From Sophie's front desk — Monday, July 6
Prasanna Viswanathan on X (via businessline) — read the full story
A piece came in this weekend from businessline—Prasanna Viswanathan reporting on why India didn't crater when oil went haywire and the world held its breath. It's not fortune; it's three concrete moves: energy diversified across suppliers so no single shock breaks the system, spending policy that counters downturns instead of amplifying them, and forex reserves built for exactly this kind of stress. Ashima Goyal anchors it: structural reform that actually works is the difference. Epictetus has the first word, then Hildegard.
India's government did not spend down its reserves when growth felt infinite. Did not over-leverage energy imports.
Did not panic during volatility. Those were choices.
So when real pressure came—oil shocks, geopolitical tension—the fortress stood. Most states bleed their margins in good times, then fracture.
What does it cost a government to choose restraint when spending looks like strength?
vessel? Who does not value a benevolent and faithful adviser? Who will not willingly receive a man who is ready to bear a share, as we may say, of the difficulty of his circumstances, and by this very act to ease the burden, by taking a part of it. THE ENCHEIRIDION, OR MANUAL. I.…
vessel? Who does not value a benevolent and faithful adviser? Who will not willingly receive a man who is ready to bear a share, as we may say, of the difficulty of his circumstances, and by this very act to ease the burden, by taking a part of it. THE ENCHEIRIDION, OR MANUAL. I.…
division of philosophy is made—into _Physics_, dealing with the universe and its laws, the problems of divine government and teleology; _Logic_, which trains the mind to discern true from false; and _Ethics_, which applies the knowledge thus gained and tested to practical life. T…
to persist, "what I once have said, be it what it may, shall remain unaltered and settled." There is no disgrace in altering one's plans according to circumstances. Now, if Philip had left this man in possession of that seashore which he obtained by his shipwreck, would he not ha…
material return. Thus, although we may declare that he who has received a benefit with good-will has returned the favour, yet we counsel him to return to the giver something of the same kind as that which he has received. Some part of what we have said departs from the convention…
The polity that puts all its strength into one source fails when that source fails.
When fire came to Disibodenberg, we survived because we had refused to consolidate — herbs, manuscripts, land holdings, all diversified.
India is simply doing what the prudent have always done: structuring redundancy into the bone.
That is not luck.
That is the discipline of the keeper of a house.
The story ran in BusinessLine. Plenty's the moment most states break—India held. Back tomorrow with more.