Share Buybacks Are A Cancer On Capitalism. : Traders signal offers in the S&P options pit at the Cboe Global Markets exchange (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) Yes, the planet got destroyed. But for a beautiful moment in time, we created a lot of value for shareholders.” —The New Yorker cartoon The decades-long diversion of business income to shareholders has resulted in a soaring stock market but also stagnating incomes for most of the population.