I think he's saying this scumbag will be in the upper class, joining other scumbags who have done the same.

But just because they're a part of the upper class doesn't make everyone in the upper class not "hard working".

Though one could argue about the correlations between effort and results for people in the upper class (mostly born into it) relative to the lower classes, but that's a different debate.

I have no clue how you could have deduced any of this from what I wrote.

Don't worry, the silent majority understood your point. Agreed that it seems wrong for our economic and judicial system to reward predators like this with money, status, and comfort.

I re-read your comment and agree with you that I made an error in assuming that you were condemning an entire class of people.

Thank you for pointing this out.

> Do you think everyone in the American upper class is dishonest and not hard-working?

No, the comment says, rather that there is no hell; rather, in reality, dishonesty often pays: people run off with the money and enjoy the good life. Not only that, but those which climb by such means are even indistinguishable from the honest people they rub shoulders with. Wrongs should be punished in this life, rather than waiting for some mythical hell to do the job.

[kolbe, is that close?]