Stocks and Precious Metals Charts - At the Time of the Lord

 

"They have acted shamefully, committing abominations,
    yet they are not ashamed,
    and do not even know how to blush.
Therefore they will fall among the fallen;
    at the time I visit them they shall be brought down,
    says the Lord."

Jeremiah 6:15

"The difference between patriotism and nationalism is that the patriot is proud of his country for what it does, and the nationalist is proud of his country no matter what it does; the first attitude creates a feeling of responsibility, but the second a feeling of blind arrogance that leads to war."

Sydney J. Harris, Personal Prejudices, 1953

"Nemesis, the goddess of retribution and vengeance, the punisher of pride and hubris, waits impatiently for her meeting with us."

Chalmers Johnson, Nemesis: The Last Days of the American Republic, 2007

"Evil when we are in its power is not felt as evil, but as a necessity, or even a duty.  Human beings are so made that the ones who do the crushing feel nothing; it is the person crushed who feels what is happening.  As soon as men know that they can kill without fear of punishment or blame, they kill; or at least they encourage killers, with approving smiles."

Simone Weil, Gravity and Grace, 1947

“Religion used to be the opium of the people. To those suffering humiliation, pain, illness, and serfdom, religion promised the reward of an after life.

But now, we are witnessing a transformation: a true opium of the people is the belief in nothingness after death, the huge solace, the huge comfort of thinking that for our betrayals, our greed, our cowardice, our murders, we are not going to be judged.”

Czeslaw Milosz, Discreet Charm of Nihilism, NYRB Nov 1998

Trading is going to be very light this week, likely with an upward bias as we saw in the holiday trade last week, although we may very well see a back and forth action, as the wiseguys continue to reap the investment community and the real economy.

Gold is on the verge of breaking out.  It needs to take out 2080 and go for a run.

The Dollar continues to slump.

VIX remains complacent.  There is little provision being made for an exogenous black swan event, although the probability of one is elevated.   Risk assets are priced for perfection.

Consequences are rarely expected, and those that most deserve them experience the most intense outrage at having received them.   

This is hubris, and its willful blindness.  It brings down the proud and the willful.

Be not deceived, for God is not mocked.  As men sow, so shall they reap.

Have a pleasant evening.

Matt Taibbi, Katie Halper, and Jimmy Dore: Why Is the Media So Bad

"Always fight for progress and reform, never tolerate injustice or corruption, always fight demagogues of all parties, never belong to any party, always oppose privileged classes and public plunderers, never lack sympathy with the poor, always remain devoted to the public welfare, never be satisfied with merely printing news, always be drastically independent, never be afraid to attack wrong, whether by predatory plutocracy or predatory poverty.”

Joseph Pulitzer, Retirement address


"Day by day the money-masters of America become more aware of their danger, they draw together, they grow more class-conscious, more aggressive.  The [first world] war has taught them the possibilities of propaganda; it has accustomed them to the idea of enormous campaigns which sway the minds of millions and make them pliable to any purpose.  American political corruption was the buying up of legislatures and assemblies to keep them from doing the people's will and protecting the people's interests; it was the exploiter entrenching himself in power, it was financial autocracy undermining and destroying political democracy."

Upton Sinclair, The Brass Check


"It’s not just political spin, however, that explains the rose-colored coverage [in the media]. Another explanation is that the media is plain stupid — quick to accept guidance from economists on Wall Street, for example, who have a vested interest in making everything wonderful."

John Crudele, Americans Have Not Gotten a Raise In 16 Years


"In 1983, 50 corporations controlled most of the American media, including magazines, books, music, news feeds, newspapers, movies, radio and television.  By 1992 that number had dropped by half.  By 2000, six corporations had ownership of most media, and today five dominate the industry: Time Warner, Disney, Murdoch's News Corporation, Bertelsmann of Germany and Viacom."

Independent Lens, Democracy on Deadline


"The elite want to keep us fighting left and right, so we don't pay attention to the top-down."

Jimmy Dore