I have read the original book Metal Men by Craig Copetas (it is the best - now perhaps out of print) fascinating persona but quite without scruples.
Marc Rich (1935-2013) Dead
- Thread starter Maverick74
- Start date
What I dislike in his case is simply how the US once again handled an international problem. Once they decide someone is a criminal on US soil, international and other country's laws don't apply anymore. They send undercover agents to kidnap him instead of using lawful recourse or international court indictment...I remember reading in the book that, at one point, swiss officials would have cooperated if the US had simply introduced a formal demand...
And by the way, he certainly did bad things morally, but how does that help the people of those countries when they can't even sell their national production? How does that help people of Ivory Coast if international community decides it's bad to buy cocoa from Gbagbo? It can destabilize a regime and force a revolution for sure, but in the meantime it exacerbâtes the exact things the regime is known for( terrorism, murders )...I understand the political need for embargos but I am not sure it has good effects in real life .Whatever, I mustn't have a conscience...
Quote from TraDaToR:
What I dislike in his case is simply how the US once again handled an international problem. Once they decide someone is a criminal on US soil, international and other country's laws don't apply anymore. They send undercover agents to kidnap him instead of using lawful recourse or international court indictment...I remember reading in the book that, at one point, swiss officials would have cooperated if the US had simply introduced a formal demand...
And by the way, he certainly did bad things morally, but how does that help the people of those countries when they can't even sell their national production? How does that help people of Ivory Coast if international community decides it's bad to buy cocoa from Gbagbo? It can destabilize a regime and force a revolution for sure, but in the meantime it exacerbâtes the exact things the regime is known for( terrorism, murders )...I understand the political need for embargos but I am not sure it has good effects in real life .Whatever, I mustn't have a conscience...
What the US govt did or did not do is a straw man. It's completely irrelevant to the character of the man. As to "helping the people" in those poor countries. You are very naive if you think even a dollar of that oil money ever fed a starving child or sick woman. The money goes to dictators. In fact, the very money they make from selling that oil is actually used to kill women and children. It's one of the reasons why I am so against foreign aid. The US has sent billions to these unstable parts of the world all in the name of "helping the needy" when in fact, the needy starve and dictators grow wealthy. And btw, I'm not even a big fan of embargos, I'm simply saying as far as Marc Rich is concerned, the manner in which he accumulated his wealth is disgusting. I'm all for capitalism and a free market but that implies one is getting that "capital" through honest means. Otherwise hell, let me get myself a gun and just start taking it from people. Who needs laws right.
What this case proves that in America, as most every place else, if you make enough money, morals, ethics, and the law itself become very subjective.
Don't think Snowden's case is an appropriate analogy to Rich's.
I'm sure most of the striving traders on ET genuinely admire and envy a man who managed to do so enormously well for himself trading commodities. The fact is, we are trying to make money on a level playing field, speculating on price changes. He had a very lucrative playing field all to himself as a result of his ability and willingness to bend the law.