The global economy would like you to know that it does its own stunts. The governments laying down cushions beneath the window have been asked to remain outside the publicity photograph.

At this week’s IMF meetings, resilience was much discussed, the Guardian reports. The same reporting describes the IMF’s warning that government measures protecting people from war-driven energy costs amount to 0.5% of global GDP, with support on that scale difficult to sustain. The fund urges temporary, targeted help rather than across-the-board subsidies. Surviving the shock is not the same as finding a shock that costs nothing.

Consider, then, our entirely imaginary action-film premiere. The star strides onto the carpet, accepts congratulations for landing upright and explains that it has developed extraordinary natural toughness. Behind it, an assistant is still extracting the cushioning from the scenery.

The stunt coordinator attempts to mention the padding. This is considered poor timing. The publicity campaign is about resilience, not the various arrangements that have prevented the star from hitting something considerably less resilient than itself.

The Cushion Is Not In The Cast Photo

In our parody, the director screens a magnificent sequence of the economy emerging from another explosion. The audience applauds. A government official asks whether the budget includes replacing the safety mats. The director explains that practical effects are much more convincing when nobody discusses their price.

The mats have done useful work. Households facing a sudden energy shock are not required to prove their moral seriousness by becoming the hard surface at the bottom of the scene. The comic achievement belongs to the people praising the landing while carefully cropping out what made it softer.

Our imaginary star has become especially fond of the phrase natural resilience. It conveys athleticism, courage and the pleasant absence of a financing discussion. Assisted resilience sounds like it might require thanking somebody. Financed resilience risks bringing the producer back into the room.

The producer does return. Another shock is being written into the sequel. Can the same padding be used again? The coordinator says it depends how much remains, what it costs to replace and whether anyone plans to stop dropping heavy objects through the ceiling.

The director dislikes this negative attitude toward the franchise. Every previous landing has been survivable. The coordinator points out that this is also the reason the mats are wearing out.

A Very Successful Special Effect

The IMF’s warning is not that assistance must disappear. Its call for targeted, temporary measures is a dispute about how support is designed and sustained. In our fictional production meeting, however, the star offers a simpler plan: continue appearing indestructible, and classify the replacement cushions as somebody else’s plot problem.

A reporter asks whether the next scene could contain fewer shocks. Our imaginary director says audiences have come to expect action. A second reporter asks who ordered the action. The publicity team announces that the next question should concern the star’s impressive ability to keep going.

This is an unusually agreeable distribution of credit. The economy receives a reputation for toughness. Public institutions receive the continuing assignment of making the next impact survivable. People living through the impacts are invited to admire the reputation.

At the end of our imaginary premiere, the stunt double is finally allowed onto the stage. Not to accept an award, naturally. The star has discovered another window.

The economy has survived another shock. Its stunt double would like to discuss the sequel.