tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18079728.comments2023-11-02T07:30:03.967-07:00Cassandra Does Tokyo"Cassandra"http://www.blogger.com/profile/17412381249313151515noreply@blogger.comBlogger3735125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18079728.post-1518954772869631832017-02-02T09:44:45.074-08:002017-02-02T09:44:45.074-08:00Dear Cassandra, I don't wish to overstay my we...Dear Cassandra, I don't wish to overstay my welcome by coming back at you ad nauseum. But to address your last point, I am wondering if the alleged public underinvestment by successive UK Governements since Thatcher isn't a myth. Under the Chancellorship of Gordon Brown, a lot of public investment was shifted off-balance-sheet with "Public Finance Initiatives" (PFI) to build newgoodtimecharliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03560878555070000760noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18079728.post-40493787113882275702017-02-02T04:50:34.178-08:002017-02-02T04:50:34.178-08:004. Given that you seem to agree that Britain is an...<br /><i>4. Given that you seem to agree that Britain is an overcrowded Land (especially the South East) with a lot of shabby and creaking infrastructure that is ill-placed to absorb a continuing high flow of immigrants, I would maintain that good sense should have prevailed in the EU in favour of Cameron's pleas for help with this obviously serious national problem. Then he could have easily"Cassandra"https://www.blogger.com/profile/17412381249313151515noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18079728.post-29552171036138788602017-02-02T04:49:51.942-08:002017-02-02T04:49:51.942-08:003. I agree with your intellectual preference for P...<br /><i>3. I agree with your intellectual preference for Proportional Representation over First-Past-The-Post voting. However, I am specifically against the Party-List version of PR which hands almost all of the real power of MEP choice to a few Party activists. Consequently I have no idea who my MEPs are without Googling this, because I never had to engage with his or her choice in the first "Cassandra"https://www.blogger.com/profile/17412381249313151515noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18079728.post-29496738008125422462017-02-02T04:47:18.112-08:002017-02-02T04:47:18.112-08:001. I agree that there is not a "nation called...<br /><i>1. I agree that there is not a "nation called Europe" at present, but isn't that the "vision" of the true believers in Brussels, which includes Jean-Claude Juncker? Isn't that their intended destination?</i><br /><br /><b>In the same way Brexit meant so many different things to different supporters, so much so that the Referendum's Framers are feeling "Cassandra"https://www.blogger.com/profile/17412381249313151515noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18079728.post-88217699295590214072017-02-01T15:38:35.436-08:002017-02-01T15:38:35.436-08:00Dear Cassandra, I am absolutely delighted that you...Dear Cassandra, I am absolutely delighted that you have chosen to engage with my comments on your previous blog post. <br />If I may, I should like to further respond as follows:<br />1. I agree that there is not a "nation called Europe" at present, but isn't that the "vision" of the true believers in Brussels, which includes Jean-Claude Juncker? Isn't that their goodtimecharliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03560878555070000760noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18079728.post-58573762409598883692017-01-30T11:47:48.784-08:002017-01-30T11:47:48.784-08:00Having an AFL-CIO president praise a new R preside...Having an AFL-CIO president praise a new R president during his first week in office after 8 years of a D speaks volumes about the state of the D party and its relationship with the working class.Dakarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12943524584636184140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18079728.post-3697899684114217032017-01-29T13:27:08.318-08:002017-01-29T13:27:08.318-08:00Robert,
Thanks for sharing the link to your formi...Robert, <br />Thanks for sharing the link to your formidable piece. Had you not parted with normal practice, I'd have been robbed of its discovery. I am sympathetic to your view, for all the reasons you've cited, that much/most/the majority of painful convergence is past. The tragedy will indeed be (IMO) if the Populists cause global polities to meaningfully retrench from globalization, "Cassandra"https://www.blogger.com/profile/17412381249313151515noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18079728.post-47251273707310925772017-01-28T16:54:46.172-08:002017-01-28T16:54:46.172-08:00I am huge admirer of your blog and this piece of y...I am huge admirer of your blog and this piece of yours is an excellent example. However, although it's true that Brexit is fraught with downside risks to the UK economy, with few likely economic upsides, there are good reasons for its necessity nonetheless. The vast majority of UK voters and politicians are in favour of the club that we joined: an alliance of advanced West European countries goodtimecharliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03560878555070000760noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18079728.post-49251054877294686522017-01-28T09:04:57.755-08:002017-01-28T09:04:57.755-08:00Good to see you again. I'm 61 and woke in the ...Good to see you again. I'm 61 and woke in the middle of last night and lying there tried thinking of a president I've felt proud of. The only one was Kennedy, but there wasn't much choice given the circumstances and my age. Eventually I fell back sleep, but still don't have an answerFhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08175710728269530504noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18079728.post-91905312867845210152017-01-27T11:41:31.603-08:002017-01-27T11:41:31.603-08:00I don't normally push my own pieces, but I wro...I don't normally push my own pieces, but I wrote a piece on the economic drivers behind populist movements that you might enjoy: https://www.gam.com/en/insights-content/2016/tailwinds/the-discontented/<br /><br />Thanks, Robertroberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18252096528698024915noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18079728.post-18270268034824411952017-01-27T00:16:10.757-08:002017-01-27T00:16:10.757-08:00You will be sorely needed in the next four years, ...You will be sorely needed in the next four years, though maybe you just said everything you wanted to for this period. thank you for returning. Borishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17697069494471531749noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18079728.post-88391702539159808662017-01-26T17:10:12.862-08:002017-01-26T17:10:12.862-08:00I agree with your views entirely, while hoping tha...<br />I agree with your views entirely, while hoping that I'm wrong. <br />In the meantime the news backdrop only leads to higher stock prices.<br /><br />A counterargument may be found at- http://adventuresincapitalism.com/post/2017/01/23/Recent-Interview.aspx<br /><br />Richhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15333565680808748761noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18079728.post-27047300081487360192017-01-26T08:19:42.163-08:002017-01-26T08:19:42.163-08:00It is indeed good to have you back. I think I woul...It is indeed good to have you back. I think I would be a little more optimistic about the prospects for the fight agaiknst populism. One of the most pronounced features of the UK Brexit vote is that the young, who are more cosmopolitan in outlook, were in favour of Remain while the Brexiteers were typically older. As the young become older and the old become dead, populism is likely to dwindle. Autolycusnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18079728.post-48285476867072821152017-01-26T02:31:19.747-08:002017-01-26T02:31:19.747-08:00It does feel like we are watching a slow motion tr...It does feel like we are watching a slow motion train-wreck...Scotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12144734581483800148noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18079728.post-13312097151314304062017-01-25T07:50:28.193-08:002017-01-25T07:50:28.193-08:00Thank you for posting again. I've missed your ...Thank you for posting again. I've missed your posts :-)roberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18252096528698024915noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18079728.post-73058012512064062012016-09-11T08:00:45.294-07:002016-09-11T08:00:45.294-07:00No pots in a while. Hope you're okNo pots in a while. Hope you're okAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18079728.post-75466018633249210162016-08-05T15:15:32.710-07:002016-08-05T15:15:32.710-07:00He gets what he deserves, arrogant weasel, too bad...He gets what he deserves, arrogant weasel, too bad Icahn wasn't going down with him.19battlehillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16259450380654119052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18079728.post-79949601551116099092016-05-24T01:57:13.628-07:002016-05-24T01:57:13.628-07:00Discovered your writings this afternoon and you ce...Discovered your writings this afternoon and you certainly made me chuckle.....TJ33Ahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13245234066651341952noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18079728.post-19202846336906718732016-04-12T09:53:25.397-07:002016-04-12T09:53:25.397-07:00I toyed around with these for a time, but as an ac...I toyed around with these for a time, but as an actuary and a value investor, I have given up on the concept at least for now. Maybe when reinsurance capacity is scarce I will return -- whenever that happens -- too much flexible capital...David Merkelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05073877918072914309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18079728.post-48816037017548476182016-04-03T22:40:29.700-07:002016-04-03T22:40:29.700-07:00The polity is acrimoniously divided over past and ...The polity is acrimoniously divided over past and future QE, so it just delays debates over third rail issues like cutting entitlements and property taxes on stocks, bonds and asset managers.braga fanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15689821087647600993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18079728.post-47036281416886520252016-03-16T15:17:46.928-07:002016-03-16T15:17:46.928-07:00Not a Robot -
Thank you for the thoughtful reply....Not a Robot - <br />Thank you for the thoughtful reply. I do not believe there is any evidence of inherent meaning in life, or any meaning inherent in life, outside what we ourselves attribute to it. As humans we both adopt others' meanings and share with others those we create. This is benign at worst, and healthy , magical and beautiful at best (whether illusory or not). Problems arise "Cassandra"https://www.blogger.com/profile/17412381249313151515noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18079728.post-27056164422216744132016-03-16T07:59:30.110-07:002016-03-16T07:59:30.110-07:00I would recommend a read of Charles Murray's l...I would recommend a read of Charles Murray's lecture to the AEI on "The Happiness of the People". You will likely disagree with significant parts of it, but the central thesis is compelling. Key quote:<br /><br />"That mentality goes something like this: Human beings are a collection of chemicals that activate and, after a period of time, deactivate. The purpose of life is toI Am Not a Robotnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18079728.post-91181502163957985762016-03-16T06:02:32.052-07:002016-03-16T06:02:32.052-07:00Hmmm...direct! ;-)Hmmm...direct! ;-)Scotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12144734581483800148noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18079728.post-80924662991839612632016-03-15T15:50:45.812-07:002016-03-15T15:50:45.812-07:00Vlade...viewed through that lens, in this corner, ...Vlade...viewed through that lens, in this corner, the reigning heavyweight champion: greed, and in the far corner, communitarianism. Both "fantasies" seemingly lacking... <br /><br /><br />Mercury,<br />Post-enlightenment thought is but an infant in the historical time-line, and while it makes fodder for the academy, it is a mere punctuation-mark in its consumption of the common man ("Cassandra"https://www.blogger.com/profile/17412381249313151515noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18079728.post-81768710687926160262016-03-15T11:04:39.696-07:002016-03-15T11:04:39.696-07:00You’re missing the larger picture here I think. A...You’re missing the larger picture here I think. Although some will claim you can’t have the later without the former, the decline of Judeo-Christian faith in people’s daily lives is less significant than people’s decline in faith in Western Civilization’s values, traditions and institutions. Western Civilizational Values (broadly defined but more specifically those established after the GloriousMercurynoreply@blogger.com