The interesting thing about the China story, getting back to the macro and micro, and as dire as I think the macro story is - due to bad credit and credit extension that makes Greece and Spain and the U.S. look like child's play - when you get to the micro of individual companies, they look even worse.
James ChanosSo you know, everyone points out Greece's default record, but the history of a lot of sovereign nations is not a good one when it comes to lending them money.
James ChanosWhat American people and what the markets want is a fair and level playing-field, where the rules are clearly elucidated, where the referees are competent, and where we know that the game is not rigged.
James ChanosDubai was a property bubble. Plain and simple. Go to Dubai and see what happened. It was... what I call it the 'Edifice complex' - it's just, we can grow by putting up lots and lots of buildings and trying to attract people to come here, stay here, and put up offices here and sooner or later, you put up too many.
James ChanosIt's very difficult in the technology space when you have been leapfrogged to prosper again.
James ChanosI used to think that good short-sellers could be trained like long-focused value investors because it should be the same skill set; youโre tearing into the numbers, youโre valuing the businesses, youโre assigning a consolidated value, and hopefully youโre seeing something the market doesnโt see.But now Iโve learned that thereโs a big difference between a long-focused value investor and a good short-seller. That difference is psychological and I think it falls into the realm of behavioral finance.
James Chanos