Tuesday' G$ Senate hearing couldn't have made it any plainer.

puts & calls

long vs short

it's called making book (derivatives)

you know, just like the boys making odds on the ponies

which is called gambling

only GS refers to it as "dealing with liquidity issues", i.e., raising capital

If it's all just a crap shoot, then yeah, there will be winners and losers, except for the bankster bookies.

OP, w/all due respect, if this is what constitutes raising capital in today' world, then we are beyond fucked, no matter the immediate agenda in all of the current G$ melodrama.