Well, some people who offer to lend stocks speculate that people will take it and fail to predict a decline, thus get their stocks back at a higher value.
In essence, all of this is on a voluntary basis - the rigging comes in play when the media plays along and fearmongers generic people into selling or motivates them into buying. Or when there is insider information - or worse: You are a politician and you or your buddies are enacting laws that heavily impact the economy in a way where you can invest before it is known.
All speculators effectively gamble with each other, it's just that the well established, generally richer people have unfair connections and access to knowledge. And worst of all: The law does not apply to them - they can literally do things that are illegal for generic people and consistently get away with it.
Seriously - the USA has a "justice system" that protects the criminals and punishes the innocent. This is not new, it just exacerbated over time.
Well, some people who offer to lend stocks speculate that people will take it and fail to predict a decline, thus get their stocks back at a higher value.
In essence, all of this is on a voluntary basis - the rigging comes in play when the media plays along and fearmongers generic people into selling or motivates them into buying. Or when there is insider information - or worse: You are a politician and you or your buddies are enacting laws that heavily impact the economy in a way where you can invest before it is known.
All speculators effectively gamble with each other, it's just that the well established, generally richer people have unfair connections and access to knowledge. And worst of all: The law does not apply to them - they can literally do things that are illegal for generic people and consistently get away with it.
Seriously - the USA has a "justice system" that protects the criminals and punishes the innocent. This is not new, it just exacerbated over time.