"Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. Under the clouds of war, it is humanity hanging on a cross of iron."
General Dwight Eisenhower
“In principle the war effort is always planned to keep society on the brink of starvation. The war is waged by the ruling group against its own subjects and its object is not the victory over either Eurasia or East Asia, but to keep the very structure of society intact.”
George Orwell, 1984
"It has become a mathematical certainty that Hitler is leading the German people into the abyss. Hitler cannot win the war; he can only prolong it. The guilt of Hitler and his minions goes beyond all measure. Retribution comes closer and closer. But what are the German people doing? They will not see and will not listen. Blindly they follow their seducers into ruin. Victory at any price! is inscribed on their banner. 'I will fight to the last man,' says Hitler— but in the meantime the war has already been lost."
The White Rose, Fifth Leaflet, Munich 1943
"They made us all train for this day. 'To be fearless and proud and alone. To need no one, just sacrifice. All for the Fatherland.' Oh God, all just empty words. It's not the way they said it was, is it? I just want someone to be with. The only thing I feel is afraid.
"
Leutnant Werner, Das Boot
"Throughout history, it has been the inaction of those who could have acted; the indifference of those who should have known better; the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most; that has made it possible for evil to triumph."
Haile Selassie
Stocks popped and flopped today, but managing to claw back some of their intraday losses.
The metals and miners were mugged again, all in the scheme of things, customary for a stock option expiration week.
The Dollar gained marginally.
The FOMC minutes cheered the risk markets for a short time today, with the lack of hawkish unanimity amongs the participants.
RIP Wolfgang Petersen, director of the classic war movie Das Boot.
Perhaps we can look forward to a real life financial version of this, Das Fed.
Have a pleasant evening.
