Malaya, Joan

ACETHIC K33
A Reflection on Margin Call
This movie kind of turned me off with regards to the financial sector. Everyone
seems to be driven by one thing alone: MONEY. Everyone wants to be the best, to be
able to get the best paycheck. Theres no one with passion to really do good for society.
Sure, as Will Emerson from the movie put it, people in the financial sector actually help
society by letting normal people live like kings, but really, the only reason why people
work in Wall Street is because theres money to be made there. No one walks in a trading
floor thinking about the good theyre going to do for society. They step on that trading
floor, determined to make thousands, millions for themselves.
I also felt really bad about the way the firm handled their lay-offs, especially the
way Eric Dale was let go. He wasnt even confronted by a boss. The people who broke
the news to him were a temporary human resources team, strangers. After fifteen years of
service to the company, hes treated like this, only given minutes notice to pack up his
bags and leave.
The main ethical issue in this movie, of course, was the firms decision to dump a
large amount of toxic assets to the market, which, unknown to the buyers, would be to
their disadvantage. These buyers might go bankrupt. But the CEO, and in effect, his
subordinates dont care.