"I think there is ultimately a desire for a great War, not by the Kamala Harris's and Walz's of this world but by those deep structures of foreign policy which need, if you like, some form of reset for financial reasons, economic reasons essentially. You know the West has created this inverted pyramid of financial instruments, all of these financial structures that sit in derivatives in trillions, and they sit on a tiny base of real collateral of real value, a few bars of gold perhaps here and there, a little bit of real value.
This is why you had Lindsey Graham saying, very clearly, 'Ukraine for America is a gold mine. It it sits on 12 trillion worth of materials of raw materials. We need those to finance ourselves. And we don't want Putin and China to get it.' That's what he was speaking about, saying we need some more actual commodity value at the bottom of our pyramid so we can go on expanding our pyramid— our inverted pyramid that rests on this tiny base of real commodities: oil, gold, rare minerals, lithium, all of the things."
Alastair Crooke, former British diplomat, Judging Freedom, August 12, 2024
"The ambition of Caesar and of Napoleon pales before that which could not rest until it had seized the minds of men and controlled even their unborn thoughts. The very banality and innocence of the first act only allowed the blow to fall afterwards with more awful effect— this beautiful, stupendous creation, terrible in its simplicity, irresistible in its truth― a world which now trembles before the King in Yellow.”
Robert W. Chambers, The King In Yellow
"The transition from unitary executive to dictator – conservative, benevolent or otherwise – will not happen in the waning months of the current administration, but succeeding chief executives may choose overtly to expand further the envelope-pushing and Constitution-trampling of the 43rd President cabal as the American oligarchy, and the nation, slouches slowly toward despotism.
As such, we will one day awake from our debt-financed, pleasure-induced stupors to find one person or group firmly in charge, answering to no one, especially not Congress, and in complete grasp of the military, the intelligence agencies, the treasury, the Federal Reserve and the financial and judicial systems. It will happen – it is happening – an inch at a time, until the day comes when not only will we, the fun loving, celebrity worshiping, civic duty abhorring citizens of America, so embrace the notion of despotism, we will think it entirely our own idea."
Keith Hazleton, Anecdotal Economics, June 2006
"The wealth of another region excites their greed; and if it is weak, their lust for power as well. Nothing from the rising to the setting of the sun is enough for them. Plunder, rape, and slaughter they falsely call empire; and where they make a desert, they call it peace."
Tacitus, Agricola
Stocks wobbled around once again, going out nearly unchanged.
Gold and silver bolted higher.
They are now, once again, up against resistance.
VIX was steady.
The Dollar chopped into unchanged.
PPI tomorrow, and CPI on Wednesday.
That, and Iran's response to Israel's attack on their territory, is what the markets are waiting to see.
Have a pleasant evening.
