As HiD observed in the earlier thread, if you are in the market for the long haul, you are not gambling. But an issue that didn't come up in that thread for why the market is continually rising so spectacularly, faster than the rate of growth of GDP I believe, is not just because firms on average are performing so well, but from a continual infusion of funds into the market.

Governments are continually looking for sources of more funds to flow into financial markets, to prop up securities prices. That is one of the main things that drive privatization.

So there is something "rigged" even when it comes to long-term investment in the stock market.

A bomb, H bomb, Minuteman / The names get more attractive / The decisions are made by NATO / The press call it British opinion -- The Three Johns