Waiting for the End of the World
"It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so."
- Mark Twain
"The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine" revealed the individuals who foresaw the financial crisis of 2007-08 and profited from it. This would make ordinary Americans seething with rage, even tempted to strangle their necks. But Michael Lewis identified some figures whom they would least expect. Michael Burry, for instance, was a neurologist who became the manager of California hedge fund Scion Capital. He hardly went out of his office, even mingled with his employees. He wore a colored shirt and a pair of shorts and often seen barefooted (at the office). He has Asperger's Syndrome and a prosthetic eye.
This non-fiction would make some readers mistrustful of the banking industry. After all, the bankers were the ones who invented phrases that ordinary people won't understand. Don't be surprised if it was intentional on their part, as it meant the public would leave them alone (and they would take the bulk of the profit). And these individuals were far from being cynics. They believed in the system, even if they knew if there was fraud all over it. They knew what money could do, and patience won't be one of their virtues. Lewis, a financial journalist, wanted the public to understand a few things. Anyone could be a math specialist. Stupidity meant doing illegal transactions, which led to the credit bubble. And people turned a blind eye once they saw wads of cash.
Truth is like poetry. Everyone hates poetry.
Adam McKay adapted "The Big Short" to the big screen. He did a better job than Lewis, as he opted for a comic approach in explaining the mortgage industry, the credit bubble, and the crisis that brought most Americans down to their knees. The director, who co-wrote the script with Charles Randolph, were meticulous about the details. Moviegoers won't be scratching their heads, as someone like Selena Gomez would compare the crisis to a game of blackjack (or Anthony Bourdain telling the viewers that collateralized debit obligations could be fish meat that won't make it into the boiling pot). The characters were based from the likes of Steve Eisman and Charles Ledley, who predicted the demise of Citigroup and Bear Stearns.
McKay would imply that these figures were a hypocritical bunch. They would brag about their money. It could be a measure of success, it might be human nature. Don't be surprised if these individuals retreated to the background once the mortgage market crashed down. Either they felt guilty about the situation or they rather not be lynched by the angry mob.
The moral of "The Big Short" would be learning the banking industry could be easy as how to ride the bicycle. It's all about persistence and determination.
