Nassim Taleb Swears He's Done With This Place, Signs Off In A Huff-- Who Should He Take With Him?
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.
