I think you meant to say, ‘this generation does not know how to be empirical vs being gullible.’ You need to factor in Carl Jung’s personality types: No one gets out of their box and everyone has a blind spot. People who define things, are those who have been denied access to that very item and spend a life time chasing that quest. While those without any obstacles, have a ‘Labrador Retriever’ temperament where creating structure is too much baggage.

I love this guy. Bring him back!

Brilliant thinker. Greatly enjoyed this one.

This a fellow I'd like as a friend: brilliant, interesting, and tells it as it is. He makes one think deeply or get out of his way. That makes for personal progress and, given enough exposure, general improvement. I hope he obtains his license, so we all may learn something from him.

"If you are angry at the IRS, fundamentally you are angry at a situation that you yourself have caused" What is this guy smoking? I hope his structured finance products don't give people a reason to be angry, for then he will just tell his clients that they only have themselves to blame.

Not a think piece but a think truckload.

Sylvain's ideas are like a CPAP machine for your brain, they hold your thought passageways open in order to let some new lifegiving ideas to flow in. Looking forward to the next time he shares. Thanks RVTV.

actionable? no. but certainly heartwarming to know there are intelligent people living in NYC who are actually working to innovate and solve some of these problems. people who have enough vision to see past the "entropic ending" that we are currently suffering thru.

very thought provoking. will watch at least once more

tremendously interesting guy. very non-consensus thinker.

I'm not sure what I learned but Sylvain's commentary was fascinating! Please bring him back.

TX LA SC are "French" while the rest of the states are Anglo-Saxon. "French law" comes from the top down, while American law comes from the bottom up. This is so true. I live & work in France where they do speak of the law as coming from God. That view is difficult for an American to swallow but folks need to know about it. I practice law in TX, NY, HI, Paris & UK. Those views of law determine where clients/refugees hope to work, incorporate or retire. How we search for the tax benefits for clients is predicated on whether they want the "French" way or the "American" way. I enjoyed this "think piece". Have him on again.

You can have that guy on every week as far as I’m concerned.

Interesting guy who backs up his talk with logic. Fascinating discussion about structured finance. Sylvain also refers to a coming reset or type of reckoning in society. It's the second time I've recognized this important pattern on RVTV. The first was Martin Armstrong. Healthy to step back and consider different viewpoints and philosophy a la Taleb's Anti Fragile. Sylvain is on that level.

Most arrogant ex-rating agency guy that I have ever heard. Despite hubris and excessive man-cleavage, he did have a few interesting things to say.

This guy is incredibly interesting. A lot of big picture, idealogical thinking here... a fresh perspective on things from a unique angle

Nice pick RVTV, would love to see Sylvain back again.

A response to 6/13 Christopher C.'s excellent question: I am not sure exactly what Mr. Raynes meant, but I believe the philosophical discipline needed would be Ethics. According to Aristotle ethical behavior is a developed habit like greed. The only way to stop unethical behavior is to enforce well promulgated laws both civil and criminal. It is shocking that no one went to jail in 2008. The best way to punish the greedy is take their money and let them think about it in jail. The financial community should shun them. No one cheats if he/she knows they will be caught. People cheat when they feel they will get away with it.

Brilliant. I would love to see the reading list for his class. With regard to the current twenty-year olds, I think it is useful to remember we have been cutting back on education for 30 years; it is showing at all levels.

Obviously a very smart guy but he kept reminding me of John Lovitz of SNL!!

Brilliant insights from Sylvain and most timely in a week that the dark forces of the Billderberg elite prepare to meet for their annual conference behind closed doors in Dresden. Time to wake up and smell the coffee before the Orwellian nightmare he refers to envelopes us all .

very good, very different; surprised at the number of negative votes. Didn't agree with some of the things said, but an original perspective which was on the whole very well presented.

Well, this ain't your run of the mill interview. Penetrating insights. Great quotes. Not sure why anyone would give this a thumbs down. The insights aren't obviously actionable enough for some I guess. I wasn't gonna watch this. VERY glad I did. Well done guys.

regular appearance is a must, great piece! This is the level of insight I am looking for at RVTV, thanks.

By far the best interview so far. On another level. Depressing in the sense that for more people to accept this way of thinking will take forever. I am very pleased to discover that there is at least once such mind already.

Mark, Sylvain actually got kicked off CNBC once, it's on youtube and it's very funny. So yup, obviously Sylvain is too good for CNBC, and that's why he's on RVTV.

So far this is one of my favorite interviews . Certainly something you would not see on CNBC.

Great interview. A pleasure to follow a great mind in the abstract sprinkled with practical zingers on greed and metaphors for understanding. A little like Nietzsche jumping from mountain top to mountain top. I am lost in the valley, but it is nice to look up. As discussed, greed is a habit and fear is an emotion. They cannot be symmetric or asymmetric. Great comments by Dale H.

I want to give this 10 thumbs up. I have enjoyed this the most yet. "Goldman Sachs doesn't have special knowledge, they have special access". Love it! A crisis is an attempt to reverse a course (in a few days), that has taken years to develop. That's why it's a crisis. 2007 crisis needed 6/7 years to fix. Yes, and leadership and courage.. Illegalities were allowed by govt :( . Goldman made $65 billion in one day from the AIG bailout, (why was there not huge mayhem in the streets?). The evolution of flight by man - interesting analogy. The evolution of structured finance, showing the way forward - I want to know more. Applied philosophy- disruptive- love it. Americanisation "other countries don't like it". I can vouch for that! Loved his comments about puppets - anger at top down control. Very worrying that there is no student argument any more. I saw a change in the late 80s, when huge numbers of students, out of a fear of not getting a job, ignored the humanities and rushed to studying business. They did not see value in the former - very sad. As NZ has been mentioned. I have to say, as a New Zealander, the anger is building in my generation about the unwanted influence of "things American"; we need to see more of the amazing American people that I know are out there. But, the young kids love it - I fear the influence of meaningless stuff, plus lack of training in how to think is (in general), leading to unquestioning acceptance.. I hope we can educate them, but maybe not, I don't know :( This Think Piece has made my morning and I know my daughter will watch this one with me and that's saying something. Best wishes from NZ. Great choice RV.

outstanding I will not sleep thinking about this for a few nights.

outstanding I will not sleep thinking about this for a few nights.

I would like to see Sylvain come back if he can be more polite - ;o) Lol.... I do believe Sylvain "Gets it" and he explains it very well - enjoyed his presentation, Thanks Milton!

Has Godot arrived yet ?

In a follow up, it would be if helpful if Slyvain could explain "why" philosophical models in finance are beneficial with some examples. Maybe contrasting what he means with the bad results & impressions investors are getting from the application of 19 century mathematics to our useless central bankers models. I agree that innovation in finance is good, but maybe if could explain how it could be taken to the next level.

He is a fascinating man. I want more of his insights.

An interesting and enjoyable rant through the financial system. A fascinating contrarian position. I am sure I will have to play this again sometime when the ball falls off the wok.........

Interesting and thought provoking. I myself have found that being a disruptive influence on an industry is not a welcoming experience by those who are profiting from the current way. Greed has to overcome fear of change, which is why it takes longer.

The problem with moving to a philosophical model of finance is that the nexus of the philosophies of power, greed, and corruption (i.e. The human condition) must be successfully traversed. I like the idea but see significant obstacles. How do you transform to a more efficient method of finance when other competing philosophies' life blood depend on stealing or siphoning off from the original deal and those competing philosophies have entrenched social and political structures built into society to ensure their own survival?