News

In the well-known story of Jonah, God instructed the reluctant prophet to deliver a warning to the city of Nineveh, an Assyrian stronghold. Assyria was traditionally a bitter enemy of Israel. Jonah unwisely attempted to shirk his duty and run away from his responsibility. To get away, he booked passage on a ship in Joppa (modern-day Jaffa) going to Tarshish, which was probably located in modern-day Spain.

On November 19, 1863—exactly 150 years ago to this day—U.S. President Abraham Lincoln gave his historic “Gettysburg Address,” known for its famous lines: “Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, upon this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.” Despite his lofty words, Lincoln understood that this proposition—like the nation as a whole—was being tested. What about today?

Fifty-five years ago, I was sitting in a high school classroom when a news broadcast came over the intercom. Soon enough, the enormity of the event became apparent. President John F. Kennedy had been assassinated!

Double, double, toil and trouble;
Stocks and bonds form massive bubble!

Well, that is not exactly how Shakespeare wrote it in Macbeth, but some economic soothsayers are putting out a very similar message to their clients—and are doing so in no uncertain terms.