"With the tools of democracy, democracy was murdered and lawlessness made ‘legal.’ Raw power ruled, and its only real goal was to destroy all other powers besides itself.”
Eric Metaxas, Bonhoeffer, April 2010
"All governments suffer a recurring problem: power attracts pathological personalities. It is not that power corrupts but that it is magnetic to the corruptible. Such people have a tendency to become drunk on violence, a condition to which they are quickly addicted."
Frank Herbert, Chapterhouse Dune, 1985
"Price discovery is not a sexy function of markets, but it is critical to the efficient allocation of scarce capital and resources, and to the preservation of the long term wealth of investors and the economy as a whole. If price discovery is compromised by manipulation, then we will all be gradually impoverished and the economy will be imbalanced and unstable."
London Banker, Lies, Damn Lies, and Libor , 2012
"What is most offensive is not their lying — one can always forgive lying — lying can be a delightful thing, for it leads to truth. What is offensive is that they lie, and worship their own lying."
Fyodor Dostoevsky, Crime and Punishment , 1866
"You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies."
John 8:43-44
Stocks did one of their signature 'pop and flop' moves today.
Gold and silver were hammered.
There is a stock option expiration coming up at the end of the week, after all.
VIX is just wallowing.
The Dollar chopped around and finished nominally unchanged from Friday.
Economic data and a US-Russia meeting in Alaska may provide some meaningful market news.
Have a pleasant evening.
