The rich (or those who feel they deserve to be) see both law and the free market as corrupt and provincial systems to be gamed by superior intellects, like theirs. Competing in the marketplace, obeying regulations and paying taxes is for chumps. You do as little as absolutely necessary to get by, but the only real obligation you have is to yourself, and to your class, when it is necessary to work collectively to frustrate a common enemy. They talk a great deal about principle and philosophical abstraction, but they are motivated individually by the Lombardi Ethic, Winning isn't everything, its the only thing. When they work together to collectively secure this environment, they follow the Paterno Ethic: We're doing good work here, so we are obligated to save the program at all costs.

In their world, wealth and power are not things you seek out to give yourself security, comfort and the leisure to develop as a human being as it is for the rest of us; but are ends in themselves. Its how they keep score, how they validate their existence, their means of self-actualization. And they have nothing but contempt for people who don't feel that way. They must be cowardly, lazy, unimaginative, without initiative or ambition, totally lacking in creativity. Anyone who would rather work for someone else than have others work for them must not be fully human. I guess they, of all people, should know. After all, no one puts a gun to their head and forces them to be a wage slave. If they were real men they'd start their own business, or at least, get into management.

This mentality is not necessarily criminal, most businessmen decide early on to follow at least the letter of the law, both as a matter of personal integrity and honesty and practical avoidance of legal penalty. But the attitude is primarily show me exactly what the rules are so I can figure out some way to legally get around them, or at least, to apply subtle pressure and get them changed so they work better for me. Sure, we all do this to some extent. But the propertied class sees it as a sign of personal superiority and class entitlement. They call it "freedom". Besides, those people don't really understand business, their rules and regulations and taxes stifle initiative, strangle our freedom. We know what we're doing. They haven't a clue.

It would be a mistake to call this simple greed, or anti-social behavior. Many of these men do useful work, and are genuinely generous with their wealth, they realize not all the assets and power they accumulate are necessary to guarantee their security and comfort, and they are often philanthropic and civic-minded as well, after they prove whatever point it is they are trying to make. Neither can anyone deny that their drive and single-mindedness, and yes, talent, if properly channeled and controlled, can be a great asset to the community. For this they should be encouraged, honored and rewarded. But no nation can long survive that allows them to get everything they want, whenever they want it. They sincerely believe the more they prosper, the more everyone else prospers: an attitude which gives them the moral justification to do any damned thing they please, and they will do it with a perfectly clear conscience.

I am not making a moral argument here, or a political or economic one, or even a philosophical one. I am making a psychological assessment.