Investors need a way to sequester the noisy news flow out of the White House. It is too easy to let the relentless and disturbing headlines throw off long-term financial plans. Investors must read the news, but not let it interfere with thinking clearly.
Look, let’s be honest about the commander-in-chief: He is the world’s leading Twitter troll, a man whose main goal is to interrupt your thinking, misquote and insult other people, engage in rhetorical sleight of hand, and impugn the integrity of those trying to do honest work. What all trolls want is a reaction, something Trump has achieved to great success.
Rule No. 1 on the internet is “Do not feed the trolls.” No one can really ignore the president of the United States, but it’s probably best to view much of what he says or tweets as minor background noise.
No. 5. You keep saying not to worry about who is president; but surely you do worry about him, right?
Yes, as a citizen I do worry about the president’s rampant prevarications and the degraded culture he has created.
The search for facts and reliable information is the bedrock of modern civilization and well-functioning markets. Agnotology is dangerous and worrisome. I have no interest in returning to the dark ages before the Enlightenment. However, that seems to be the direction in which we’re headed, and some people seem to think it will make them the most money.
They likely won’t, and now more than ever, truth remains the best disinfectant.
This column was provided by Bloomberg News.