Ray Dalio on the challenges in front of us

Ray Dalio of Bridgewater Associates has recently appeared on the Charlie Rose show as well as written a piece for the Financial Times. I think he does a good job of describing how we got here (continually borrowing money to improve our standard of living) and the tenuous situation we find ourselves in (Greece, falling home prices, etc.)

From FT.com

We are in the midst of a deleveraging, we are nearly out of ammunition and we are at each other’s throats. Being in a deleveraging and nearly out of ammunition is a very difficult position to be in. But, being at each other’s throats is our biggest problem.
Our character and our political and social systems are now being tested in ways that have typically been tested in past deleveragings. In deleveragings bad economic conditions typically lead to emotional reactions, social and political fragmentation, poor decision-making and increased conflict. When this occurs in democracies, the checks and balance system, which is intended to yield the best decisions for the whole, can stand in the way of thoughtful leadership and lead to ineffective “mob” rule. This dynamic can lead to a self-reinforcing downward spiral.

The video goes into a little more detail of his philosophy of knowing what you don't know and being willing to have your ideas and conclusions challenged throughout the corporate structure.  I suggest you read both the article and watch the interview.

Thanks to The Intrigued Trader and Also Sprach Analyst