“The main problem in any democracy is that crowd-pleasers are generally brainless swine who can go out on a stage and whip their supporters into an orgiastic frenzy— then go back to the office and sell every one of the poor bastards down the tube for a nickel apiece.”
Hunter S. Thompson
“When political leaders set a negative example, professional commitments to just practice become more important. It is hard to subvert a rule-of-law state without lawyers, or to hold show trials without judges. Authoritarians need obedient civil servants, and concentration camp directors seek businessmen interested in cheap labor.”
Timothy D. Snyder, On Tyranny
“When you live under such an oligarchy, there is always some crisis or the other that takes priority over boring stuff such as healthcare and pollution. If the nation is facing external invasion or diabolical subversion, who has the time to worry about overcrowded hospitals and polluted rivers? By manufacturing a never-ending stream of crises, a corrupt oligarchy can prolong its rule indefinitely.”
Yuval Noah Harari, 21 Lessons for the 21st Century
"Fascism begins the moment a ruling class, fearing the people may use their political democracy to gain economic democracy, begins to destroy political democracy in order to retain its power of exploitation and special privilege."
Thomas Clement Douglas
"Where is dignified modesty and a firmness of virtue of any use, now that blasphemy is in power, and justice is ignored, and there is no law but lawlessness, and few make an effort to hold back the wrath of the gods?”
Euripides, Iphigenia in Aulis
“War is a racket. It always has been. It is possibly the oldest, easily the most profitable, surely the most vicious. It is the only one international in scope. It is the only one in which the profits are reckoned in dollars and the losses in lives."
US Major General S. D. Butler, War Is a Racket
"Satan, who is the lord of this world, has blinded the minds of the fallen. They are unable to see the glorious light of the good news."
2 Corinthians 4:4
What is it going to take?
Lately I seem to sit back after watching the goings on, and ask myself, 'what is it going to take before people realize how absolutely bonkers they have become, and how badly they and their children are being used by the utter swine whom they admire and empower?
And this is certainly not limited to the States, not by a long shot. It's an historic trend.
Well, that's a speculation for another day. I am sure future historians will have something to say about it.
Stocks finished unchanged after another day of the old up and down.
The advance is broadening a bit as the high flyers are bumping up against the ludicrous valuations zone.
Gold was off a bit, while silver soared higher, taking back the big heat from earlier in the week.
Wash - rinse - repeat.
VIX drifted lower.
The Dollar was largely unchanged.
Can you feel it coming? Most cannot see it, but the tension on the tape is there, and the extravagant madness of the powerful is rapidly approaching the unsustainable.
Well as for me, I am basking in my new eyesight which is high def and unbelievably rich in color.
I made a blueberry pie for the young man last night. For some reason blueberries here have been on sale and are delicious. I have been having them with yogurt that I made, Icelandic skyr style.
Daisy and I abide.
Need little, want less, love more. For those who abide in love abide in God, and God in them.
Have a pleasant evening.
