The George Floyd Memorial outside Cup Foods at Chicago Ave and E 38th St in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Image source: "George Floyd Memorial" by Lorie Shaull is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
In 1955, the battered face of 14-yer old Emmett Till, an African American boy who was lynched in Mississippi for allegedly whistling at a white woman, caused a wave of massive protests across the United States, which fuelled the national movement for social justice and racial equality. The newspaper images of his dead body shocked America and exacerbated people's anger with the deeply-rooted judicial and cultural issues that divided America at that time.
Not shortly afterwards, a simple act of defiance by one Rosa Parks and the momentous "I have a dream" speech by Dr Martin Luther King Jr. further drew public attention to the struggles of 'Black America'.
Despite all of the progress that has been made since the 1950s however, the underlying issues persist. Almost 30 years after the infamous beating of Rodney King by the LAPD, the recent murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis by a policeman, who pressed Floyd's face against the pavement with his knee until he suffocated, sparked renewed agitation in the public sphere. People have taken to the streets to protest the seemingly unrelenting vicious cycle of police brutality, which is accompanied by the suppression of African American's rights. Apparently, history tends to repeat itself, while matters of racial inequality and abuse of authority on the part of the US police forces seem to remain.
We are seeing massive levels of civil unrest in the streets of major US cities, as peaceful protests turn into heated riots accompanied by looting. The public anger, it seems, is also exacerbated by the recently eased situation in the States, following the termination of the national lockdown from the coronavirus epidemic. This boiling keg is additionally fuelled by the rising unemployment rate stemming from the COVID-19 fallout.
It is feared that amidst this brewing sea of public discontent, which has been catalysed by George Floyd's murder, the underlying issues concerning matters of social equality could be brushed aside under the rug because of the volatile and eventful present times. Yet, something is different. Unlike, say, the Rodney King case in the early 1990s, the appalling behaviour of the police officer responsible for the killing of Floyd has triggered a tidal wave of condemnations not only in the US but across the world as well.
People from Brussels to Sydney have also taken to the streets in a series of peaceful protests to express their support for the 'Black Lives Matter' movement. The unprecedented in scale global outcry against the outrageous act is already pressuring the US to implement a societal reform at a level that still cannot be fully comprehended. National and international calls for change could be enough to prompt a more decisive discourse in the US on racial equality. Nevertheless, if significant progress is to be genuinely made, then the US needs to make drastic changes.
While there is no single decision that could completely eradicate the historical baggage to American society from centuries of racial tensions, there is one definitive step that would undoubtedly help improve the current situation quite substantially. That would be the abolishment of the 2nd Amendment of the Constitution.
While it is true that in the case of George Floyd's murder guns did not play any part, one should not forget the many other instances of mass shootings in schools, churches and across the public sphere, which are heavily connected to America's bad relationship with guns control. I shall abstain from delving into the historical context of the 2nd Amendment and the freedom it invokes for US citizens to bear Arms. However, I shall underline the practical advantage of restricting the easy access of deadly weapons to a public, which continues to be plagued by social divisions. It should be apparent to all that the abundance of firearms coupled with racial tensions and other societal rifts, represent the necessary ingredients to spell disaster in the future.
There is, however, another subtler benefit to abolishing the 2nd Amendment. That would be the invalidation of the false sense of entitlement that so many naturally confrontational people seem to develop after they obtain their guns. While at its core, the 2nd Amendment was intended to grant Americans with the means to protect themselves against foreign rule, the context of the American society has changed drastically since America's colonial days. At present, the Amendment seems to enforce people to seek conflict rather than to protect their liberty. With no British invasion to fight off at the home front, the 2nd is more of a burden to social cohesion as opposed to its primary role as a pillar of freedom and liberty.
Over the past few weeks, the USD has lost nearly 800 pips against the JPY, driven by Japan's shift away from decades of negative interest rates. With the Bank of Japan raising rates for the second time in a row, investors are adjusting their positions to [...]
Despite its volatility, Silver remains in an uptrend. While not as dynamic as Gold, XAG often mirrors XAU’s movements. A Multiple Top has formed around $32.50, and history shows that the more a level is tested, the weaker it becomes, increasing the likelihood of a [...]
A combination of factors, including Trump-era tariffs, the emergence of DeepSeek, and a slowdown in GDP growth, has contributed to the recent pullback in the US30 from its record highs. From a technical standpoint, a Double Top pattern has formed around the [...]
Over the past month, Silver has experienced an impressive 13% surge, marking a strong bullish trend. Despite notable volatility and multiple pullbacks, the overall momentum remains firmly to the upside. This strength is further validated by the Golden Cross, a historically reliable [...]
The Swiss Stock Market has been on a remarkable rally, surging over 15% between December and January. At times, the price action resembled a near-vertical ascent. However, following the announcement of Trump’s tariffs over the weekend, Monday’s trading session opened with a [...]
Between October and January, GBPUSD experienced a significant decline, dropping by approximately 1300 pips. However, we now observe signs of a potential trend reversal. Over the past few weeks, the pair has rebounded by more than 400 pips, shifting momentum toward a [...]
For the past 1 month, the UK100 saw a fantastic 600 point rally! The occasional corrections only attracted more buyers, which is healthy for the current up trend and the RSI currently exhibits elevated demand. A 130 point correction started last week on Friday, dipped below the [...]
Over the past two weeks, Japan’s leading stock index surged 2,000 points, reflecting strong bullish momentum. However, this week saw a sharp sell-off, erasing nearly all gains since mid-January. Despite this drop, the decline stalled at the 61.8% Fibonacci retracement, a key [...]
There is a clear shift in the momentum in the Oil market, with the commodity dropping with nearly 10% for the past 2 weeks. The Death Cross, a classic sell signal, is indicating that sellers are indeed in control and we are lookin now at a strong [...]
The 350 pip rally for the past 2 weeks seems like a trend reversal for EURUSD, with buyers back in control. The strong bullish momentum is also confirmed by the Golden Cross, a historic buy signal. Corrections are healthy for the trend and we currently looking at [...]
For the past 2 weeks GBPUSD went up with 400 pips and this is why we believe we might be looking at a trend reversal. The strong bullish momentum is confirmed by the Golden Cross, a classic buy signal, which supports the hypothesis that [...]
The Death Cross formation in USDJPY signals a robust downward momentum, with the USD depreciating by 300 pips over recent weeks. Further declines exceeding 300 pips are anticipated, potentially reaching the 152.00 level. Despite several corrective pullbacks, the price has been unable to surpass the [...]
Following the formation of a Double Top pattern at the 21,930 level last Friday, the NASDAQ has experienced a significant decline, plummeting by nearly 800 points. This downturn has been primarily driven by unfavorable manufacturing data emerging from China, alongside the Bank of Japan's interest rate hike on Friday. The market reaction closely resembles the [...]
GOLD's uptrend has regained strength, with several factors supporting further gains. The RSI bounced from oversold levels and now stands at 65, signaling growing demand and increasing buying volume. Additionally, the appearance of a [...]
For the past few months, USDJPY gained 2100 pips! Then, about 10 days ago the USD started dropping and so far corrected with 300 pips, dropping down to 155.00. A local Double Bottom got formed and this level also aligns with the important [...]
For the past week, the US100 has surged by over 1,000 points, signaling strong bullish momentum. The RSI stands at 69, indicating high demand and buyer dominance. A bullish Golden Cross pattern has emerged, confirming the upward trend. Despite a brief correction yesterday, with the index dipping to [...]
The Descending Triangle on the 4-hour chart, typically a bearish signal, failed to materialize this time. Instead, the Triple Bottom support at 92,000 held strong, driving significant buying volume. A Golden Cross—a classic bullish indicator—confirms strong [...]
After a 300-point correction from its December highs, the SP500 appears to be rebounding as bulls regain control. This recovery is supported by positive economic data, including strong NFP numbers, low unemployment, and CPI readings meeting expectations—all favorable for stocks. Additionally, the earnings season began yesterday with [...]
For several months, the EUR has been trending downward, losing hundreds of pips. While occasional corrections to the upside occur, bears remain in control. The strong downward momentum is highlighted by the Death Cross pattern, a classic sell signal. Yesterday, we observed another [...]
The Dollar remains strong, with buyers firmly in control since the Fed's December comments hinting at fewer 2025 rate cuts. This drove a 400-pip rally in USDCAD, now facing resistance near 1.4450 as early buyers take profit. Corrections are part of healthy trends, and the pair is testing support at [...]
