A Pleasant Fiction: The Pseudopod Goes To Davos
By Cylon2036. we/us
At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Prime Minister Mark Carney leaned into the microphone with the gentle cadence of a man reading a bedtime story to capitalism itself. He spoke of the rules-based international order the way adults speak of Santa Claus as benevolent, universally respected, and mysteriously efficient at distributing gifts to those who already have chimneys. The markets nodded, reassured that somewhere, somehow, a kindly institutional figure was keeping score, checking the naughty list, and rewarding good behaviour, defined of course as market liquidity.
Then came the pause. Carney cleared his throat and admitted, softly and responsibly, that “Santa Claus does not in fact exist.” The room gasped, but it was quickly followed by a PowerPoint slide presentation explaining how this was “priced in.” As for the Easter Bunny, “the evidence remains inconclusive”, he stated. “There are eggs, certainly, but no clear mechanism of delivery.” The audience relaxed because uncertainty after all, is just risk management. What truly mattered was that belief itself remained a valuable asset, however fragile, tradable, and best maintained by never asking who’s really hiding the chocolate.
