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(Elie) Wiesel expressed, better than I’ve ever heard it, why people gave Madoff their money. “I remember that it was a myth that he created around him,” Wiesel said, “that everything was so special, so unique, that it had to be secret. It was like a mystical mythology that nobody could understand.” Wiesel added: “He gave the impression that maybe 100 people belonged to the club. Now we know thousands of them were cheated by him.”

snip

“Hedges said: ‘It’s like trying to do your own dentistry. It is a real lesson that people cannot abdicate personal responsibility when it comes to their personal finances.’

And that’s the point. People did abdicate responsibility — and now, rather than face that fact, many of them are blaming the government for not, in effect, saving them from themselves. Indeed, what you discover when you talk to victims is that they harbor an anger toward the SEC that is as deep or deeper than the anger they feel toward Madoff. There is a powerful sense that because the agency was asleep at the switch, they have been doubly victimized. And they want the government to do something about it.”

Gee, this sounds a lot like mortgagees or credit card or debtors we’re hearing about now.

I feel bad for Wiesel. He is a courageous man, and has suffered in his life.

But this "part of a special club" fallacy was his fault. he should not have believed that lie.

By the way, here are the High School photos of Bernie and Ruthie.

Elie) Wiesel expressed, better than I’ve ever heard it, why people gave Madoff their money. “I remember that it was a myth that he created around him,” Wiesel said, “that everything was so special, so unique, that it had to be secret. It was like a mystical mythology that nobody could understand.” Wiesel added: “He gave the impression that maybe 100 people belonged to the club. Now we know thousands of them were cheated by him.”

Gee! Madoff sounds a lot like Pres__ent 0bama!