You said "401(k)s", so I assumed you meant investments in publicly traded equities; my apologies if I was mistaken.

>"Could you imagine if I went off to Macau to play a high stakes game of poker, lost, and as a result, you lost your job and the government staked me in my next poker game? That's pretty much what happened."

I understand what happened, I just don't see it the same way you do. It's not your fault if I lose my job because it relied on your gambling, and it's also not your fault that my government makes stupid bets.