Similar Only in Net Worth

In what I think is a severe lapse of judgment, Forbes magazine has included a kingpin of a Mexican drug cartel in its list of "self-made" billionaires in the world. While Forbes has not as of now officially responded to criticism, it's possible that rationale of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman Loera's inclusion is that the reports is simply a survey of individuals' bank accounts, making no judgment on the legitimacy of the accumulation of that wealth.

Despite likely claims from Forbes to the contrary, the inclusion of Guzman Loera to the list has the effect of legitimizing cocaine trafficking as a means of wealth. The allure and buzz of the report is clearly about shining the spotlight on these individuals as entrepreneurial, resourceful, and hard-working businesspeople who have managed to amass huge sums of money without the benefit of a massive trust fund or by work within an enterprise that already been created. Unless the editors are completely naive, there's a subconscious stream of thought for a reader along the lines of "Here is a list of people who have made tremendous amounts of money on their own; what can I learn and emulate to drive my own personal success?"

As a society, we already struggle with the unhealthy high regard for "gangsta" culture (especially amongst certain segments of our youth) and the pervasive message of money and bling through any means necessary. We are a society, as President Obama has said, that has failed of late largely because of our lost value for honest hard work, and the embrace of shortcuts that seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. I'm thinking that lumping people like Guzman Loera with people like Bill Gates and Warren Buffett fails to honor that important distinction.