[caf]

Where hedge funds are paying extremely intelligent people tens of millions of dollars annually to program computers that essentially play games in the stock market with the programs written by other hedge funds.

This seems overly reductionist. A case can be made that these games are overall working to optimise the allocation of resources, which itself contributes to growth.

[mywittyname]

Yeah, these people might be ensuring more optimal prices for corn, and maybe that's a good thing. But in doing that, they aren't doing something else which may be more important for society.

My point was that very smart people are a finite resource. And misallocating them can have devastating effects on a society.