"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."
Ephesians 6:12
"A fire broke out backstage in a theatre. The clown came out to warn the public; they thought it was a joke and applauded. He repeated it; the acclaim was even greater. I think that's just how the world will come to an end: to general applause from those who believe it's just a joke.”
Søren Kierkegaard
Stocks drifted higher today, setting new records. Huzzah!
Gold and silver drifted largely sideways.
It was risk on, or at least timidly so, ahead of the start of the new earnings season which I believe begins this coming Friday.
The Trump Administration has a plan to give marching orders to US diplomats and military overseas to promote greater sales of arms to other countries, and non-government organizations as well I would imagine.
Up to this point, the US has been employing 'loss leader' sales strategies, giving arms to al-Qaeda in Syria in the name of freedom, and one of their more radical offshoots which rebranded themselves as ISIS. This has been very good for business, but is not really maximizing sales and carnage despite some localized successes in Syria and Yemen.
The plan now is to engage a total effort of our presence overseas to sell much larger orders of arms to other countries, and let them fight each other. Then the US can come in the name of peace and humanitarian relief, wreck havoc on the country by destroying their arms and infrastructure. After the dust settles, our Banks can give them loans to buy our products to rebuild.
Wash, rinse, repeat. The fruits of instability. Business genius.
Of course this is just a retread and expansion of the infamous 'economic hit men' strategy that was well documented by others, including John Perkins. But its nice to see this approach become more open and institutionalized as policy, without hiding our evil works in the darkness.
If you do not wish to hear things as I may see them, that may disturb your view of the world, don't come to Le Cafe. Attendance here is voluntary. And there are more than enough sites on the internet that may cater to your particular tastes.
I will accept the loss of your patronage if that is what it takes for us to remain friends. I have accepted becoming persona non grata at several sites that I respect, just for believing as I do about some things even though we had a common cause in most others.
No matter what, you will remain in my prayers. But I cannot betray my own conscience to please you. I have been open with my assumptions and logic, and reasonably civil about it. Money is truly the root of all evil.
If I may be so bold to suggest, if you are so shaken that you cannot bear anyone to disagree with your views in the slightest, even when stated clearly and fairly politely, then perhaps you need to reconsider the foundations of your beliefs. But it is fair to say that our perspectives can honestly be different. And I accept that.
That is your choice to make, and it will be accepted here. But not so much that it will be imposed, as long as there is freedom of will and conscience, and enough people willing to stand up for it.
And if that seems unreasonable, well, it is a sign of the times as had been expected. It would be easy to give in to gloominess, almost eschatological, but there remains too much to be done.
Have a pleasant evening.
“Hegel remarks somewhere that all great, world-historical facts and personages occur, as it were, twice.
He has forgotten to add: the first time as tragedy, the second as farce.”
Karl Marx, The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte
