Chris Hedges: Empire of Illusion and the Cult of Spectacle and the Self

Here is a recent talk by Chris Hedges at the Cambridge Forum.

The video starts after two introductions and a brief expository by Hedges about the tragic life of Michael Jackson, which he sees as emblematic of the cult of celebrity and the exploitative tendencies of the reality show tv culture.

Gold Daily and Silver Weekly Charts - Ben Bernanke, With A Printing Press, On the Comex

Question: Who destroyed the public's confidence in the markets and the monetary system?

Answer:  Ben Bernanke, With a Printing Press, On the Financial and Commodity Exchanges.

And his motive was never really to save the real economy, but to reward the one percent and save the Banks.

SP 500 and NDX Futures Daily Charts - Cue Ethel Merman

Volumes on the NYSE just crossed over 550 million here today.

There is little selling pressure, but almost as little buying pressure except for the fluff generated by HFTs and cynical bubble-meisters.

I wonder if Ben and his Merry Pranksters are mad enough to stress the system with another asset bubble again for the benefit of the one percent.

I am starting to hear traders say: "This doesn't make sense, but don't fight the tape."

From here to whenever, all it will take is one event. As it goes higher, the magnitude of the event becomes less and less.

Ben did not know when it was time to just quit...