Mark Crispin Miller: Forbidden Thoughts and Fighting For the Truth

Mark Crispin Miller is professor of media studies at New York University. He is known for his writing on American media and for his activism on behalf of media reform. His books include Boxed In: The Culture of TV, Seeing Through Movies, Mad Scientists, a study of war propaganda, and Fooled Again: How the Right Stole the 2004 Elections. He was a contributor to the documentary 'Orwell Rolls Over In His Grave.'

He graduated from Northwestern University with a BA in 1971, Johns Hopkins University with an MA in 1973, and a Ph.D. in 1977.

He talks overall about certain stories that are not considered to be appropriate for discussion in the mainstream media.  He sees 'conspiracy theory' as a method of shutting down discussion, and traces its use as a rhetorical device to a memo in 1967.

He more specifically discusses the 2000 election of G. W. Bush, and what he considers related stories that are ruled off the table in a presentation to the 911 Architects and Engineers for Truth.

I don't agree with all of his specific issues perhaps, but found his discussion of 'process' in the mainstream media to be interesting.  More often than not the 'discussions' of situations which we are given in the media are often highly uninformative, if not misleading either by omission or intent.

And I also feel that the First Amendment is being tested now as it has been in the past. It seems to be curtailed for individuals who are shuffled off to 'free speech zones' while wealthy corporations are being given privileges that the Constitution maintains for individuals and was not intended for powerful legal constructs that provide limited liability and anonymity.

Gold Daily and Silver Weekly Charts - Le Comité de Salut Public

 

"The tendency of things is, indeed, to make matters worse still. The poor are every year becoming poorer, and more dependent upon those who feast upon their sufferings; while the wealth and power of the realm are annually concentrating in fewer hands, and becoming more and more instruments of oppression.”

John C. Cobden, 1854

Retail sales came in a bit hot today, triggering a 'good news is bad news' selloff in stocks, at least according to the spokesmodels on bubblevision.

The retail sales results were really not all that impressive,  just coming in-line for sales ex-auto. And who the heck knows what adjustments were used to cook up the hot auto sales number?  These one shot numbers are a flash in the pan.

I think the sell off today, ahead of the weekend, is due to the cumulative jitters of the markets, given the drumbeats to war in Iraq, Syria, Ukraine, and the potential 'Yes' vote in Scotland for independence. 

"The White House is characterizing the U.S. mission against Islamic State militants as a war, similar to the one waged against al-Qaida and its affiliates."

The skeptical part of me wonders if this is the 'wash and rinse' that I suspected they might try to sneak in ahead of the actual Alibaba IPO.   In our economy war is a good thing, to the extent that it is good for business. 

It must be good.  We seems to look for wars all the time, and even in the most unlikely of places, on the suspicion that someone there must be up to no good.   The US did a rather effective stop and frisk with extreme prejudice on Iraq, for example.  They are still trying to get their lives back together. 

And apparently Obama wants to do the same thing to Syria.  We lift things up, and put them down.  And that includes not only tyrants, and vicious rebels, but whole nations and peoples.

So let's see what happens next week.  Besides the FOMC two day meeting, which will provide us their guidance on the afternoon of Wednesday Sept 17th.  A calendar for next week is included below.

Nothing particularly interesting occurred in the Comex warehouses for precious metals yesterday.

In other news of the day, the Fed has just formed the Committee on Financial Stability led by Vice-Chair Stanley Fischer.

When this news came out it reminded me of the (in)famous Comité de Salut Public, or Committee on Public Safety which became the de facto executive government during the worst parts of the French revolution.

I would bear in mind that this unelected committee of the Fed has no standing to make laws, and is part of a private organization which unfortunately has been given too many discretionary regulatory powers by the ideologically crippled, do-nothing Congress.

And in cheerier news, Golem XIV is back from his holiday.   Welcome back.

I am looking forward to hearing more about the momentous vote in Scotland next week as the election day approaches.  So many English nouveau riche and political parvenu of the master class have issued nearly hysterical screeds against it that I know it must be of some importance.

As they advise, we must always 'be afraid, be very afraid.'   And have only a little hope.  After all, government is complex, and these matters are best left to the ruling class.

"Hope. It is the only thing stronger than fear. A little hope is effective. A lot of hope is dangerous. A spark is fine, as long as it's contained."

President Snow, The Hunger Games

Have a pleasant weekend.

SP 500 and NDX Futures Daily Charts - Skittish, Toombs, Very Skittish

"Don't know about this new crew of yours. They seem a bit skittish. Probably shouldn't tell them what happened to the last crew...

Skittish, Toombs, very skittish."

Vin Diesel, Chronicles of Riddick

Stocks were on another down leg today, taking back the late afternoon stick save from yesterday, and a little bit more.   The selling was very orderly and the VIX barely bleeped.

The spokesmodels were claiming this is a 'good news is bad news' thing, since retail sales grew more than expected in this morning's economic news. Well, not at all, if you look at them ex-auto.

The market was in profit taking mode today, and most likely based on international jitters ahead of a weekend.  Greed was struggling with just a twinge of fear.

I speak to those jitters in tonight's gold and silver commentary above.

Have a pleasant weekend.

Thursday Evening: Only Time

I remember 9/11 like it was yesterday.  I am surprised at how strongly the memory of it remains.

I remember the concerns of the class mothers, who were thinking about what to do with the children in our little school in a town, on one of the commuter train lines to NYC, when it came time for them to go home.

 

They did not know who would not be showing up, and exactly what to do about it.

I remember the line of the mourners and hearses at the very large group funeral service at our local church.  And the plaque we put up at the train station with the names of those who died.

 

I remember hearing about the woman who put one of her husband's suits on the bed, and just laid down next to it, and cried for her loss.   

I remember those brave responders, and so many others, who gave their lives assisting others, in the last full measure of devotion.

I remember seeing the fear in people's eyes for days afterwards, and how that fear was used. 

 

And how Wall Street and the government beat its breast, and wrapped itself in the flag.

I look on how we have acted since then, and where we have been led.

 

Ours is certainly not the only tragedy in the world.  But it has been given to us, and is ours.

Who can say what will happen?   Only time.  And those of us who still live, and how we abide.

 

Gold Daily and Silver Weekly Charts - Like a Land War In Asia

There was the usual London-New York hit applied to the precious metals earlier this morning. Nothing new in that.

There was a bit of a bounce into the close for gold, and some action in the mining stocks as well.

Shown below are the Comex reports for both gold and silver for yesterday. I thought it was funny that more gold contracts were stopped than for silver.  But this is the active month for silver and not for gold! 

Not that even that factoid means anything. Watching the Comex these days is like watching the magicians beautiful assistant move the boxes around on stage, while the magician executives his sleight of hand undetected.

The real markets for precious metals have moved overseas. The West is fighting a holding action in a currency war of attrition. It must be like fighting a land war in Asia. You roll out your best shock and awe, complete with media fanfare, over and over. But they are gaining ground little by little. 

I know, let's flatten our own markets and their economic integrity back to the stone age of rigged prices and perpetual fraud, executed by and for the very few while the domestic public staggers.  That will show them who's in charge: until exhaustion of lies, or the collapse of force.

Have a pleasant evening.

SP 500 and NDX Futures Daily Charts - Stick Save In Pigland

Stocks were wobbly for most of the day as the US administration is once again beating the drums of endless war.

And it did not help that the economic numbers this morning came in a bit weakly, with initial unemployment claims a bit on the high side.

But these daily numbers do not mean all that much. What is of much more concern is the instability in the world, that I would suggest is an artifact of the 'currency war.'

And of course the currency war is almost beyond a doubt one manifestation of the impulse of the North Atlantic elite political power structure's attempt to make this 'the Anglo-American Century.'  

The pampered classes have lost their grip on the traditional colonial empire, and seem to be seeking to maintain and recreate it in a broader, more financialized guise.

Let's see how this works itself out.

Have a pleasant evening.

Wednesday Evening: Hymn In a German Train Station

"Here, in an ordinary train station in Wuppertal, Germany, the group Árstíðir began singing the Icelandic hymn “Heyr himna smiður”. 

The hymn — the oldest known Scandinavian hymn — dates back to the early 13th century when the Icelandic chieftain Kolbeinn Tumason is purported to have written these familiar words on his deathbed. Then, more than seven centuries later, the composer Þorkell Sigurbjörnsson put them to music."

On Being Blog

This is what only six voices together can do.

Hear, Smith of the heavens.

The poet seeketh.

In thy still small voice

Mayest thou show grace.

As I call on thee,

Thou my creator.

I am thy servant,

Thou art my true Lord.

God, I call on thee;

For thee to heal me.

Bid me, prince of peace,

Thou my supreme need.

Ever I need thee,

Generous and great,

Over all human woe,

City of thy heart.

Guard me, my savior.

Ever I need thee,

Through every moment

In this world so wide.

Virgin–born, send me

Noble motives now.

Aid cometh from thee,

To my deepest heart.

 

Gold Daily and Silver Weekly Charts - Do Something

There was intraday commentary on the moral hazard of applying selective justice to the TBTF Banks here.

I recommend that you read it. And if you find what it says to be useful, perhaps you might consider giving it a wider audience as you can here and there.

You might consider doing it with other things from like-minded people that you find to be useful. It is a little thing to do, but it is something and better than nothing. Others use donations which are appropriate for their own situations and efforts, and you might wish to consider supporting them in this even if it is in a small way.  You may not be able to stand up and speak, but you can provide some small comfort and support for those that do.   

And as for us, remember me in your prayers, as I will remember you.  The need is great and will be greater.  This is our currency, and it has no other counterparty but the Lord.

Have a pleasant evening