You don't buy 50 million shares of a company because they're cheap. You have to intend to do something with them, like tossing out the BOD, replacing management or taking over the company.
"The losers are the ones that gave up and sold while the carnage took place."
This is absolutely correct. It would be nice if the SEC and/or the Department of Justice would be more active, so as to prevent such things from happening, or to make the prison time so high that it will discourage people from doing such things.
Suing after the fact only makes the lawyers rich, and won't help the losing former shareholders.