The World Has Gone Mad – Ray Dalio article summary

We are currently “pushing on a string”, a phase which Ray says we have never seen during our lifetimes. This is the situation where investors are flush with cash, and would rather invest it, not spend it.

The prices of financial assets have gone up as interest rates have plummeted. Low expected returns aren’t just driving up the prices bonds, but also equities, private equity, venture capital, etc.

Startups don’t have clear paths to profits, so they rely on selling dreams (Adam Neumann WeWork is a prime example) to get people to invest in their ideas. Investment managers are sitting on large hordes of cash and are looking for any place to park their funds, hence the overblown valuations of companies.

Government deficits are large and continue to grow. As a result, governments must sell more debt that nobody is interested in buying because the interest rates on these debts are so low. Central banks end up buying this debt by printing new money. (But don’t say they are monetizing the debt).

Down the road, as pension and healthcare liability payments come due, those obligated to make these payments will be unable to do so. How does this happen? Those institutions have expected returns of 7%, much greater than expected returns in the market in the coming years.

As these institutions are unable to make payments, unfunded liabilities will balloon as a result of suppressed growth. Teachers and governmental employees are those most exposed to this risk.

In sum, money is basically free (because of low to negative interest rates) for those who have money and creditworthiness. Money is unavailable for those without money or creditworthiness.

This contributes further to the wealth gaps we see today. Technological innovations are creating a way for companies to cut jobs further as well. The effects of low interest rate monetary policies are no longer “trickling down” to workers as a result. Thus explains how to we got where we are today.