> Real estate seems to be the only venue where I can make a return on my value, and provide some value to people.
What kind of value are you providing by purchasing a house, not living in it and not selling it? When you purchase 2+ house where you don’t live - you are basically removing it from the market - thus increasing the demand/offering ratio and inflating the prices?
There is a way you can be of more benefit though; if you're increasing the supply of housing (that is, building new housing) then you're providing benefit. If you can also profit by doing so then go ahead.
Buying stock absolutely provides value. Your cash is transferred to the seller, who then uses it in some way that is valuable to them. Over the big view of the market, some of that cash goes to funding companies through IPOs and later funding rounds, even if you don't participate in them directly.
Why should an investment provide someone ELSE with value? The point is to provide YOURSELF with value. If you want to provide someone else with value, buy some stock and donate the dividends to charity.
Obviously nobody says it should but some people want to participate in win-win scenarios that benefit them and others. If you own a business, you want to make more money as you provide more VALUE to OTHERS. Not because you got lucky, or deceived them.
Being a landlord isn’t win-win. It’s negative value by reducing supply and raising values. Don’t deluded yourself. Those other investment things you mentioned are more valuable to society than taking away housing affordability.
The stock market? But I'm not exactly providing any value when I invest in a stock as my money doesn't go to any company that needs funding.
Bitcoin? But that wastes energy and again, doesn't provide much value to society, if any.
Gold? But again that doesn't seem to provide much value to society.
Real estate seems to be the only venue where I can make a return on my value, and provide some value to people.
And now, some people want to take that away.