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Comment by TheBranca18 | Hacker News Reader

I think you need to understand what empathy is. Nothing in your post actually addresses the post you replied to. Seems like what you're implying, is that it's okay to take advantage of people. And you're basing this implication on some anecdotal experience you had growing up. I just fail to see what that has to do with anything. Do you feel like taking advantage of desperate people is okay? Because that's what I'm getting out of your post.

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Well hold on a second. How did the two playboys take advantage of the small businesses? The businesses needed money, he lent it to them. Did he physically force them to sign on the dotted line? Did they even bother reading the terms and understanding what it meant? If the business is croaking, taking a high interest loan isn't gonna help. Liquidate now, so at least you got some cash to pull through while you look for a normal job.

I mean, what do you have to say? Surely you're more empathetic than I am, so I'm very interested in how people like you think.

From the article:

At Second Source, the best customers were the most desperate. Often they were immigrants with poor English. Brokers bragged about their biggest rip-offs. For motivation, Hurwitz would tape $100 bills to the wall. Salesmen who weren’t cutting it would have their chairs taken away. “Why are you sitting on my chair,” Hurwitz would yell, “if you’re not making me any money?”

I'm sure those businesses were not physically forced to sign but I'd wager those phone calls were not entirely forthcoming on details as well.

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