Stock market: rigged.  Money: out of thin air.  Wall Street bonuses: more than all federal minimum wage employees combined.  The pattern recognition skills of the public have GOT to be kicking in by now, yes?

EVERYTHING. IS. RIGGED.

From Zero Hedge (discussing high-frequency trading with “Flash Boys” author Michael Lewis):

Lewis explains the game, exposes the rigging, and slams the mainstream media’s “defense” of this…

LEWIS:  So of course the tourists get fleeced all the time in the poker games, because they don’t know the deck is rigged.  The poker players pay the casino a cut of what they make.  The casinos, operators, pay the tour group – the tour group company money to bring in the tourists.

 

So in this case, casino’s the exchange, the poker players are the high-frequency traders, and the tour group operators are the banks and the brokers that handle the stock market orders.  And I think the analogy is pretty close.  So is that rigged?  Is that a rigged game?  I think it is a rigged game. 

 

SCHATZKER:  Well, it’s rigged only inasmuch as…

 

LEWIS:  Why are you so invested in the idea this is fair?  Why are you even arguing about this?  It’s so clear.

 

SCHATZKER:  Me?

 

LEWIS:  Yes, you seem to be. I mean, it’s very interesting.  But you seem to be – you can see, it’s very clear that people are being front run in the market.  There’s plenty of evidence in the book.

 

SCHATZKER:  Their orders are being anticipated…

 

LEWIS:  Anticipated and run in front of, that’s right.

Watch the video of this exchange, for sure…