"Diversity in the Democratic Party means politicians of various races, faiths and sexual persuasions lining up dutifully and immediately in support of the candidate and agenda selected by Wall Street billionaires."
Max Blumenthal, X, July 22, 2024
"The even larger problem is that there is a kind of chronic complacency that has been rotting American liberalism for years, a hubris that tells Democrats they need do nothing different, they need deliver nothing really to anyone – except their friends on the Google jet and those nice people at Goldman. The rest of us are treated as though we have nowhere else to go and no role to play except to vote enthusiastically on the grounds that these Democrats are the 'last thing standing' between us and the end of the world. It is a liberalism of the rich, it has failed the middle class, and now it has failed on its own terms of electability."
Thomas Frank, Trump to the White House, and liberals put him there, The Guardian, 9 November 2016
"The end result was to be a new Imperial Order and a New World Empire run by elite, self-perpetuating oligarchies from the leading nations of the earth."
Dr. Carroll Quigley, Tragedy and Hope, 1966, p. 860
"It violates the essence of what made America a great country in its political system. Now it’s just an oligarchy, with unlimited political bribery being the essence of getting the nominations for president or to elect the president. And the same thing applies to governors and U.S. senators and congress members. So now we’ve just seen a complete subversion of our political system as a payoff to major contributors, who want and expect and sometimes get favors for themselves after the election’s over."
Jimmy Carter, Citizens United Decision, The Thom Hartmann Show, July 2015
"Seneca had made the bargain that many good men have made when agreeing to aid bad regimes. For many, this has been a bargain worth making, even if it has cost them—as it may have cost Seneca—their immortal soul.”
James Romm, Dying Every Day: Seneca at the Court of Nero
Stocks had the wobbles for most of the day, but managed to jump back to nearly unchanged after the close.
Earnings season is upon us, and the big names like Alphabet are pulling them in.
Tesla continues to struggle.
Gold and silver held a little bounce. The miners as well.
Too early to call a turn. Comex expiration for the precious metals on Thursday.
The Dollar edged higher.
VIX fell.
Have a pleasant evening.
