"Let them wait, if their past experience shall induce them to think that any high honour or any exquisite pleasure is to be obtained by a policy like this. Let them wait, if this strange and fearful infatuation be indeed upon them, that they should not see with their eyes, or hear with their ears, or understand with their heart. But let us know our interest and our duty better. Turn where we may, within, around, the voice of great events is proclaiming to us, 'Reform, that you may preserve.'"
Thomas B. Macaulay, Speech Before Parliament, March 2, 1831
"The real problem for others is when narcissistic features, especially a sense of entitlement and a lack of empathy, shade into antisocial and destructive behaviors. When this happens, the pattern might be described as aggressive or malignant narcissism, which is difficult to distinguish from psychopathy.
Another characteristic of psychopaths is an ability to avoid taking responsibility for things that go wrong; instead, they blame others, circumstances, fate, and so forth. Psychopaths will lie even to people who already know the truth about what they are saying. Even in the face of contrary evidence, the psychopath can lie so well that listeners doubt themselves first, rather than question the psychopath."
Babiak and Hare, Snakes in Suits, May 2006
"There is a class of individuals who have been around forever and who are found in every race, culture, society and walk of life. Everybody has met these people, been deceived and manipulated by them, and forced to live with or repair the damage they have wrought. These often charming-but always deadly-individuals have a clinical name: psychopaths. Their hallmark is a stunning lack of conscience; their game is self-gratification at the other person’s expense. All take far more than they give.
The most obvious expressions of psychopathy-but not the only ones-involve the flagrant violation of society’s rules. Not surprisingly, many psychopaths are criminals, but many others manage to remain out of prison, using their charm and chameleon-like coloration to cut a wide swathe through society, leaving a wake of ruined lives behind them.
Psychopaths appear amazingly unfazed by the possibility, or even by the certainty, of being found out. When caught in a lie or challenged with the truth, they seldom appear perplexed or embarrassed-they simply change their stories or attempt to rework the facts so they appear to be consistent with the lie. The result is a series of contradictory statements and a thoroughly confused listener. And psychopaths seem proud of their ability to lie."
Robert Hare, The Charming Psychopath: How to Spot Social Predators, Psychology Today, 2007
"The more power a government has the more it can act arbitrarily according to the whims and desires of the elite, and the more it will make war on others and murder its foreign and domestic subjects. Power will achieve its murderous potential. It simply waits for an excuse, an event of some sort, an assassination, a massacre in a neighboring country, an attempted coup, a famine, or a natural disaster, to justify the beginning of murder en masse."
R. J. Rummel, Death by Government: A History of Mass Murder and Genocide, 1994
Stocks gave back some of their rocket rally from yesterday.
Just a normal pull back so far.
Gold and silver rallied, but gave it back in the afternoon.
There will be a option expiration on the Comex this coming Thursday the 25th.
VIX ticked up a bit.
Bitcoin continued to decline.
There is a new documentary about the tragic US war in Afghanistan called 'Bodyguard of Lies.' It is coming out on Paramount+. It looks to be a good one.
The US spent 300 million dollars per day for 20 years on the failed military exercise against the Taliban, not including the tragic loss and disruption of life. A few gained wealth and power from it.
"Faustus had advanced beyond the level of a scarlet sinner — he was a conscious follower of the Prince of Darkness."
E.A. Bucchianeri, Faust: My Soul Be Damned for the World, 2008
Have a pleasant evening.
