"The impulse to freedom and democracy always seems weak and hopeless when matched against the forces of oppression, because aggressive oppression is always more single-minded, having already crushed internal dissent and perspective, and is generally better organized and equipped.
And yet even the greatest tyrannies have fallen, always. This is because they carry within themselves the seeds of their own renewal and return to balance, or utter destruction.
Their strength is their weakness, in its overreach and self-absorption."
Jesse, 8 June 2012
"For they sanctify the power of markets in the name of economic efficiency, which requires the elimination of administrative or political barriers capable of inconveniencing the owners of capital in their individual quest for the maximisation of individual profit, which has been turned into a model of rationality. And they preach the subordination of nation-states to the requirements of economic freedom for the masters of the economy, with the suppression of any regulation of any market, beginning with the labour market, the prohibition of deficits and inflation, the general privatisation of public services, and the reduction of public and social expenses."
Pierre Bourdieu, L'essence du néolibéralisme, Le Monde diplomatique, March 1998
“There is a mysterious cycle in human events. To some generations much is given. Of other generations much is expected. This generation of Americans has a rendezvous with destiny.
In this world of ours in other lands, there are some people, who, in times past, have lived and fought for freedom, and seem to have grown too weary to carry on the fight. They have sold their heritage of freedom for the illusion of a living. They have yielded their democracy. I believe in my heart that only our success can stir their ancient hope. They begin to know that here in America we are waging a war against want and destitution and economic demoralization. It is more than that; it is a war for the survival of democracy. We are fighting to save a great and precious form of government for ourselves and for the world.”
Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1936
"What then must we do? We must give with love to whoever God has placed in our path.
Don't think about the major issues. You do what you can about the misery in front of you. You add your light to the sum of all light."
Billy Kwan from The Year of Living Dangerously, 1982
Stocks were down most of the day, but voilà, miraculously rallied to unchanged at the end in negligible volume.
Gold and silver rallied a bit.
The Dollar decline a little.
The VIX was vixenish.
And so begins our year of living dangerously.
Have a pleasant weekend.
