Nobody loves Michael Lewis more than me so I appreciate the reference.
The fact is he already did the Corona book. “The Fifth Risk” was his indictment of the Trump presidency. Read that last paragraph taken from an interview with Lewis in December of last year.
Risk assessment
Tim AdamsSat 14 Mar 2020 12.00 EDT
Reflections on a remarkable prediction, a great English poet and a sporting reprieve
https://www.theguardian.com/commenti...th-aston-villa
The “fifth risk” was the attack from populist politicians on the idea of good government – bullying and firing independent experts and undermining the deep institutional knowledge of civil servants – in their crowd-pleasing efforts to “dismantle bureaucracy”. Or, in Lewis’s terms, to carelessly destroy “what you never learn that might have saved you”.
I spoke to Lewis in December and wondered if he could imagine anything that might challenge that drift in our politics, that might make us desire leaders with a respect for independent expertise within robust public institutions.
“For people to suddenly start to value what good government does,” Lewis said, “I think there will have to be something that threatens a lot of people at once. The problem with a wildfire in California, or a hurricane in Florida, is that for most people it is happening to someone else. I think a pandemic might do it, something that could affect millions of people indiscriminately and from which you could not insulate yourself even if you were rich.”
Last edited by Sanlmar; 03-26-2020 at 10:59 PM.
"Birds born in a cage think flying is an illness." - Alejandro Jodorowsky
"America is not so much a nightmare as a non-dream. The American non-dream is precisely a move to wipe the dream out of existence. The dream is a spontaneous happening and therefore dangerous to a control system set up by the non-dreamers." -- William S. Burroughs
"Birds born in a cage think flying is an illness." - Alejandro Jodorowsky
"America is not so much a nightmare as a non-dream. The American non-dream is precisely a move to wipe the dream out of existence. The dream is a spontaneous happening and therefore dangerous to a control system set up by the non-dreamers." -- William S. Burroughs
Lee Buchheit:
"In the 21st century, no country borrows money with the expectation that it will ever repay the full sum. They simply assume that when their liabilities come due they will borrow from someone else to pay the maturing debts. This assumption has permitted countries, large and small, to carry debt loads that in a quainter era would have been thought wildly unsustainable. But this notion is an illusion. Covid-19 may expose how fragile it is. The combination of economic downturns, capital flights, commodity price collapses, political instability resulting from the social consequences of the epidemic and a pervasive “risk off” sentiment in the markets may in the coming months make it difficult or impossible for some countries to refinance their debts — what the economists call a sudden stop. Drawing down reserves could in some cases postpone a default, but those reserves may be needed for more pressing humanitarian purposes. Once defaults begin, bondholders will be entitled to commence legal enforcement measures, making a sovereign debt crisis irreversible even if the global economy recovers. The vast majority of creditors can be expected to show restraint in light of the coronavirus crisis. The danger lies in the small minority of creditors who pride themselves on being more aggressive and litigious than their more docile peers. For stricken countries unable to keep servicing their debts - because the bond market has been shut off or because all available resources must be directed to ameliorate the crisis - this means avoiding a situation where their debts are rendered permanently unmanageable as a result of accelerations and legal enforcement by small groups of creditors." (via ftalphaville.com)
The widgets that governments use to keep score are a figment of our collective imaginations and the entire world is in on it.
The “right thing” to do Back in 2008 was to hit the reset button globally. This country, believe it or not, came closer to doing the “right thing” then most people think. The rest of the world including our European allies and China stepped in and basically begged us not to do it....... and the new normal was born. We will keep it all going for as long as we can. If the world must the Fed/ECB/CBC will print and digitally create as much liquidity as we need to keep the structure going.
Eventually there will need to be a reset - but it probably (hopefully) won’t be anytime soon. The entire world is in on it.
I've heard the same kind of nonsense from individuals that have ties to Soviet era Communism or those that glorify that type of lifestyle.
Makes me want to vomit.
Not being able to wake up and buy CCL at a discount and sell it by 10:30 and pick up 10K is kind of a drag.
So if I had to put my money in the market today and I had to double it in 1-2 years or I’d lose a limb I think I’m going with CCL and MGM.
My take on CCL is well documented.
MGM is trading at such a huge discount to historical price it’s absurd. They have a pile of cash on hand and can fund operations for a long time with no money coming in. They have big real estate holdings to sell off or collateralize a loan (so no equity raise needed)
I like em both a lot.
Who didn’t see this coming?
The era of quarter million dollar software headshots is slamming shut. My phone is blowing up with stories of private equity pulling out of NYC.
Sad shit.
OSA, i here stories of people already leaving Brooklyn leases. Apts empty. Daughter already called too. No answer.
Pack up the laptop and bolt to some beach. Her outfit was just about to move into a bigger space. Absolutely no room. That got nuked. Fully remote. No choice.
It’s over
Last edited by Sanlmar; 03-27-2020 at 10:11 AM.
I ain't going anywhere. I don't know how this will work, but I'm going to have a convo with my property management soon hoping my guarantor doesnt have to get involved cause then I'll fold and just pay.
My 2 roommates who moved back with parents I think are going to be paying April rent which is interesting since one hasnt been here in a week and the other for 2 weeks. Hope they plan on continue splitting utilities as well.
I cant imagine they would be able to find anyone at this price point anyway right? I mean who is moving NOW?
Sanlmar: Prices are going to collapse in the nicer areas.
I'm being told salary cut for entire year and working remote most likely for the entire year since we aren't going back to WeWork after the shit they pulled. Remote saves ton of money on rent too.
T minus 60 minutes till Fed dump?
Kids are letting me in on their group chat.
Me, the old guy, “you’re gonna have a bad reference if you bolt from your lease”
Kids, “they don’t check anymore, NYC does have a black list”.
Other kid, “they don’t do the black list anymore”
The story of my daughters startup literally planning to move to bigger office building tomorrow. Cancelled.
Rental Real estate in nicer areas so fucked.
The real estate scene is gonna get nuked.
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