The Queen who bridged two centuries

Plus: Imposter syndrome is a superpower. [Bloomberg]( Follow Us [Get the newsletter]( This is Bloomberg Opinion Today, an epic reign of Bloomberg Opinion’s opinions. [Sign up here](. Today’s Agenda - Remembering [the Queen](’s epic reign. - [Imposter syndrome]( is a superpower. - The world is [very wet]( and [very dry](. - The EV industry]( is bleeding billions. The Union flag is lowered on Windsor Castle on September 08, 2022 in Windsor, England. Photographer: Chris Jackson Long Live the Queen Queen Elizabeth II died today at 96. “[It feels like a death in the family](,” Adrian Wooldridge writes, noting the monarch had “been with us for so long that only a sliver of the population can remember life without her.” Elizabeth sat on the throne longer than any other British monarch. Her reign spanned nearly 30% of US history, and she met [13 of the last 14 American presidents](. As Brits recall her cheery Christmas broadcasts, it’s worth remembering the television wasn’t even around in the early days of her life. In fact, for whole decades of her life: - There were no [Polio]( or [flu]( vaccines. - The [birth control pill]( wasn’t a thing. - Nobody had gone to [the moon](. - [Jammie Dodgers]( didn’t even exist. Martin Ivens writes the Queen was “[the last link to the age of empire](,” when Winston Churchill was at his peak. Though she never left the public eye, she set a new standard for leading with poise and grace, in service of keeping the vision of the Commonwealth alive. She witnessed countless moments of strife, from World War II to Brexit. “All the great occasions that have defined our lives have involved her,” Adrian told Bobby Ghosh in a [Twitter Space this afternoon](. But “the more the world changes, the more we crave points of continuity,” he writes. The Queen was one such figure, a rock of calm in a sea of chaos. Bonus Royal Reading: - Queen Elizabeth II may have been given a crown, but [her global admiration was earned](. — Therese Raphael - Charles III has waited decades for the top job. [Is he ready to become dull?](  — Martin Ivens Your Entire Life Is a Lie, Or Something Like That When Princess Diana died 25 years ago, Adrian Wooldridge was living in California. As a Brit in Los Angeles, he spent the whole day being interviewed on TV. “People wanted to know what was going on — although I didn’t know what was going on. I just had a British accent, so they could get the illusion that I knew,” he admitted today on [Twitter Spaces](. Adrian likely downplays his expertise, but this is a prime example of imposter syndrome. [Feeling unqualified to do your job at a young age]( is common, writes Tyler Cowen. Take me, for instance: Do you really think I feel qualified to write coherent sentences about the seven decades of the longest-reigning British monarch? No! But I am doing it, and you are reading it. Tyler explains that embracing your inner imposter is actually a professional superpower of sorts, letting you set your sights high and unlock [new levels of achievement](. Bonus Young-People Reading:  The whole concept of "retirement" was actually an elaborate ploy to [push elderly people out of the workplace to make way for the youngs](, writes Stephen Mihm. Spit Storms and Other Extreme Weather Events The world is thirsty, and not just for [Florence Pugh](. Although there might be [arguments about whether Harry Styles]( did, in fact, extinguish a torrent of spit on his “Don’t Worry, Darling” co-star Chris Pine, nobody can deny extreme weather events of the non-celebrity variety are on the rise. In California, [a record heat wave]( is making the worst US drought in centuries that much more miserable. In Europe, [the Rhine River]( is lower than [these pants](, making it virtually impossible to float ships. Asia’s longest river, [the Yangtze](, is drier than your great Aunt Lisa’s famous meatloaf. The only bright side is that she isn’t making her meatloaf these days because of a drought-driven [tomato shortage](. Bloomberg’s editorial board writes [things don’t have to be this bad](. Global procrastination on climate-change mitigation led to this moment. “Out of $640 billion in global climate finance flows for 2020, less than 8% was devoted primarily to adaptation,” the editors write. Now we’re playing catch-up. Not only does that mean taking shorter showers, it also involves crafty solutions such as [genetically modified]( [coffee crops]( and “[drip irrigation](.” On the other end of the extreme-weather spectrum is Pakistan, a third of which is now under water. Bobby Ghosh writes the crisis is the ultimate test of Pakistan’s recent “[great foreign-policy gamble](:” ditching the US for China as its primary economic partner. In 2010, the US came to Pakistan’s rescue after catastrophic rainfall and epic flooding. Now Pakistan needs China to save the day. President [Xi Jinping]( tossed $57 million at the problem, which pales in comparison to the [$1.3 billion]( America donated 12 years ago. China is looking like a fair-weather friend at a time when fair weather is becoming rare. Telltale Charts Rivian and Lucid are EV darlings but have made 10,000 cars in total — compared to, say, Volkswagen, which manufactures twice that amount every day. Chris Bryant writes the road to profitability for these companies is long, and [paved with buckets of cash](. Under normal circumstances, sliding carbon prices might mean power providers ditch coal for gas. But amid a [European energy shortage](, it really just indicates investors are bracing for a manufacturing slowdown that will make Marcel the Shell look like an Olympic sprinter, writes David Fickling. Further Reading Paying for YouTube makes total sense because it eliminates ads. [But Facebook? I’ll pass](. — Parmy Olson Get ready to pay for [Covid treatments in 2023](. — Lisa Jarvis and Sam Fazeli Liz Truss isn’t calling the French “[turds](,” but she must do more [to mend the UK’s relationship with Europe](. — Lionel Laurent [It’s quantitative tightening season again at the Fed](, but this time there will be less turbulence. — Bill Dudley Gary Gensler has thoughts about crypto, [and so do I](. — Matt Levine Vladimir Putin is wrong: [Time isn’t on Russia’s side]( in Ukraine. — Leonid Bershidsky ICYMI The DOJ does not want the [special master](. A [jumbo rate hike]( is in the air. “[Quiet firing](” is now a thing. (h/t Robert Burgess) The FDA is rushing a new [ALS drug](. Kickers How the Queen influenced [your dinner table](. Do the San Francisco Giants really need [a master sommelier](? [Pumpkin spice]( is dictionary famous. Source: [The Hollywood Reporter]( Notes:  Please send crustless tea sandwiches and feedback to Jessica Karl at jkarl9@bloomberg.net. [Sign up here]( and follow us on [Instagram](, [TikTok](, [Twitter]( and [Facebook](. Like getting this newsletter? [Subscribe to Bloomberg.com]( for unlimited access to trusted, data-driven journalism and subscriber-only insights. Before it’s here, it’s on the Bloomberg Terminal. Find out more about how the Terminal delivers information and analysis that financial professionals can’t find anywhere else. [Learn more](. You received this message because you are subscribed to Bloomberg's Opinion Today newsletter. [Unsubscribe]( | [Bloomberg.com]( | [Contact Us]( [Ads Powered By Liveintent]( | [Ad Choices]( Bloomberg L.P. 731 Lexington, New York, NY, 10022