Stocks and Precious Metals Charts - On the Sunni Side of the Street

"U.S. support for the Sunni camp was made clear by the fact that Trump made Riyadh his first foreign stop as president, by his willingness to sell the Saudis $110 billion in military equipment, and by his repeated criticisms of Iran during his speech.  Why the United States would want to tilt toward either side in the Sunni-Shiite divide is mystifying.

These two sects have been at odds for centuries, with no signs of a detente. The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, the world’s most dangerous terrorist organization, is Sunni. The same goes for al-Qaeda, the group founded by Osama bin Laden that brought down the World Trade Center on 9/11."

USA Today, In Saudi Arabia, Trump turns Sunni


"I served in all commissioned ranks from a second Lieutenant to a Major General. And during that time, I spent most of my time being a high-class muscle man for Big Business, for Wall Street, and for the Bankers. In short, I was a racketeer for capitalism.

A racket is best described, I believe, as something that is not what it seems to the majority of people. Only a small inside group knows what it is about. It is conducted for the benefit of the very few at the expense of the masses."

Smedley Butler, USMC


“I just got this down from upstairs” — meaning the Secretary of Defense’s office— “today.”  And he said, “This is a memo that describes how we’re going to take out seven countries in five years, starting with Iraq, and then Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and, finishing off, Iran.”  I said, “Is it classified?”  He said, “Yes, sir.”  I said, “Well, don’t show it to me.”

General Wesley Clark, Seven Countries in Five Years


"The enormous gap between what US leaders do in the world and what Americans think their leaders are doing is one of the great propaganda accomplishments of the dominant political mythology."

Michael Parenti

The inflation numbers came in weakly this morning, prompting stocks to rally on the notion that the Fed will stick to the minimum schedule of raising rates in order to give themselves sufficient room to cut rates when their latest financial asset bubble begins to implode.

And with this softness in rate increases, the dollar dropped and gold and silver rallied a bit in response.

There are lots of things that barely make sense that tend to dominate the mainstream news and discussions.   I would imagine that you have noticed.

This is the credibility trap in action. And it will get even weirder, and make a whole lot less sense.

But very important public and media figures will become ever more hysterical, and indignant about it, with a fury designed to whip up the people into—  confused and servile obedience.

Have a pleasant evening.

Stocks and Precious Metals Charts - In Time of Plague

"Beauty is but a flower
Which wrinkles will devour;
Brightness falls from the air;
Queens have died young and fair;
Dust hath closed Helen’s eye.
I am sick, I must die.
Lord, have mercy on us."

Thomas Nashe, A Litany In Time of Plague


"He prompts you what to say, and then listens to you, and praises you, and encourages you.  He bids you mount aloft.  He shows you how to become as gods.  Then he laughs and jokes with you, and gets intimate with you; he takes your hand, and gets his fingers between yours, and grasps them, and then you are his."

J.H.Newman, The Times of Antichrist


The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the dedicated communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction, true and false, no longer exists.”

Hannah Arendt, The Origins of Totalitarianism


“It isn't that they can't see the solution.  It is that they can't see the problem.”

Gilbert K. Chesterton

They can't see the problem, or they will not allow themselves see the problem, or admit that they have seen it.

They love their pride and their paychecks, more than the truth, and His commandments to love and to serve.

Nothing becomes too vile, too dreadful, or too awful for them, in the end.

And that is the credibility trap.

Do not join them, no matter how attractive or rewarding or fashionable it may seem.

It is to embrace the unspeakable; it is more obscene than you can imagine—  it is a dalliance with the abyss.

Thank you for remembering me in your prayers.

Have a pleasant evening.

Stocks and Precious Metals Charts - Buck Wild

'On this lonely road, trying to make it home,
Doing it by my lonesome— pissed off, who wants some,
I see them long hard times to come.'

Gangstagrass, Justified Theme

Stocks were a bit wobbly today in anticipation of Trumpolini's decision to pull out of the Iran nuclear treaty.

Gold and silver finished largely unchanged despite a slightly higher dollar.

We will be getting more economic data this week that *might* shed some light on the inflation situation.

We are beginning to see the primary elections to select candidates for the elections this November.

Have a pleasant evening.

Stocks and Precious Metals Charts - What Time's the Next Swan?

"I'm particularly interested in black swan events: unprecedented surprises that destroy the conventional wisdom about how the world works."

Paolo Bacigalupi


"The essence of God is existence, and He defines Himself as: 'I am Who am.' The essence of the devil is the lie, and he defines himself as: 'I am who am not.' Satan has very little trouble with those who do not believe in him; they are already on his side.”

Fulton Sheen


"Satan’s monomaniac concern with himself and his supposed rights and wrongs is a necessity of the Satanic predicament. Certainly, he has no choice. He has chosen to have no choice. He has wished to ‘be himself,’ and to be in himself and for himself, and his wish has been granted. 

To admire Satan, then, is to give one’s vote not only for a world of misery, but also for a world of lies and propaganda, of wishful thinking, of incessant autobiography.  Yet the choice is possible."

C. S. Lewis

Stocks were higher, rallying from the opening hours.

The rally faded a bit in the afternoon, with stocks giving back from the highs but still managing to add another gain in May.

Gold and silver were largely unchanged and the Dollar was a bit higher.

Tomorrow Trumpolini is promising to have a decision on the nuclear treaty in Iran around 2 pm.

Later this week we will be getting a look at the state of inflation in the US.

Have a pleasant evening.