Sydney J. Harris, Pieces of Eight, September 1982
“Exceptionalism— the view that the United States has a right to impose its will because it knows more, sees farther, and lives on a higher moral plane than other nations— was to them not a platitude, but the organizing principle of daily life and global politics... With a glance, a nod, and a few words, without consulting anyone other than the President, the brothers could mobilize the full power of the United States anywhere in the world."
Stephen Kinzer, The Brothers: John Foster Dulles, Allen Dulles, October 2013
"Having fallen from the eternal, the evil one's desires are endless, insatiable. Having fallen from pure Being, he is driven by the desire to possess, to fill his emptiness. But the problem is insoluble, always. He is compelled to have and to hold, to possess and consume, and nothing else. All he takes, he destroys. Certainly he rules the material, as he is called the Prince of this World in the gospels."
Denis de Rougemont, Love in the Western World,
"Exceptionalism is no virtue, no mark of the chosen, but merely the sin of pride, wearing the silks of rationalization and self-delusion. And this is at the root of every fallen angel, every lost soul, and every failing nation."
Jesse, The Will to Power in the Exceptional, March 2015
"In international conventions and the general literature, genocide has been defined as intentional killing by government of people because of their race, religion, ethnicity, or other indelible group membership. 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: Genocide and Mass Murder Since 1900, 1994
"One of the primary characteristics of narcissists is their exaggerated sense of entitlement. In their heavily self-biased opinion, if they want something, by rights it should be theirs. So, nothing if not opportunistic, they take from public and private coffers alike whatever they think they can get away with. And given their grandiose sense of self, they're inclined to believe they can get away with most anything. In their minds their very ability to attain something must certainly mean it was merited."
Leon F. Seltzer, Narcissism: Why It's So Rampant in Politics, 2011
"Therefore they shall eat the bitter fruit of their ways, and be gutted by their own schemes. For the foolish turn away from me—to death. For fools are destroyed by their pride and self-satisfaction. But all who listen to me will live in peace, untroubled by fear of harm.”
Proverbs 1:31-33
The risk markets were in rally mode today, with the major stock indices finishing higher.
The Dollar fell, and gold bounced back a little.
Silver continued to decline.
VIX is waffling around.
Non-Farm Payrolls may move the markets tomorrow.
"We are going to lead once again by being the best. We're gonna lead economically. We're gonna lead technologically. We're gonna go back to the Moon, we're gonna do whatever we're gonna do. We are going to lead by engaging in American exceptionalism and this is going to inspire others to come along with us. We're not shrinking away from anybody. We are reengaging. That's what Trump is."
Rush Limbaugh
Exceptional, but not in the way that they thought.
Are you not entertained?
Madness serves none but itself.
Have a pleasant evening.
