Heck, when the beast gives rates of return like this, morality is our only hope.
If you swear by pragmatism, the instant it starts giving you the wrong answer, you’re sunk. Now, for an individual, this may not seem like the wrong answer, but for a society, it definitely is.
But… If you abandon the moral high ground by denying it exists, how do you ever properly punish behavior like this?
If it’s really all about cost/benefit calculations, how can you blame someone for taking the money?
And how can you honestly punish someone if you admit they haven’t done anything wrong?