Nassim Taleb cannot believe– be-lieve– Ben Bernanke is going to be reappointed chairman of the Federal Reserve. He cannot believe he lives in a world where this could be allowed to happen! It’s outrageous, egregious, preposterous. Taleb is so disgusted (not at Bernanke, who has but the mind of a child, and doesn’t understand what he’s done) that he’s decided to take his black swans and leave. He knows you’ll miss him but sorry, this is too much to bear. He’s finished. Unless of course he’s forced by his publishers to do a little self-promotion, but barring that once in a lifetime event, he’s gone. Good day.
What I am seeing and hearing on the news — the reappointment of Bernanke — is too hard for me to bear. I cannot believe that we, in the 21st century, can accept living in such a society. I am not blaming Bernanke (he doesn’t even know he doesn’t understand how things work or that the tools he uses are not empirical); it is the Senators appointing him who are totally irresponsible — as if we promoted every doctor who caused malpractice. The world has never, never been as fragile. Economics make homeopath and alternative healers look empirical and scientific.
No news, no press, no Davos, no suit-and-tie fraudsters, no fools. I need to withdraw as immediately as possible into the Platonic quiet of my library, work on my next book, find solace in science and philosophy, and mull the next step. I will also structure trades with my Universa friends to bet on the next mistake by Bernanke, Summers, and Geithner. I will only (briefly) emerge from my hiatus when the publishers force me to do so upon the publication of the paperback edition of The Black Swan.
Bye,
Nassim
This of course brings up the question, who else should we encourage to make this their issue, and shut the hell up? Whose mouth do we want duct-taped shut? Let us know, and we’ll forward the above on to them.
How about me? No, wait….
Nouriel Roubini
jim cramer
what a little bitch
Taleb would you like you to know that he, his ancestors, his friends and his choice of reading material are of particularly high and praiseworthy quality. Please keep that in mind when you think about yourself, your ancestors, your friends and your choice of reading material. However, he would like you to restrain the resultant mortification and desire to kill yourself and instead try to improve yourself by emulating him. He would also like you to refer to him by his three names, Nassim Nicholas Taleb, since as a philosopher his value at least equals that of the three other names, Aristotle, Plato and Socrates, who were morons.
so does this mean he’ll actually shut up?
Even the great NNT is a slave to the man (i.e. his publishers).
He’s as deluded as those he mocks…such is the great tragedy we all endure.
In other news the Saints are looking pretty incredible.
-Newly converted Drew Brees fan
oh please please please take Maria Barfaromo with you; her irritating voice and your irritating manner would be heaven on an irradiated island in the south pacific…..
@6 back when they were drafted, I said Drew Brees would be a better QB than Mike Vick. There were a few years I felt like an idiot, but not anymore
Thank god. This guy is annoying.
How about: Barney Frank, Lloyd Blankfein, Gasparino, Cramer, everyone on CNBC for that matter, The Guy from Delaware(kidding. That about does it for now
I dont make money i print it guy is still cool though
I thought this guy was a band member of the Roots.
5: Not a chance in hell.
NNT gives Quants a bad name
OBAMA
Lloyd.
I’ll spring for the duct tape.
Barney Frank
Looks like he is dealing with his own black swan like a complete coward to me…
-Evil Banker
Everyone in Congress/Senate/White House.
Donald Trump.
That dumb twatoozle NYC councilwomen whose name escapes me (but I don’t care enough to google).
Every real estate broker in the world, at least residential.
Oprah.
Jon Stewart’s ever-growing ignorant liberal zealotry.
Same of Bill Maher.
Lines at whatever bar/club I happen to be “coping” at on any given night/early afternoon.
That is all for meow.
The entire “management” team at UBS.
Not enough names. We have a troop surge of 30,000 to fill from the front lines back, so keep adding them.
Congress, 272 MD’s, Greenspan
Wow- if you just buy when a Democrat becomes President and sell when a republican becomes President, you make some good money!
PS Did NNT think *he* was going to be the next Fed Chairman?
NNT catches a lot of heat on DB but I think his books are amazing.
I have, however, provided my friends at Universa with a specially designed spotlight which projects the silhouette of a swan (black as the night). If they encounter a particularly puzzling conundrum of epistemology, a paradox of quantum mechanics or need the password to access my monte carlo simulator, I have instructed them to shine the light in the direction of my philosophy cave. Only then, and when I peddle my second re-tread of my first book, will I emerge to save Gotham. Oh, what you fools have wrought!
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