There is the widespread perception on either side of the aisle–deservedly so–that the system is rigged or unfair. Those who are entrusted with power or bestowed status, are the least deserving of it. And worse, such companies and individuals seldom face serious, long-term consequences for their ineptitude.
Famous people are constantly allowed to fail-forward. Chamath Palihapitiya, Cathie Wood, and Marc Andreessen remain wealthy even as their touted investments marketed to the public have been massive duds. Same for major corporate blunders–notably in 2024–CloudStrike–in which incompetence is merely a cost of doing business.
Regarding plagiarism, students accused of cheating or other misconduct, let alone found guilty, are dragged through academic courts and held to the letter of the academic ‘code of conduct.’ But professors and administrators who committed misconduct or who associated with Jeffery Epstein, are still allowed to keep their jobs or apologize, only voluntarily stepping down when faced with overwhelming public pressure, instead of being fired.
It’s arguably harder than ever to be successful, even if you’re qualified. Hundreds of college grads are competing for only a handful of jobs or academic positions, or are unable to work at all. Stories abound on Reddit of unemployed computer science grads. A Google search shows hundreds of examples of grads unable to get interviews, let alone jobs:
Graduated a year ago (May 2024) — still unable to find a CS job
CS grad (Aug 2024) — still no job, working low-wage work instead
New grad (Dec 2025) — hundreds of applications, no interviews
2025 CS grad — unable to land SWE job, working unrelated trade job
CS job market discussion — 1000+ applications, no interviews
Of course, even in the best of times, there will always be people unable to find work. But it has gotten bad enough, it seems, that it has become a meme or refrain among the media. [0] In other words, things are ass-backward, where the least competent or ethical people are promoted or allowed to keep failing forward, whereas those who “do the right things” are passed over. Yet American society puts so much weight on individual success. We’re gaslit into thinking it’s “our” fault when we fail. “You just didn’t try hard enough or want it badly enough.”
The “tried and true” route –work hard, get good grades, apply for jobs, etc.–falls short for many without connections and luck. Early AI employees can bounce from start-ups, having gotten their foot in the door, while the door remains shut for new grads. It’s hard enough being successful playing by the rules or in the lines. This is why so many people are turning to crypto, sports betting, and other money-losing endeavors, as the only escape from their predicament. Or even crime.
Thus, I can understand the rationale for taking creative liberties if it’s to bump those otherwise low odds of success. For those who exhausted their options and who have a lot of student loan debt, the rationale of rolling the dice on low-scale fraud (e.g. Amazon refunds or ‘carding’) makes sense: If you succeed, the upside is considerable. If you fail, at worst, you go to a comfy dorm jail for 1-4 years. When you get out, the prison will help arrange employment opportunities (sure, those will not pay well, but your prospects were already bad to begin with). And alluding to our era moral ambiguity of both punishing and celebrating crime, turn it into a Netflix special and promote it on the “podcast circuit”. Or a public speaking career or “crime consulting”.
To answer why there isn’t more unrest and crime despite large populations of disaffected people and a low trust society, contrary to the popular notion by pundits, America’s relatively punitive criminal justice system is still an effective deterrent. If America was like the rest of the developed world, things would quickly spiral out of control–whether it’s violent crime, shoplifting, or white-collar crime.
Even just 1-2 generations ago being competent and of “good moral character” was enough to get ahead and have status and feel valued in one’s community and society. Not anymore. In summary, there is a growing rationalization among young people that the social contract is broken, leading many to prioritize short-term acquisition over ethical conduct. Addressing this requires a systemic shift where the “return on investment” for sociopathic traits is diminished, or competence or virtue is valued more. But I don’t see this happening.
[0] But how does this square with the data that college grads still earn more, or my earlier posts defending college degrees? There are two dynamics at play: college grads initially have high unemployment after graduating due to the lengthy process of sending resumes and trying to land interviews, compared to high school grads, who are able to quickly settle for lower-paying jobs. So college grads are initially at a disadvantage. But after finding a job, the patience pays off and they earn more.