When writing about “Capital”, like Piketty, can you just use data about it, without ever having seen it at work?
The real importance of capital is when it marries risk… meaning when it is willing to burn itself up in order to multiply enormously or reach something much higher.
And that angle is entirely absent in Piketty´s “Capital”.
The closest he gets is when on page 115 he writes “Capital is never quiet: it is always risk-oriented and entrepreneurial, at least at its inception”.
Indeed… but then? What happens after its inception? Truth is that from being muscle creating capital, most of it turns into obesity creating capital… and dies out over time.
Look for instance at those many trillions invested in the debt of the “infallible sovereigns”. Is that capital? No way! In fact all that has already been condemned to disappear through financial repression.
Frankly… the more I read the book (I am almost through it) the more upset I get... at least with its too capitalistic publisher's campaign.
From reading Thomas Piketty’s Wikepedia biography it becomes absolutely clear that he has never ever seen capital put to work… and yet he dares to write about capital.
Is this an expert to follow? No way Jose! He is just another Bill Easterly tyrant!
PS. Avoid the merchants of poverty!
PS. Avoid the merchants of poverty!