More Politics as Usual

[Chris Brandlon]

I think Kelly's points are valid, although the partisan tone reflects a fundamental problem in U.S. society. We have become so polarized around every issue -- and the pandemic has only exacerbated this divide -- that we are no longer functional as a society. Instead, we are fragmented into various sub-cultures, which reinforce the shared vision of the group through selective information processing.

The question for investors is not how or why we got to where we are; the challenge is to secure our own personal and financial futures, and those of the people we care about (hopefully a wider circle than immediate family and friends). Wanting or hoping to change the political landscape is, without intending offense to those who choose this route, a fool's errand, and expecting this or that electoral outcome to make things right is a pipe dream. The structures of power in this country are profoundly ossified... meaningful change in the way our nation is run will require huge, concerted efforts, and a level of unity and mutual respect far beyond anything we are seeing in the public discourse today.

"Hope for the best, plan for the worse" is an axiom that real estate investors are well-advised to heed in these tumultuous times. What this means for your individual situation is for you to determine. But looking for answers from the politics as usual status quo is almost certainly a losing proposition.