Comment Re:Economically rational, isn't. (Score 3, Informative) 224
I recently heard Stephen Levitt (Freakonomics) speak, and he actually addressed your first example. It's actually the title example in his next book "Why Drug Dealers Live With Their Mothers."
The gist of it being that while dealing drugs may make less money and certainly has more risk than McDonalds, their is greater opportunity for upward mobility.
Just because you don't understand what's going on doesn't mean that it's irrational.