The latest Investing Matters Podcast episode featuring financial educator and author Jared Dillian has been released. Listen here.
People can present whatever ideas they like but if they can take an indisputable fact such as the shape of the earth and convince some gullible moron otherwise then that person absolutely should be silenced.
Flat earth is just a very obvious example of where something factual is being rejected by a growing number of people.
I would also prefer to have a conversation with a conspiracy theorist, for the entertainment.
Which conspiracy theorists are on to something? And which conspiracies?
Let's be clear, conspiracy theorists generally don't critically think. Unfortunately, the internet gives a platform for people to spread misinformation and there are too many naive people who can be taken in by it. Take a look at the surge in flat earthers for example.
Indemnity doesn't point to there being genuine concerns.
People don't insure themselves against things because they think there is a genuine concern regarding the event you are insuring yourself against. It's because despite best efforts, unexpected things happen.
I am relying on the fact that it is not in the government's best interests to rush out a vaccine that has more chance of making things worse than making things better. It might not be a total success, it might not even be a success but based on the guidance of the experts they believe that it has more chance of improving things than making it worse.
Yes, they have covered their backs but in reality that doesn't mean that they are now more likely to do things that put the population at harm. It means that given the short timescales and the urgency that there is an increased risk of something unexpected happening. They have done the right thing.
I will defer to the scientists on the risks but for me, the decrease in deaths and the quicker return of normality once again are high enough reward for the potential risks of the vaccine.
Punit, I think we can safely say that £3 will never be seen here for a long, long time unless something catastrophic happens regarding the vaccines.
I think we will only see £2 in the short/medium term if everything goes perfectly regarding our Covid activities. Based on history, I don't believe that this will happen. Which means that the only way we are going to see £2 is based on our other offerings - so perhaps in a year or so if everything goes well with those and there is no further dilution.
Despite the above, I think there is scope in the short term for perhaps a spike or two that takes us towards £1 but we will have to wait and see.
The government are in a difficult position, at the moment they broadly have two options: -
Continue to trash the economy which will cause massive suffering for a large proportion of the population for many, many years.
Try and move on as normal and significantly increase the number of deaths to a point where the NHS can no longer cope.
With guidance from the scientists, the government and Pfizer are taking a calculated risk based on the fact that the options without it are horrendous.
Good on them.