Odes to Joy

Odes on Tender Specie(s) Vol II: Paper Faith · Track 36 · middle

FTX (Sam in Pajamas)

The image: Sam Bankman-Fried in pajama pants on Zoom calls with senators. Effective altruism as performance. The Patagonia vest as cult uniform. Ludo dances on the image, sneering.

Lyrics

Connecting...
From the Albany Resort...
November 2022.
Are you... are you comfortable?

Got your mid-tier Patagonia vest on
It's the uniform, right? For the con
For the TED Talk cult, the boys with the mission
Sleeping on a beanbag, what a brilliant fiction
Selling us the story of the messy-haired king
While you're playing League of Legends and not listening
Just another genius who's too pure for a suit
While the server fans hum and you're counting the loot

Sam in pajamas on a Zoom call with Congress
Talking 'bout the good you can do, what a hot mess
Yeah, Sam in pajamas, with the future of finance
Giving us your best "oops, sorry" little sad dance
It's called Effective Altruism, babe
When you lose twelve billion in your sleep, maybe

The humidity's sticking to the windows in Nassau
But you look so cool, so calm, behind the paywall
Talking to the staffers in their starched D.C. collars
While you're rocking flannel bottoms for your missing billion dollars
Was it a good game? Did your team even win?
When you toggled back the window and the world caved in?
This isn't disruption, it's a trust fund tantrum
Holding the whole world for a billionaire's ransom

Sam in pajamas on a Zoom call with Congress
Talking 'bout the good you can do, what a hot mess
Yeah, Sam in pajamas, with the future of finance
Giving us your best "oops, sorry" little sad dance
It's called Effective Altruism, babe
When you lose twelve billion in your sleep, maybe

"How to do the most good."
I heard you say the words.
Is this it? Is this good?
A portfolio of absurd.
The king has no clothes, just...
Just some very expensive pajamas.
Yeah.
Just some very expensive drama.

Sam in pajamas on a Zoom call with Congress
Talking 'bout the good you can do, what a hot mess
Yeah, Sam in pajamas, with the future of finance
Giving us your best "oops, sorry" little sad dance
It's called Effective Altruism, babe
When you lose twelve billion in your sleep, maybe

In your sleep... maybe...
In your sleep... maybe...
Connection lost.
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