Market Commentary: Bill Gates on Biden's USD 1.9 Trillion Covid Relief Bill

Answers to All Your Questions

Announcing a new feature here at SAM: AA’s trenchant commentary on news and developments in the "market".

I saw on the internet about two weeks ago a Fareed Zakaria interview in which he asked Bill Gates to opine on the Biden USD 1.9 trillion stimulus plan.

I was surprised.

Prior to that, I hadn’t known that Bill Gates was an expert on economics.

As Phil Rosenzweig can tell you, success in one field, particularly one in which an individual makes billions, automatically confers unique knowledge in almost every other field on that individual or at least the appearance of such knowledge.

Often such knowledge is attributed by folks who one hopes should know better.

Given Fareed’s academic and professional focus on foreign affairs, I was surprised that he did not seize the opportunity with Bill to heal an unfortunate rift in the Middle East by asking Bill to provide the definitive analysis of the meaning of “غَدِيْر خُمّ “ and “أَهْل ٱلْكِسَاء‎ “.

Or perhaps give his solution to the Korea issue.

Sadly, for whatever reason, he did not.

One or is that two for the “missed opportunities” file?

I, of course, would have had my own set of different questions.

Before outlining these, I need to make a material disclosure.

Devoted readers of this blog (I’m counting bots so I can use the plural) know that there is a bit of bad blood between Bill and me.

Sometime back I was expecting advice from him on what I should be having for dinner, hoping to draw on another area of his wide ranging expertise after my foray in a mall bookstore's business books section.

Advice that sadly never came.

Madame Arqala, as she so often does, did rescue me on that occasion.

Despite a bit of lingering rancor on that failure, I would have straightaway asked Bill what strategy he would employ as Arsenal’s new head coach to ensure that they repeatedly won the Premier League, the Champions League, etc.

All in the hopes that Brother Stan was watching. Or might see the interview later on the VAR.

I'd probably have moved on from there to ask him to opine on a sharp difference between my elder wiser brother (expert in many thing Asian though clearly not on pizza) and me over the best pizza:  deep dish or thin crust. 

Or perhaps why the last two words in the fourth verse of Surah 112 did not have the same terminal vowels. 

Eventually I’d probably have asked Bill to comment on SolarWinds and Microsoft Exchange.

Why these events happened?

What Microsoft could or should have done to prevent them?

Perhaps, an area where his skills might be more profitably employed.

The Wisdom of Business Books

Black Friday An Important Part of the Celebration of Christ's Birth

The Purchasing of Mass Quantities at a Discount

Like the Red Cross after a disaster, each year AA visits the Mall after Black Friday to help clear up the damage and look for any shoppers trapped under the rubble. This year was no exception. A trip to the USA for Thanksgiving with family brought us back to familiar haunts.

This year with all the focus on-line sales the human tragedy and carnage were minimal save for the rise in carpal tunnel syndrome.

Charitable work done in record time, I nipped by the book store.

Whenever I need a “pick-me-up”, no need to head to the nearest pub. A visit to the bookstore’s Business Section allows me to reconnect with old friends and have some fun or a chuckle or two.

Look there’s Tom Peters with a new book with “excellence” in the title. That’s how many so far? I’ve “known” Tom for ages since I read “In Search of Excellence” some years back. He apparently found it and hasn’t stopped writing about it since then.

No purchase today. I’m holding out for “The Excellence of the Excellence”.

As I scanned the shelves, there he was Elon Musk arms folded with a determined look on his face. Gracing the cover of a breathless tome about how he, Bezos, and some business luminary whose name now escapes me were going to colonize space. Apparently, it’s true that the world is not enough.

It was clear that I was getting closer to the business celebrity section. My favorite section. Always good for a hearty chuckle or belly laugh.

Here was the accumulated wisdom of various captains of industry. Learn how to be an E Manager. Or if you’re a contrarian, learn that there are no E Managers..

Learn to Think Like a Billionaire. The alleged author of this tome’s fortunes seem to have risen with his foray into politics. From ship’s cook to ship’s captain thanks to a talented ghostwriter and a gullible public 

As they say, those who can, do. Those who can't, write books offering advice on how to do it.  Or perhaps hire someone to write the book for them.

Books of quotes from Peter Thiel, Jeff Bezos. Inspiring lives, inspiring quotes. Words to live by.

Authors channeling the thoughts of famous departed leaders. Sun Tzu with advice for women businessmen. Genghis Khan.

Apparently even Jesus had a business leadership style and has some timely pointers on "how to make a payroll".  Who knew besides Jerry Falwell?

Visionary insights to be scooped up. More knowledge per square inch of shelf space than the entire Library of Alexandria.

A veritable collection of wisdom to rival The Great Books. To which sadly Hutchins and Adler lacked access.

My attempts to suppress a chuckle crumbled. I was laughing out loud.

A clerk who had been keeping me under close surveillance given my increasingly raucous browsing came over to ask if she could help

Yes, indeed.

Any “works” by Adam Neumann or about him?

Sadly none. Has he missed his fleeting chance to tell us how he made it “big” and how if we emulate him, we can also? Will his wisdom like that of Ammonius Saccas be lost for all time? Say it isn't true!

As I began to walk to the exit, my eye fell on a book “The Five Habits of Highly Effective Companies”. Incontrovertible proof that corporations are indeed people, though I suppose none was really needed.

Later at home I heard that McKinsey or Bain were planning to expand their consulting business to offer psychological counselling to firms perhaps after reading the above tome. Treating addictions, resolving traumas. 

Perhaps even those from past lives.  Or as we business experts call them "pre-merger incarnations". 

Good business and good works combined.

I paused to gaze upon the history and foreign policy books just before exiting. 

To my surprise I learned that Bill Gates has an annual “best” book list. A list that includes more than business or technology tomes.

As I left the store, I wondered what Bill recommended I have for dinner. Sadly, a question that remains unanswered to this very day.

Thankfully Madame Arqala usually makes this decision. Or I might have starved to death in the absence of Bill’s reply.