer.com/2009/03/the-art-of-the-con/comment-page-1/#comment-3050 Mike MacInerney Mon, 11 May 2009 00:55:59 +0000 http://www.michaelshermer.com/?p=684#comment-3050 I am amazed at what I perceive as the con of the Motivational Speakers. I watched a one day seminar recently and became astounded at how the speaker used emotional subjects to get the audience convinced to buy his books and CDs. Seemed like I was in church and watching people getting worked up over the next coming. I am amazed at what I perceive as the con of the Motivational Speakers. I watched a one day seminar recently and became astounded at how the speaker used emotional subjects to get the audience convinced to buy his books and CDs. Seemed like I was in church and watching people getting worked up over the next coming.

]]> By: Sheldon http://www.michaelshermer.com/2009/03/the-art-of-the-con/comment-page-1/#comment-2903 Sheldon Fri, 20 Mar 2009 04:21:33 +0000 http://www.michaelshermer.com/?p=684#comment-2903 Front runnng and greed. Were the victims as innocent as they seem? Some of the investors in Madoff's fund didn't know they were investing with him--- let's leave them out. For the rest, there's evidence that some of them didn't believe that Madoff was actually investing using the system that he described. For example, the 1999 and 2005 whistle blowing report google Trying to Blow The Whistle on Madoff said that almost certainly Madoff was a ponzi scheme --- but there was a chance that it was a front running scheme. So people who didn't think it was a ponzi scheme may have been happy to get unrealistic returns because they thought Madoff was front running and thereby getting easy guaranteed profits at the expense of retail investors. Front runnng and greed.

Were the victims as innocent as they seem?

Some of the investors in Madoff’s fund
didn’t know they were investing with him—
let’s leave them out.

For the rest, there’s evidence that
some of them didn’t believe that Madoff
was actually investing using the system
that he described.

For example, the 1999 and 2005 whistle
blowing report google
Trying to Blow The Whistle on Madoff
said that almost certainly Madoff was
a ponzi scheme — but there was a chance
that it was a front running scheme.

So people who didn’t think it was a ponzi
scheme may have been happy to get
unrealistic returns because they thought
Madoff was front running and thereby
getting easy guaranteed profits at the
expense of retail investors.

]]> By: david bosch http://www.michaelshermer.com/2009/03/the-art-of-the-con/comment-page-1/#comment-2902 david bosch Fri, 20 Mar 2009 02:38:45 +0000 http://www.michaelshermer.com/?p=684#comment-2902 I wish there were an indication of what proportion of people fall for the pigeon drop con. I wish there were an indication of what proportion of people fall for the pigeon drop con.

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