Will the real Paul Mason please stand up
It was a very strange experience.
I went to the National Theatre last Friday and suddenly and totally unexpectedly saw portrayed on stage, by a professional actor, my Newsnight colleague Paul Mason.
He was appearing in a preview I was attending of David Hare's new play The Power of Yes, along with various other people I know - among them Howard Davies, Adair Turner and Jon Cruddas. The play officially opens tonight.
It was an odd play. The story of Hare interviewing all sorts of experts to try and understand the financial crisis. It was more documentary journalism than stage drama. But an excellent, enjoyable production, and worth seeing.
And Paul was portrayed very accurately.
I'm Michael Crick, and I'm Newsnight's political editor. My guiding rule is that in any story there's usually something the politicians would prefer the world not to know. My job is to find that out. Follow me on
Comment number 1.
At 6th Oct 2009, streetphotobeing wrote:We need the real Paul to tell us his thoughts on what the very high rise in gold tells us about whats going on.
Today, looking at the way its gone you get the feeling that its broken out of the $1000 level and will stay above it. The last times (this year) that it went through, it fell back quite fast.
Some analysts are talking about $3000 in 2010 I get the feeling for sure $1300 is on the cards now.
Whats going on Paul ? Is it just lack of confidence in the $
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Comment number 2.
At 6th Oct 2009, bookhimdano wrote:are these the experts who predicted it? if not what are they experts on?
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Comment number 3.
At 6th Oct 2009, streetphotobeing wrote:Nos 2
Well here is one :
What do you think he could be on ?
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Comment number 4.
At 7th Oct 2009, barry white wrote:And you would play you Michael?
How about Jude Law, it might just work...
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Comment number 5.
At 7th Oct 2009, stanilic wrote:#1
I am advised that the government of China is buying up gold because it fears the US will inflate itself out of debt just like it did last time.
If I had their money I would be doing the same but I don't: all I have is the currency issued by HM Government which, as we know, has been quantitatively eased.
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Comment number 6.
At 8th Oct 2009, Reaper_of_Souls wrote:#5
Given that gold is usually considered the "safe" commodity to hold when you think things are going to implode and you don't want to be left holding worthless currency that's probably the case.
Of course given the amount of USD the Chinese hold there isn't enough gold in the world for them to completely remove the risk.
Certainly it might reflect that the move away from the petro dollar, that has artificially maintained the USs spending power for years, may actually happen this time.
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Comment number 7.
At 11th Oct 2009, peepobaby wrote:Money supply to businesses is contracting in many advanced nations. At the same time in the developing economies stimulus cash is being put into financial markets rather than into the real economy to boost real demand for goods and services. The picture that this creates is one where aggregate demand falls in the developed world and doesn't grow fast enough in the developing world. Its the start of a depression. That's why gold has started its climb again whereas oil hasn't.
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