What good are we? As poker players, are we socially responsible?

[adsman]

You have a very simplistic view of the stock market and how it works. If someone makes money on the stock market, somebody else is losing money. It's not all plus plus. I have a friend who was a top futures trader for over 20 years. He told me some harrowing stories of people losing everything they had trading futures. Stories of manipulating the market which could have far reaching effects on producers, many of whom exist in the third world and can be financially destroyed by a few clicks of the mouse in London. A lot of people don't know what they're getting into. The stock market caused the great depression for chrissakes. Has poker done the same?

Poker is simple. You know what you're getting into. You sit down and play. You may lose or you may win, but you take the risk and it's obvious that it is a risk beforehand. You can then take responsibility for your actions and the outcome. Can you do this on the stockmarket? Every broker will tell you, buy this and you'll make money. Nobody is ever going to tell you that if you sit down at a poker table then you're going to make money.

I also find it amusingly ironic that you harp on about poker players and our "use" to society and then happily list alcohol, one of the most destructive elements in society today, as your countries claim to fame.