"We can never be gods, after all. But we can become something less than human with frightening ease."
N. K. Jemisin, The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms
“Mass propaganda discovered that its audience was ready at all times to believe the worst, no matter how absurd, and did not particularly object to being deceived because it held every statement to be a lie anyhow.
The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the dedicated communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction, true and false, no longer exists.
The sad truth is that most evil is done by people who never make up their minds to be good or evil.”
Hannah Arendt, The Origins of Totalitarianism
"For those who are determined to be rich fall into temptations and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful passions which drown them in ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all evil, after which some have coveted, and have lost their faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows."
1 Timothy 6:9-10
"He who makes a beast of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man."
Samuel Johnson
"Some distance away a herd of many swine was feeding. The demons pleaded with him, 'If you drive us out, send us into the herd of swine.' And he said to them, 'Go then!' They came out and entered the swine, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea, and was drowned."
Matthew 8:28-32
“Each day we are becoming a creature of splendid glory, or one of unthinkable horror.”
C. S. Lewis
Stocks rallied early off the Retail Sales Numbers this morning being bullish this morning.
But alas, they were not, despite what the spokesmodels said.
And so stocks gave up their gains and finished pretty much unchanged.
All eyes on the FOMC tomorrow.
The Dollar gained back a bit, just shy of the 101 handle.
Gold and silver gave back a little bit of their recent gains.
Option expiration for stocks on Friday.
And always, despite the lies and fog of illusions, the world continues dancing on a volcano, by choice of conmen and sociopaths in leadership.
This is what matters.
"Go and learn the meaning of the words, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’"
Matthew 9:13
Not all the other things, the detailed pettiness that people use to distract themselves from what we have been asked, commanded, to do.
For what does it profit a man, to be able to buy and sell the world, but lose themselves.
Have a pleasant evening.
