So it is the weekend so anything goes re Off Topic?

Short selling = Selling of what is not owned. Semi fraud? Definite gambling instead of investing.

Naked short selling = Outright fraud because it is selling of what even does not exist.

So why do these things even exist and accepted by the stock exchanges?

Politicians, where are they with their laws when you need them. Who do they represrent and whom should they?

We know what happens when there is lack of or laxed regulations in the markets.

We also know what happens when there is a relaxing of regulations in other milieux. The oil well in Gulf of Mexico is a current up front example.

These things occur too often, imho because ordinary Joe Public does not take enough of a stand against them and the politicians serve themselves first.