Skip to content
quotesby

Some years ago, it was customary for fast-talking confidence men to find some chump with five or ten thousand dollars in cash and sell him the Brooklyn Bridge or the Holland Tunnel. And I hear that when the Pennsylvania Railroad began to demolish its station in New York City, someone bought it for $25,000 cash. Now the swindlers in all those cases are undoubtedly wicked men. They deserve exemplary punishment. But, you know, there must have been something wrong with the purchasers too. Much as we may sympathize with them, we shall have to agree, I think, that they were not overly bright.

Revilo P. Oliver#14

CriticismFinanceJudgment

About this quote

What does it mean?
The author compares selling imaginary assets to selling a demolished train station, noting both sellers and buyers are at fault. He suggests buyers who fell for such scams were not very bright.
In plain terms
People who buy fake things are also responsible for the scam.
What can you take from it?
Victims of scams share blame for their gullibility.

Where it applies

  • investment advice
  • fraud cases
  • public commentary

Putting it to work

  • avoiding scams
  • evaluating deals

Questions to consider

  • Who is to blame in a scam?
  • Should buyers protect themselves more?

Another view

The moral judgment on victims is harsh and generalizes intelligence.

More from Revilo P. Oliver

  1. A dream is by definition a series of sensations that occur in the brain when both our senses of perception and our powers of will and reason are in abeyance, s…

    Permalink to quote #13
  2. Indeed, I greatly fear that for most of our people those implanted 'humanitarian' hallucinations are so deep and inveterate that they can be broken, if at all,…

    Permalink to quote #15
  3. This capacity for imitation is possessed by savages, at least by the more intelligent ones, and it has deceived us time after time. The British are as gullible…

    Permalink to quote #12

Related quotes

  1. [T]he Jewish people were driven by their drunkenness and plumpness to the ultimate evil; they kicked about, they failed to accept the yoke of Christ, nor did t…

    John ChrysostomJohn Chrysostom quote #1
  2. They shouldn't even be considered. I don't know, man, they got a couple of hit songs, a catchy groove, great beat, I give them a 0.

    Tom ArayaTom Araya quote #2
  3. Don't give your money to the church. They should be giving their money to you.

    George CarlinGeorge Carlin quote #4