"Far-called, our navies melt away;
On dune and headland sinks the fire:
Lo, all our pomp of yesterday
Is one with Nineveh and Tyre.
Judge of the Nations, spare us yet,
Lest we forget—lest we forget!"
Rudyard Kipling, Recessional, 1897
"During the Roman Triumph, when a great hero was recognized by a procession through the city, a slave was kept behind them, whispering in their ear: Memento mori, 'Remember that thou art a man.' Perhaps a member of their modern retinue can whisper this to our financiers and the politicians, as they bask in their moments of power and triumph, and forget their commonality with the people. But madness has no discourse with logic."
Jesse, Memento Mori, 24 July 2011
"Peter, verily, verily, I say to you, when you were young, you dressed yourself, and walked where you liked. But when you are old, you will stretch out your your hands, and another will dress you, and will take you where you would not like to go.'"
John 21:17-19
"Et Jehanne, la bonne Lorraine,
Qu'Anglois bruslerent à Rouen;
Où sont-ilz, Vierge souveraine?
Mais où sont les neiges d'antan."
François Villon, Ballade des dames du temps jadis, 1489
"Where are the princes of this world, and those who lorded it over the creatures of the earth? Those who made sport of the birds of the air, and hoarded up riches in which they trusted. Those for whom there is no limit to their greed, those who schemed to get more wealth, and were always anxious about their possessions. Now there is no trace of them. They have vanished down into the earth, and others have risen to take their place."
Baruch 3:16-19
"Wir sind aus solchem Zeug, wie das zu Träumen,
Und Träume schlagen so die Augen auf
Wie kleine Kinder unter Kirschenbäumen,
Und drei sind Eins: ein Mensch, ein Ding, ein Traum."
H. von Hofmannsthal, Terzinen über Vergänglichkeit, 1894
"Fascist politics invokes a mythic past which may be religiously, racially, or culturally pure. The dangers of fascist politics come from the way in which it dehumanizes segments of the population. By excluding these groups, it limits the capacity for empathy among citizens, leading to the justification of inhumane treatment, from repression of freedom, mass imprisonment, expulsion, and mass extermination. Schools are to indoctrinate the glorious achievements of the dominant race."
Jason Stanley, How Fascism Works, 2018
"A true opium of the people is the belief in nothingness after death, the huge solace, the huge comfort of thinking that for our betrayals, our greed, our cowardice, our murders, we are not going to be judged.”
Czeslaw Milosz, Discreet Charm of Nihilism, NYRB November 19, 1998
Stocks did a little pop and flop today, as the course of 'peace talks' in Islamabad between the US and Iran are on shaky ground. Iran insists that a cease fire must include Lebanon and the Israel incursions there, which have the appears of Gaza-like action.
Let's see if Trump can bring Netanyahu into the fold. Dare he bring speak to him publicly as he has done to Zelensky?
US Consumer Sentiment this morning was at an historic low as shown in the chart below.
The Dollar continued to slide.
Gold was held in check, but silver managed to take and hold a gain.
VIX is now at a recent low. Not quite complacent, but relatively sans souci given the gravity of the situation and the state of the rapidly deteriorating global economy.
Nothing to see here but greatness, move along.
Trump has promised his staff that they will receive 'mass pardons' before he leaves office.
Take good care of your boss guys. Goldenagers are always tripping the rift between this world and the next. As the old Polish saying goes, 'Old age is no joke.'
Let's see how the weekend goes.
Need little, want less, love more. For those who abide in love abide in God, and God in them.
Have a pleasant weekend.
