Being clear-eyed and full-hearted doesn’t mean being passive, weak, or silent.
It means resisting every effort to supplant our autonomy of mind with symbols of identity, no matter the source.
Extreme language during election season isn’t anything new.
But this time it really is different. Our response must be different, too.
The question is not whether Trump will accept the election result if he loses. He won’t.
The question is whether a Missionary with actual power will join him.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m thoroughly despondent about the calcification, mendacity, and venal corruption that I think four years of Clinton™ will impose. Trump, on the other hand … I think he breaks us. Maybe he already has. He breaks us because he transforms every game we play as a country — from our domestic social games to our international security games — from a Coordination Game to a Competition Game.
The outcomes of NFL games are inordinately influenced by officials relative to other sports. This is not new. The Narrative environment faced by the NFL in 2021, however, IS new.
I’m not sure they’re ready for it.
When a famous person shakes his or her finger at you, they’re not telling you a fact.
They’re telling you how to think about a fact.
Called It - Election Edition
Men of God in the City of Man is a nine part series about a narrative virus that infected the charismatic and Pentecostal churches in the United States. It isn't a story about Christian Nationalism. It isn't a story about January 6th. It isn't a story about why people voted for Trump. It is a story about a story. It is a story about the language that created a self-sustaining movement defined by its unwavering belief in a fundamentally corrupt electoral system.
Recent Notes
The First Presidential Debate
On episode 10 of the Epsilon Theory podcast, Dr. Ben Hunt is joined by Downtown Josh Brown, author, CNBC contributor, and CEO of Ritholtz Wealth Management. Ben and Josh discuss their reaction to the first presidential debate and what it would mean to have a President Clinton or a President Trump.
Essence of Decision
Here’s the thing. The Fed is now revealing its one True Love — its own reputation and its own political standing — and that’s going to be a bombshell revelation to investors who think that the Fed loves them.
Jubilee!
We’re back in Houston on Episode 9 of the Epsilon Theory podcast. Dr. Ben Hunt is joined by Salient’s chief investment officer Lee Partridge and…
Magical Thinking
The problem with magical thinking run amok and its perpetuation of a fantasy world is that sooner or later the dream of the delusional king becomes a real world nightmare for real world people. It’s time to wake up.
Magical Thinking
Live from New York in episode 8 of the Epsilon Theory podcast, host Dr. Ben Hunt tackles LIBOR, the money market, and explores magical thinking…
The Narrative Machine
“So, in the interests of survival, they trained themselves to be agreeing machines instead of thinking machines. All their minds had to do was to discover what other people were thinking, and then they thought that, too.” – Kurt Vonnegut
If there’s a better description of modern markets, I have yet to find it. We have become agreeing machines.
Full House
On episode seven of the Epsilon Theory podcast, host Dr. Ben Hunt is joined in San Francisco by Salient’s president Jeremy Radcliffe and deputy CIO…
Dungeons & Dragons
On episode six of the Epsilon Theory podcast, host Dr. Ben Hunt is joined again by Salient deputy chief investment officer Rusty Guinn to talk…
Crisis Actors and a Reichstag Fire
Man in Bar: Tomorrow, I’m gonna be a hero. Gideon: I’m sorry? Man in Bar: You may just be a patsy, but you’re an important…
Financial “Innovation” Returns to ABS Market
On Monday, Verizon Wireless successfully securitized more than $1 billion in cellphone contracts and sold the notes into the Asset-Backed Securities (ABS) market. Here’s the…
Mailbag #1
On episode five of the Epsilon Theory podcast, host Dr. Ben Hunt riffles through the mailbag to answer reader questions. Join the conversation and subscribe…
When Narratives Go Bad
How many things served us yesterday as articles of faith, which today are fables for us? – Michel de Montaigne, The Complete Essays (1580) That…
Special Edition: Brexit
On a special episode of the Epsilon Theory podcast, hosts Dr. Ben Hunt and Jeremy Radcliffe discuss the economic and historical context of the Brexit…
Waiting for Humpty Dumpty
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. All the king’s horses and all the king’s men Couldn’t put Humpty together…
Cat’s Cradle
“No wonder kids grow up crazy. A cat’s cradle is nothing but a bunch of X’s between somebody’s hands, and little kids look and look…
Southern Accents
On episode three of the Epsilon Theory podcast, host Dr. Ben Hunt is joined by Salient’s deputy chief investment officer Rusty Guinn. Through anecdotes about Donald…
Pressure and Time
Red: [narrating] In 1966, Andy Dufresne escaped from Shawshank prison. All they found of him was a muddy set of prison clothes, a bar of…
Crisis of Faith
On episode two of the Epsilon Theory podcast, hosts Dr. Ben Hunt and Jeremy Radcliffe examine why the once-trusted models in finance and politics are…
The Introduction
In episode one of the Epsilon Theory podcast, hosts Dr. Ben Hunt and Jeremy Radcliffe discuss the origins of Epsilon Theory, how Dr. Hunt came…
Who’s Being Naïve, Kay?
The Mysterious Stranger is a liar, to be sure, but he’s a proper villain, as the Brits would say, and he’s quite upfront about his goals and his use of clever words to accomplish those goals.
Your goal? Survive the encounter.