Hate BP? Then buy stock in 'em
It's better to invest in companies you hate, such as BP, says Dilbert creator Scott Adams in the WSJ. And it's time to feel good about it
Like everyone else in America, "I hate BP," says Scott Adams in The Wall Street Journal. But unlike most Americans, the Dilbert creator decided now was the perfect time to buy some of its stock. "I have a theory that you should invest in the companies you hate the most," he writes. As an investor, you want to be on the side of the most devious plutocrats in the market. And besides, all the other ways to determine where to invest your money have "exactly the same scientific validity as pretending you are a witch and forecasting market moves from chicken droppings." But how do you morally justify investing in a company like BP?
"Apparently BP has its own navy, a small air force, and enough money to build floating cities on the sea, most of which are still upright. If there's oil on the moon, BP will be the first to send a hose into space and suck on the moon until it's the size of a grapefruit. As an investor, that's the side I want to be on, with BP, not the loser moon.
... If you buy stock in a despicable company, it means some of the previous owners of that company sold it to you. If the stock then rises more than the market average, you successfully screwed the previous owners of the hated company. That's exactly like justice, only better because you made a profit. Then you can sell your stocks for a gain and donate all of your earnings to good causes, such as education for your own kids."
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