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PEOPLE & ARTS Tuesday 21 May 2019
Game of Thrones: Economics of mercy and other final lessons

By PAUL WISEMAN, a heartbroken Jon Snow
CHRISTOPHER RUGABER to plunge a knife into her
JOSH BOAK chest to save the world
WASHINGTON (AP) — So from her revolutionary
Daenerys broke the wheel, madness.
after all. Or at least knocked History suggests that the
it out of alignment. retribution she planned
The long-suffering people can backfire, while mercy
of Westeros get a chance can have an economic
at a new beginning in the and geopolitical payoff.
final episode of HBO's epic After the end of World War
series "Game of Thrones." I, the victors demanded
But Dany won't lead the reparation payments that
resurrection, having been forced Germany into eco-
stabbed to death by her nomic and political chaos,
lover/nephew/erstwhile discredited democratic
partner in wheel-breaking governments and led to
Jon Snow. the rise of Adolf Hitler and
Instead, the realm is mak- World War II.
ing a new go of it under the No one was more prescient
unconventional leadership in warning about the need
of the charisma-free but all- for generous peace than
knowing Bran the Broken the British economist John
and his adviser, Tyrion Lan- Maynard Keynes. He wrote
nister, who has endured a in 1919 in "The Economic
lengthy losing streak when This image released by HBO shows from left to right Maisie Williams, Isaac Hempstead Wright and Consequence of Peace"
Sophie Turner in a scene from the final episode of "Game of Thrones," that aired Sunday, May 19,
it comes to wise decision- 2019. that trapping people in
making. Associated Press poverty would destabilize
Jon Snow, true heir to the the politics and progress
dragon-melted glob that the most part." A 2006 study cession crises, Waterfall charge of the henhouse. of Europe: "If we aim de-
used to be the Iron Throne, by researchers from the wrote. President Franklin D. Roos- liberately at the impover-
has been exiled to the University of Pittsburgh and WAIT. WHO NAMED A MON- evelt famously made al- ishment of Central Europe,
northlands. Samwell Tarly's Yale University found that EY-GRUBBING SELLSWORD leged financial manipula- vengeance, I dare predict,
suggestion of a turn to de- "perceptions of CEO cha- THE MASTER OF COIN? tor Joseph Kennedy (JFK's will not limp. Nothing can
mocracy was quickly and risma were not associated Ser Bronn of the Black- father) the first chair of the then delay for very long
predictably laughed off by with subsequent organiza- water — an assassin and Securities and Exchange that final civil war between
the lords of Westeros. tional performance." bodyguard always ready Commission to police Wall the forces of Reaction and
In the Associated Press' In a 2017 writeup, Clark Wa- to offer his services to the Street. Future SEC Chair the despairing convulsions
weekly "Wealth of Weste- terfall, founder of the exec- highest bidder — wouldn't Jerome Frank compared of Revolution, before which
ros " series, we've been fol- utive search firm BSG Team seem the obvious choice the move to "setting a wolf the horrors of the late Ger-
lowing fantasy show's plot Ventures, argued that to oversee the realm's fi- to herd a flock of sheep." man war will fade into noth-
twists and analyzing the magnetic leaders come nances. But there he is Confounding the skeptics, ing, and which will destroy,
economic and business with drawbacks. The power in the first meeting of the Kennedy succeeded in es- whoever is victor, the civili-
forces driving the story. of their personalities tends post-Dany Small Council, tablishing the SEC's cred- zation and the progress of
Here we offer some take- "to suppress individual already taking an outsize ibility. our generation." The Allies
aways from eight seasons thinking and leadership de- interest in financing the re- MERCY, MERCY learned. After World War
of beheadings, betrayals velopment in subordinate construction of the King's Dany's decision to torch II, America led the rebuild-
and betrothals and from teams. Leaders with cha- Landing's brothels, estab- King's Landing — and her ing of defeated Germany
the series finale in particu- risma can create a culture lishments that he once pa- stated intention to spread and Japan. Both turned
lar. of 'followers,' rather than tronized with considerable dragon fire to Dorne, Win- into economic powerhous-
CHARISMA ISN'T KING young, budding leaders." frequency and enthusiasm. terfell, Qarth and points es and pillars of a post-war
Let's face it. Brandon Stark Replacing charismatic Then again, there's prec- beyond — drove away democratic order in the in-
— aka the Three-Eyed Ra- CEOs can also lead to suc- edent for putting the fox in her closest allies and led dustrialized world.q
ven, aka Bran the Broken
— is missing the personal
magnetism we often asso- Scarlett Johansson and Colin Jost are engaged
ciate with and expect of
leaders. Expressionless and By KRISTIN M. HALL ously married to actor Ryan
near-catatonic most of the Associated Press Reynolds and journalist Ro-
time, he looks like the emo Wedding bells are in the fu- main Dauriac, with whom
kid in first-period gym class. ture for actress Scarlett Jo- she has a daughter named
And, confined to his wheel- hansson and Colin Jost of Rose who was born in 2014.
chair, he's no warrior in a "Saturday Night Live." This is the first marriage for
realm where might has al- Johansson's publicist Mar- the 36-year-old Jost, who
ways made right. cel Pariseau tells The Asso- is the co-anchor of SNL's
But maybe charisma isn't all ciated Press Sunday that Weekend Update.
it's cracked up to be. the private couple is offi- The couple recently walked
Management consultant cially engaged after two the red carpet together at
James Collins studied suc- years of dating. Pariseau the premiere of "Avengers: In this April 22, 2019, file photo, Colin Jost, left, and Scarlett Jo-
cessful companies and says no date has been set Endgame," in which Jo- hansson arrive at the premiere of "Avengers: Endgame" at the
found that the best lead- for the nuptials. hansson plays the charac- Los Angeles Convention Center.
ers "were uncharismatic for Johansson, 34, was previ- ter of Black Widow.q Associated Press