Short selling has both supply and demand effects. So while it 'soaks up investor money' it also creates demand for incremental money through lower prices.The laws right now basically exist to constrain the supply that can be brought on quickly to prevent that getting of line. That's one of the main reasons to ban naked short selling - because it removes the friction to massive and infinite supply increase. It's also super risky because if you don't succeed you end up short a bunch of shares at artificially lower prices. So practically the scenario you are worried about is already addressed in securities regulation.
I would say that short sellers are even more important around primary transactions because then share price matters more. Good prices prevent new investors being left holding the bag and inefficient allocation of capital which could have gone to a different business with better investment opportunities.
I would say that short sellers are even more important around primary transactions because then share price matters more. Good prices prevent new investors being left holding the bag and inefficient allocation of capital which could have gone to a different business with better investment opportunities.