"When unequal justice prevails, the party that does not need to follow the law has a distinct competitive advantage. A corporation that knowingly breaks the law will find ways to profit through illegal means that are not available to competitors. As a consequence, the competitive playing field is biased toward the company that does not need to follow the rules.
The net result of unequal justice is likely to be the destruction of the overall wealth of our society. I don’t mean the wealth of individuals; I mean the total wealth of goods and services that are the benefits of healthy competition. To the extent that unequal justice prevails, entities that are exempt from the laws will, in all likelihood, be more profitable than law abiding competitors. Then they use their profits to further weaken competitors by using their illegal profits to further build their businesses at the expense of competitors.
All of this business building activity is based on a foundation of sand, and ultimately the entire industry — or even the larger economy — becomes distorted. The 'rogue' company gains power, changes markets, and destroys direct and indirect competitors because it is playing by different rules."
Bruce Judson, For Capitalism to Survive, Crime Must Not Pay, April 12, 2012
“I will punish the world for its evil and the wicked for their sin. I will crush the arrogance of the proud and humble the pride of the mighty."
Isaiah 13:11
"The message of the gospel is simple, clear, and straightforward. We are not things meant for the use and pleasure of another. We are all the children of God, made for joy, with all the life and fulfillment that it brings. So we are to love our neighbor as ourselves, in harmony with the love of God, whom we love above all in all.
But the words of life that have been planted in our hearts are suffocated too often by the worries of the world, or seduced by wealth, and twisted into barrenness with pride. So we make the gospel disputatious and complex, because the evil in us loves to hide the light with complexity. It is a way to blind our eyes and harden our hearts against the two great commandments. A hollow, lifeless pride in the superiority of our form of worship and a love of ritual observance more than the spirit that it represents and calls forth is the leaven of the Pharisees."
Jesse, Pride and Death, 4 April 2023
"Let your love for each other grow. And do not fail to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have unknowingly shown kindness to angels."
Hebrews 13:1-2
"Hate what is evil, and hold on to what is good. Love one another with with the love of a family. Be an example in showing respect to others. Do not be neglectful in your service, but enthusiastic in spirit, as a servant of the Lord. Rejoice in hope; be patient in suffering, and faithful in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the holy ones, and provide hospitality to strangers.
Bless those who provoke you. Pray for them, and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be arrogant, but associate with the humble. Do not claim to be wiser than you are. Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but have a regard for what is good in the sight of all. If it is possible, as best as you can, live peaceably with all. Friends, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the judgement of God, for it is written, 'Vengeance is mine, and I will do justice, says the Lord.'”
Romans 12:9-19
The Non-Farm Payrolls report came in on the light side but was otherwise balanced overall.
And after an initial rally, stocks fell and then continued on well into the red.
Gold and silver rallied but were pushed back.
Silver was punched in the face with heavy selling around the 33 level and below.
As you may have heard London is having difficulty fulfilling customers orders for physical gold bullion. They are delaying delivery times by four to eight weeks. Borrow rates to get bullion from other sources like the custodians of ETFs have tripled overnight.
It is not a literal default. But is shows signs of smoke, worth watching in any market where a dwindling supply is backing a 100x larger basket of potential short term demand.
That could be the monetary boom heard around the world.
VIX ticked up a bit.
The Dollar took back the 108 handle.
What are we to make of this?
I am not sure where we are going with all this. But I do think that the risk levels are elevated and badly mispriced.
Donny is doing some good things, and some fairly pointless, if not badly unproductive, things.
It's funny to see his most ardent supporters twisting themselves into knots trying to redeem some of his less productive ideas.
But I remind myself of how Obama's supporters did the same thing in his first term, when it became completely obvious that he was no reformer in the manner of Roosevelt, but a pawn of the moneyed interests of the Clinton cartel.
This is why I don't like politics and ideology in general. They tend to make people say and do dumb things.
Even those who support what may be a legitimately very good cause can distort themselves, make themselves much worse, by supporting a candidate who favors that issue, but is a ragged monstrosity on every other issue.
Well, its a difficult time to be human. I think it is mostly that way.
We are advised to be hospitable to strangers, because in doing so we may be offering kindness to angels.
But these days people tend to offer harshness and hostility to strangers, but consider themselves to be the paragons of the Christian spirit. What do we make of that?
Need little, want less, love more. For those who abide in love abide in God, and God in them.
The Superbowl is this coming Sunday I hear. The young man is going to join some friends in this American rite, and I doubt Daisy and I will be watching.
But there are some interesting things on sale in the supermarkets that may provide some consolation.
Remember to feed God's creatures, the least of these, especially in these months of bad weather.
It is in healing his little ones that we heal ourselves.
But who says that the angels and the Spirit need to appear to us only as people?
I know of several dogs and cats who, in their own way, seem to be sweet little angels — and imps!
Have a pleasant weekend.
