Page 62 - SurprisingTruthFinal

The Surprising Truth About Lying
Lina let out a small, sharp gasp in the basement.
This wasn't a leak; this was an authorized,
government-mandated confession.
“What is your bank’s true leverage ratio? Not the
declared ratio, but the actual ratio, including off-
balance sheet and derivative liabilities.”
Vance finally broke. He looked straight into the lens,
his eyes wet with genuine, terrified honesty. "Five
hundred to one. For every dollar we possess, we owe
five hundred. If ten percent of our retail depositors
demand their funds, the entire global structure
collapses."
"What is the actual, unmitigated probability of a
global financial collapse within the next fiscal quarter?"
the auditor asked.
Vance shut his eyes. "Ninety-eight percent. Our
continued operation relied entirely on the systemic
belief in the two percent chance of survival. That belief
is now gone."
The broadcast didn't cut away. It couldn't. The Truth
Law forbade it. The camera held on Vance's ruined face
as he admitted the entire global economy was a house
of cards built on debt and fantasy.
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