When I was a kid one of my favorite SciFi novels was ‘The Stainless Steel Rat‘ written by Harry Harrison. The protagonist is a futuristic con man, thief and all-round rascal. He is charming and quick-witted, a master of disguise and martial arts, an accomplished bank robber, an expert on breaking and entering, and (perhaps most usefully) a skilled liar. A master of self-rationalization, the Rat frequently justifies his crimes by arguing that he is providing society with entertainment; and besides which, he only steals from institutions which have insurance coverage. He displays a strong morality, albeit in a much more restricted sense than is traditional. (For example, he will happily steal, but deplores killing.)
From the original publisher’s blurb:
…We must be as stealthy as rats in the wainscoting of their society. It was easier in the old days, of course, and society had more rats when the rules were looser, just as old wooden buildings have more rats than concrete buildings. But there are rats in the building now as well. Now that society is all ferrocrete and stainless steel there are fewer gaps in the joints. It takes a very smart rat indeed to find these openings. Only a stainless steel rat can be at home in this environment…
The main character, Slippery Jim DiGriz, is one of those likable bandit type characters whom you want to root for even though they are technically breaking the law. Not surprisingly I was able to identify with that sort of a character – my evil genius was just waiting for the right kind of inspiration. What was particularly intriguing about Slippery Jim was his ability to beat the establishment at its own game. Evil Speculator in some ways is the embodiment of that very notion – an opportunity for the little guy to extract a few pennies from the privileged few who know how to play the system.
Anyone who comes here is invited to become part of our cause, no matter what color, creed, or culture. We play by the rules, even if they change them on us midstream we simply learn and adapt. We work hard to develop a system that offers us an edge, and it is our system – we play by no other person’s rules. The market is a cruel mistress and as such we pay for and acknowledge our mistakes and weaknesses, doing so makes us better traders. We strive to be disciplined and resist emotions like fear or greed, and we reject cognitive biases tempting us to bend or even break our own rules. We recognize that despite the fact we all compete against each other there is strength in numbers – therefore we choose to collaborate and share our insights. After all, what we are up against are extremely well organized institutional traders with access to considerable resources as well as intimate knowledge of how to play ‘the game.’ Finally, we don’t hesitate and take action as as soon as the opportunity represents itself – […]
