Stocks and Precious Metals Charts - The Pyrrhic Madness of Pride

 

"The church cannot remain silent before such an abomination.  The ones who have a voice must speak for those who are voiceless.  Peace is not the product of terror or fear.  Peace is not the silence of cemeteries.  Peace is not the silent result of violent repression.  Peace is the generous, tranquil contribution of all to the good of all.  In the name of God, in the name of this suffering people whose cry rises to heaven more loudly each day, I implore you, I beg you, I order you: stop the repression."

Bishop Oscar Romero, assassinated while saying Mass, 24 March 1980

"It was a civil war of the 1980s, one that pitted leftist revolutionaries against the alliance of countries, oligarchs, and generals that had ruled the country for decades—with U.S. support—keeping peasants illiterate and impoverished.  It was a bloody, brutal, and dirty war.  Peasants were shot en masse, often while trying to flee.  Student and union leaders had their thumbs tied behind their backs before being shot in the head, their bodies left on roadsides as a warning to others.  Many Americans would prefer to forget that chapter in American history; those under the age of 40 may not even be aware of it."

Raymond Bonner, America's Role in El Salvador's Deterioration

"Modern tyranny is terror management. When the terrorist attack comes, remember that authoritarians exploit such events in order to consolidate power.  For tyrants, the lesson of the Reichstag fire is that one moment of shock enables an eternity of submission.  For us, the lesson is that our natural fear and grief must not enable the destruction of our institutions.”

Timothy Snyder, On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century, 2017

"As had happened in the past, and continues to happen today, repression of peaceful change and justice threatened to bring about the very conditions that the ruling families of the country had feared. These are the fruits of greed and the lust for power, driven to hysteria and violent repression.  And we allow ourselves to be blinded by their lies and propaganda, their myths of our exceptionalism, and our own fear, hate, and willfulness."

Jesse, Remembering the Martyrs El Salvador, 14 October 2018

“People of privilege will always risk their complete destruction rather than surrender any material part of their advantage. Intellectual myopia, often called stupidity, is no doubt a reason. But the privileged also feel that their privileges, however egregious they may seem to others, are a solemn, basic, God-given right."

John Kenneth Galbraith, The Age of Uncertainty, 1977 

 

Stocks took a dive today, after the sugar high of the Non-Farm Payrolls report from last week wore off.

Gold and silver were sold, as an echo of the traditional Non-Farm Payrolls boogie woogie.

Gold and silver *might* be finding a bottom here, as they have often done on such occasions in the past.

As pride and greed take leaders and their people to the abyss, we must use caution not to follow, as tempting as that alternative may be.

As for the people of the way, we can work for the oasis, the small patch of righteousness that survives the fall of the servants of the madness and their fog of hate and lies.

This is the way of the world, and of those who serve the light within it.  It takes a measure of trust in God.

But in the meanwhile, we can take what practical measures as we may.

Have a pleasant evening.

Stocks and Precious Metal Charts - Those Who Have Lost Their Way

 

“We have been called to heal wounds, to unite what has fallen apart, and to bring home those who have lost their way.

Blessed is the servant who loves their brothers and sisters as much when they are sick and helpless, as when they are well and of service.

Keep a clear eye toward life's end.  And remember that when you leave this earth, you can take nothing that you have received, but only what you have given.”

Francis of Assisi, Fioretti di San Francesco

"To love at all is to be vulnerable.  Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken.  If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal.  Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness.

But in that casket – safe, dark, motionless, airless – it will change.  It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable.  The alternative to tragedy, or at least to the risk of tragedy, is damnation.  The only place outside Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers and perturbations of love is Hell.”

C. S. Lewis, The Four Loves, 1960

"Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life."

Francis of Assisi


As you have probably heard by now, the US Non-Farm Payrolls report came in much higher than expected this morning.

And the Dollar and risk assets rallied, backed off, and then rallied back into the weekend close.

Gold declined with the Dollar rally, but silver rode the equity rally and gained some ground.

And so we shuffle into the weekend, and the fourth quarter of the year.

We are living in a time of savagery, where the bully is admired, and might makes right.

Let us be mindful of what really matter, so we may remain standing strong in the faith.

And give support and strength to the afflicted, and mark the path for those who have lost their way.

For what does it profit a man...

Have a pleasant weekend.

Stocks and Precious Metals Charts - Easy the Descent Into Darkness

 

"Easy is the descent into darkness.
      The door to hell stands open, day and night.
But to retrace one's steps, to return once more
      to the pure clean air, and cheerfulness and life:
That is the task, that is our true labour."

Vergil, Aeneid

"To whom can I give warning?
      Who will listen when I speak?
Their ears are closed,
      and they cannot hear.
They scorn the word of the Lord.
      They don’t want to listen at all.

From the least to the greatest,
      their lives are ruled by greed.
From prophets to priests,
      they are all frauds.
They offer superficial treatments
      for my people’s mortal wound.
They give assurances of peace
      when there is no peace.
Are they ashamed of their disgusting actions?
      Not at all—they don’t even know how to blush.
Therefore, they will lie among the slaughtered.
      They will be brought down when I punish them, says the Lord."

Jeremiah 6:10-11,13-16

"And I saw a white horse, its rider having a bow, and there was given to him a crown, and he went forth overcoming not in righteousness, but that he may conquer."

Revelation 6:2

 

Stocks traded weakly ahead of the Non-Farm Payrolls tomorrow, and a weekend of escalating conflicts.

Gold and silver were hit early and hard with selling, but managed to climb back and regain their levels.

VIX is just swinging in the wind.

This might be an interesting weekend.

The servants of Moloch stalk the land, spreading darkness and lawlessness.

I almost cannot believe the things that I am seeing.

So many have closed their ears and eyes, and remain blithely trusting, seduced by the voices of madness, unprepared.

Have a pleasant evening.