Nassim Taleb warns rising US debt could turn into ‘death spiral’

This post was originally published on this site

In an article, Bloomberg reported that Taleb spoke at an event for Universa Investments on Monday night, the hedge fund he advises.

The publication states that Taleb described the increasing US debt load as a “white swan,” a risk event that is more probable than a surprise “black swan” event.

Taleb didn’t comment on the impact on markets but explained that white swans include the US deficit and an economy far more vulnerable to shocks than in previous years.

He is said to have added that as long as you have Congress continually extending the debt limit and doing deals “because they’re afraid of the consequences of doing the right thing, that’s the political structure of the political system. Eventually, you’re going to have a debt spiral.”

With the world far more interconnected due to globalization, Taleb told listeners that problems in one region can ricochet around the world.

Bloomberg added that when Taleb was asked how the US “spiral” could play out, he said, “we need something to come in from the outside, or maybe some kind of miracle,” adding that this makes him “kind of gloomy about the entire political system in the Western world.”