With This Week's Stock Market Plunge This Is Likely Forgotten...But...

The stock market plunged. Fear is in the air. As with so much of the past, what preceded all this is likely forgotten by now - the Paris Olympics opening ceremonies blasphemous portrayal of the Last Supper being the "this."

It shouldn't be, of course. It was an egregious offense against all those Christians - and Muslims, by the way - who revere the Person of Jesus Christ. For us Christians, Jesus is the Son of God, the Second Person of the Trinity (Father, Son, Holy Ghost). For obvious reasons He is revered.

For Muslims He is a great prophet and revered as such. His Name is mentioned many times in the Koran. Indeed, some of the first public protests - condemnations really - of the blasphemy came from Muslim sources.

But, as with virtually all bad things in this world, they are soon forgotten. In this case, many folks have done their best to react appropriately to this offense, but still, who really remembers this now - outside of those of us who have taken offense and will not just let it slide?

To demonstrate this phenomenon of us all forgetting - too much and too often - think of the 2008-2009 "FC" - as in Financial Crisis. In this case perhaps many more folks were slammed, financially and emotionally. While not as serious as blasphemy, it impacted a wider audience. And the impact on some included abject raw fear. It felt like the world was coming to an end. Many lost as much as 50% - 80% of their stocks' value. And for those whose 401ks were invested all in stocks and who were coming up on retirement...well, you can imagine.

Not only was the impact a financial one, but there was a sense that society itself could unravel. Applications for gun licenses, purchases of guns and ammo all increased. People were that afraid.

And yet hardly a soul remembers it.

Sure, you likely recall it when it's brought up like this. But even in that recollection, most folks have blotted out just how serious it was and how it likely affected them. 

From a professional perspective, it's quite challenging to get folks to be more defensive in their investments - specifically their stock investments - especially if they've had good fortune in stocks. Most fall back on the idea that stocks always go up - at least in the long-term. Few pause to wonder whether their loss of 50% - 80% might have a profound effect on their retirements if they're relaying on their stock portfolios form income when the time comes - or now, if they're already retired.

There's a psychological/emotional component here. Folks go with the most recent trends. Indeed, they typically jump into stocks big time after stocks have gone up big time.

That's bad enough. 

But to compound the problem, we've been fed a whole boat load of manipulated, exaggerated information, and outright false data - by the usual suspects: Wall Street and the government.

Wall Street relies on folks buying stocks for the bulk of their profits. The government relies on a strong stock market to keep the people - or sheeple as the saying goes - in line.

So now with the stock market's plunge, we've tasted the edge of fear - perhaps a fear that will over coming months expand to equal what we all felt in 2008.

Meanwhile, those responsible for the Olympic blasphemy can likely rest easy. No one - besides a core of serious Christians and (as we saw) Muslims will remember this.

We have no illusions of changing the pattern we related above. The psychology, the emotions, the manipulation, the lies will not be changed now or (is this too cynical?) ever.

Many of us can grasp that people can react emotionally - very emotionally - under the right conditions. Many of us understand that markets can be manipulated to the advantage of some, the disadvantage of others. And while the manipulation of markets goes back to ancient times - never mind the stock market - it has been supercharged by high-frequency trading operations and the general power of computers that now run the trading of stocks.

Add in the collusion of government pushing hard as it can the "Bull" Market (pun intended) in stocks, and the lethal brew has been been concocted big time.

But some of us - maybe most of us - may not have considered the profound effect of lies - the sorts of lies that burrow into our minds, hears, and souls. The kinds of lies that change that twist our understanding of reality, that ultimately undermine our ability to distinguish between true and false, good and bad, beautiful and ugly. 

So please do look below and - if you're not already familiar with it - allow the profound words of Hannah Arendt to sink deeply into your mind, heart, and soul. If you even suspect you've been subjected to the manipulation of the Great Lies, know that it's not just the fact that you believe what's not true, but that you've lost the ability to believe anything and anyone. If you haven't reached that point yet, you will if you're not vigilant, if you're not taking the time to study and think about what's True, Good, and Beautiful, if you're allowing what's being spoon fed to you to pass your lips and sink deep inside.

The stock market may bounce back - at least for a while. The lies, though, won't stop.