Zero Hedge is one of the most popular blogs on the Internet. Numerous investors and other people who are interested in economics, markets, politics, and other topics follow the Zero Hedge blog. Over the past several years the Zero Hedge website has emerged as one of the most popular alternative news and analysis sources. This is especially true for economics, stocks and investing news, but the website is also popular for politics and other topics.
Zero Hedge’s Website Slogan and Ethos
Let’s take a quick look at the Zero Hedge website’s slogan:
“On a long enough timeline the survival rate for everyone drops to zero.”
Pretty dark right? And also pretty blunt and certainly true. After all, the survival rate for everyone does drop to zero at some point. We all have to die sometime no? Even if you live until you’re 150 years, you are still going to kick the bucket at some point.
Anyways, this overall ethos of the website is to take a hard look at various issues, and at times, to take time to consider some ideas and views that many mainstream publications simply wouldn’t be willing to take.
If you log onto the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, or Reuters, you’ll find many of the same stories. Most of the words are just rehashed and the opinions and analysis are sparse. This is fine, of course. In many cases these publications are delivering news rather than analysis, so they want to remain as objective as possible.
More Radical Stance
If you head to Zerohedge.com you’ll find that many of the writers are taking much stronger, more radical stances on news. They are also writing on topics, such as conspiracy theories, that few mainstream information sources will cover. One recent topic include whether or not Israel interfered with America’s elections, for example. Whether or not this theory is true is very debatable, but very few news sources have covered the topic at all.
Zero Hedge can be a good resource for investors because the writers and analysts are very skeptical. Mainstream news websites tend to avoid actions that could rock the boat, and also tend to be relatively upbeat and optimistic. While these news websites are striving to deliver the truth, many often find them to be overly optimistic in their views, and overly conservative in their analysis (in terms of taking risks, not political leanings).
Websites like ZeroHedge can offer a great breath of fresh air and different views. Even if you ultimately reject these views, they can still be very good “food for thought.”
Who Founded Zero Hedge?
Colin Lokey, who often writes under the name Tyler Durden, founded Zero Hedge. Does that name sound familiar? If you have seen the famous Brad Pitt movie “Fight Club” then you might recognize that name as one of the primary characters.
Now, many of the writers and editors on the Zero Hedge blog also write under the Tyler Durden name. So when you hear people talking about “Tyler Durden Zero Hedge” they aren’t talking about the Fight Club movie, but instead the pen name for the website’s editors and news writers.
Site’s Topics
Anyways, Zero Hedge focuses primarily on finance, but they also frequently delve into politics and other issues. The website is known for having a pessimistic outlook, and frequently acts as a sort of contrarian devil’s advocate. Even if you yourself have positive views on the economy and markets, you should take some time now and again to read contrarians. They might help you notice something that you’re not seeing.
The website is also known for being quite anti-establishment, and at times, has been accused of being “pro-Russian”. These claims have not been substantiated, but you should be aware of them. Essentially every website, even those that strive to be unbiased, are ultimately subject to personal emotions and feelings.
Lokey founded the Zero Hedge blog in 2009 just as the financial crisis was rocking the world. Many people were actively looking for alternative media sources. This helped Zero Hedge rise to prominence. If you’re interested in following the website, make sure you check out the Zero Hedge Twitter account and other social media accounts.
While the news and analysis found on the website should be taken with a “grain of salt”, they are definitely worth a read. If nothing else, they will help you challenge your views and question your assumptions.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero_Hedge
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/streetwise/who-is-zero-hedge-and-why-should-we-care/article616768/
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