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WeWork and Counterfeit Capitalism

mattstoller.substack.com

11–20 of 440 posts

Re: WeWork and Counterfeit Capitalism

#11

Some of these criticisms are just irrelevant personal abuse - like saying he doesn't think Neumann's t-shirt is fitted well.

Defending those of poor character and moral fiber (not my judgement, facts reported) from a jab about their clothes is low priority. The other issues presented are far more pressing.

Making pointless jabs at somebody dilutes your argument and makes you look like a moron in the eyes of bystanders on the margins of deciding who's right.

Re: WeWork and Counterfeit Capitalism

#12

Some of these criticisms are just irrelevant personal abuse - like saying he doesn't think Neumann's t-shirt is fitted well.

Defending those of poor character and moral fiber (not my judgement, facts reported) from a jab about their clothes is low priority. The other issues presented are far more pressing.

I personally think it's good to call out arguments that we disagree with, that are imprecise, or irrelevant.

Not as pressing in this case but elsewhere if you leave those arguments uncriticized it gives those you are arguing against more leverage in the form of things they can point out.

It's important we hold people to high standards

Re: WeWork and Counterfeit Capitalism

#13

Some of these criticisms are just irrelevant personal abuse - like saying he doesn't think Neumann's t-shirt is fitted well.

Defending those of poor character and moral fiber (not my judgement, facts reported) from a jab about their clothes is low priority. The other issues presented are far more pressing.

Taking a jab at clothing generally is so low effort to be actually embarrassing and will invalidate anything else that you are trying to say. IMO.

Re: WeWork and Counterfeit Capitalism

#14

Some of these criticisms are just irrelevant personal abuse - like saying he doesn't think Neumann's t-shirt is fitted well.

I don't find the t-shirt bit irrelevant, it's an aesthetic that speaks volumes and has a place in the critique, particularly as contrasted with the aesthetic that will replace it. That's how it's referenced, and not as a direct or adhominem attack.

Re: WeWork and Counterfeit Capitalism

#15

Counterfeit capitalism is a nice term. I think neoliberalism will be labeled as such by historians in the future. The collapse of Bretton Woods and the subsequent neoliberal laissez faire economics set off a chain reaction which led to the 2008 sub prime crisis and the current climate crisis. The world will eventually move away from that. Friedman was wrong. Society is not built on greed.

Can you connect the collapse of Bretton Woods and laissez faire economics for me? It seemed like you were implying a connection, but I don't see it.

Re: WeWork and Counterfeit Capitalism

#16
post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Defending those of poor character and moral fiber (not my judgement, facts reported) from a jab about their clothes is low priority. The other issues presented are far more pressing.

Taking a jab at clothing generally is so low effort to be actually embarrassing and will invalidate anything else that you are trying to say. IMO.

Taking some comedic/low effort jabs should not invalidate from one's main (and valid) arguments. IMO.

Else it's low effort on the listener's part.

Re: WeWork and Counterfeit Capitalism

#17
post #4

> owns buildings personally he leases to WeWork This part bugs me. This is standard procedure for small businesses, having a real-estate business leasing property to your main business. If you want to succeed, you own the building. Otherwise, you are on borrowed time. Edit: alright, great points, thanks!

The thing is, a small business' owner for both of those entities is the same, with aligned interests. And the owner benefits from both being successful.

In the case where he personally owns property leased out to a company that's going to be public: The public investors are cut out of all that rental income. And in the case of WeWork, their regular business isn't actually profitable. Which means this dual business structure would be designed to siphon public investment into Neumann's personal property, as WeWork is forced to continue paying it's leases to Neumann while it continues to just lose money.

Re: WeWork and Counterfeit Capitalism

#18
"The company is losing an enormous amount of money and 'has no path to profitability at scale'." - well if there is no path to profitability, how is it still worth 10-15 billion ?

"If you know Dimon’s actual reputation, him getting suckered isn’t surprising. From what I heard back in 2009, Dimon is a mediocrity who essentially got lucky his bank was too slow to get in on the subprime scam in 2006; he then used his bank’s incompetence at getting into the bubble as justification for how prudent he was." - Dimon is the most respected banker and he led JPM to become the largest bank in the western world. Well somehow that is mediocre.

"WeWork ostensibly became more valuable because Son said it was more valuable, and bought shares for higher prices. " - well isn't this how market pricing works.

And then whole blurb on Counterfeit Capitalism - which in essence described capitalism. The stronger player aims to get market share at the expense of a weaker player.

The author is just another one with a big mouth writing clickbait articles !

Re: WeWork and Counterfeit Capitalism

#19
post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Defending those of poor character and moral fiber (not my judgement, facts reported) from a jab about their clothes is low priority. The other issues presented are far more pressing.

Making pointless jabs at somebody dilutes your argument and makes you look like a moron in the eyes of bystanders on the margins of deciding who's right.

If those are still "on the margins of deciding who's right" on such a clear cut case, then they're a lost cause anyway...

Re: WeWork and Counterfeit Capitalism

#20

Some of these criticisms are just irrelevant personal abuse - like saying he doesn't think Neumann's t-shirt is fitted well.

At that level of income, clothes are a choice. Simply insulting him about his clothes may not be very helpful, but thinking about the message Neumann is sending with that clothing choice is productive. I'm inferring from the text that that picture is from an investor presentation, though I don't quite know, but if it was, those clothes are rife with meaning. They are as deliberately crafted as any of the words in that presentation were, and you are fully entitled to analyze that and make decisions based on that analysis.
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