Dalio, Trump, and The Big Bang Theory
Rodney Johnson | April 11, 2019 | Hedge fund manager Ray Dalio entered the mainstream recently when he granted an interview to CBS’s 60 Minutes. Before that, he and his shop, Bridgewater, were only common names among financial people who both revered their ability to make money and were a bit skeptical of the way the shop operates. Among other things, Dalio requires radical truth from his employees. You can say anything, as long as it’s true and on point. Talking about employees to other employees will get you fired. Meeting participants review each other in real time. Dalio believes capitalism needs to be reformed. He thinks the current system doesn’t afford people the same opportunities for growth, and that starting at the bottom of the income ladder means only a slight chance of getting ahead. In short, he said the American Dream doesn’t exist today as it did when he was a kid. I don’t know Ray Dalio, but his approach reminds me in name of President Trump’s “disciplined realism.” Trump seemingly will say anything to anyone, secure that he won’t suffer personally or professionally because he’s rich. He moved the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, the capital of Israel, because that’s where embassies belong. He calls out problems on the U.S. southern border. He chides China for abusive trade practices. It’s refreshing to hear these things from a politician… to a certain point. Along the way, his principle loses its discipline. Trump regularly skips from the truth to hyperbole to fantasy. The border issues don’t constitute a national emergency that imperils the nation. And I think George Washington and Harry S. Truman can claim greater successes than Trump in their first two years in office, something he boasts of regularly. Trump is like Sheldon Cooper from the Big Bang Theory, with wealth instead of math skills. Confident in his abilities, speaking truth even though it makes others uncomfortable, unapologetically self-interested, and a bit delusional about his personal grandeur and importance. But he still attracts people. READ MORE »
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