The Death of Socrates (oil on canvas) was painted in 1787 by Jacques-Louis David, father of Neoclassicism. It not only reflects the tale of the philosopher’s fight against the government, which included drinking a cup of hemlock rather than taking opportunities to escape. 

The painting reflects the mood of the French people on the eve of The Revolution and inspired by the signing of the Constitution in America. According to art historians, Socrates presented a symbol of strength for his curved weeping followers who were weak and who were ruled by passion. 

The French Revolution went on to serve as a cautionary tale for political agendas when it devolved into the Reign of Terror in the aftermath of the beheading Louis XVI and removing the monarchy. 

America has its checks and balances system, and people must have faith in our system. 

I mention this because it was a raucous weekend with the protests; it’s perhaps fitting for a raucous campaign that was vapid and angry, and always kept everyone on edge.  It was a long gestation period of Democracy that allowed America to consider and reconsider its next direction. It’s a monumental decision in the sense that the nation would remain down that paternalistic road of ‘big government’ that not only dominates all facets of our lives but of our thoughts as well.

Otherwise, we could opt to go back (not to be confused with backward) to a sense and time of optimism based on self-determination and absolute free thought.

The nation has decided it wants to pull itself up by its bootstraps; the best way to do this is to get the behemoth of ‘big government’ off its back. We want to reserve that strength to lift ourselves and carry our brothers and sisters. When this is accomplished, we all benefit in many ways, including the return of pride, which is hard to quantify; it’s the key ingredient for achieving true wealth.

I get that some bruised feelings will never heal (and their screams of anguish will never fade either), but the nation has a great opportunity. It is time to put away the pitchforks all around us and to give the new administration the (earned) benefit of the doubt. Policies and programs designed to lift the entire country will remove the animosity.

On that note, I am hearing that there could be 200 executive orders explicated and designed to mitigate or remove barriers to our economic progress (also known as social justice) from the last administration.   This would be a great start.  There are issues from foreign policies to the mountainous debt that can’t be fixed swiftly; however, a less divided nation makes it easier to gain better trade policies and to stoke those animal spirits to achieve rather than to tear down everything.

Today’s Session

Equity futures have been under pressure all morning and got no help from McDonalds, which beat, but saw same store sales in the United States slip 1.3%.  The only disaster this morning is Qualcomm, which is in the midst of a potentially very expensive dispute with Apple.  For the most part, the market is still grappling for a catalyst.

Donald J. Trump ‏ 

Busy week planned with a heavy focus on jobs and national security. Top executives coming in at 9:00 A.M. to talk manufacturing in America

The administration hitting the ground running this morning with a bunch of high profiled CEOs visiting the White House, plus a range of actions, all aimed at removing the shackles off the economy. 

There is no need to force the issue, but there is urgency needed to make sure your portfolio is updated not only to maximize the first 100 days, but mostly the next two to four years.  (Speak to your representative for assistance).  If you are not already on our service, email us at info@wstreet.com.