Kontrarian Korner

Yesterday I had Rudy Havenstein back on the podcast to talk about the state of the world. It wouldn’t be a podcast with Rudy without talking about the Fed and inflation, but we also covered several different political topics, and how AI is going to have an impact on the information environment and on markets. It’s always a good time when Rudy’s on the podcast, and if you’re interested in some of the big picture topics on financial markets, culture, and politics, you will enjoy this one. You can find Rudy’s Substack below, and he is one of the most entertaining follows on Twitter.

Podcast Summary

* The recent Fed meeting, inflation, and how QE has driven wealth inequality.

* The broken health insurance system and rising healthcare costs.

* His frustrations with the ruling elite on both sides, and the problem with continuous foreign interventions.

* Immigration, handouts, and how it could be dealt with.

* How people’s experience during COVID has shaped their worldview.

* Why populism appeals to everyday Americans, and why he doesn’t see any problems with that.

* Why AI is going to make authenticity more valuable moving forward.

* What AI means for the investment landscape, and a couple places to hide out in financial markets.

* Book Recommendation: Fooled By Randomness by Nassim Taleb.

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Yesterday I had the Colonel back on the podcast for Part 14 of the CIA Files. We talked about Cuba and how it was a hub for organized crime and the Jewish mafia with figures like Meyer Lansky operating casinos and running drugs through Cuba, and how things changed when Castro came to power and how it impacted JFK’s presidency. We also talked more about pattern recognition, intelligence agency front companies, and how they operate like organized crime. For anyone didn’t get much information on Cuba in their history class, this one will be interesting. You can find the Colonel on Twitter, Rumble, YouTube, and Substack.

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Yesterday I Doug Casey back on the podcast for a second time. We talked about how things are progressing through the Fourth Turning, why he thinks we are seeing the early stages of World War III, and where the opportunities are in financial markets. You can find Doug at The International Man, The Crisis Investing Substack, and the YouTube channel, Doug Casey’s Take. You can also find the book that he released with Matt and Maxim Smith, The Preparation, which provides an alternative experience to college. It’s a book I wish I had when I was in high school.

Podcast Summary

* His view on how the Fourth Turning is playing out and why he thinks it will be a bumpy ride for at least the next decade.

* The growth of AI and the surveillance state and where that leads.

* Opportunities in the energy sector with the disruption in the Strait of Hormuz.

* The setup for the metals complex and why he thinks the metals are closer to fair value while the miners and producers are still very undervalued.

* The setup for the agricultural commodities heading into next year.

* Why he typically focuses on the smaller commodity stocks.

* How all of the global conflicts are connected and why he thinks Israel won’t be around in a decade.

* Book Recommendations: The Education Of A Wandering Man by Louis L’amour & How You Can Profit From The Coming Devaluation by Harry Browne.

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Yesterday I had the Colonel back on the podcast for Part 13 of the CIA Files. This time we were talking about the Congo in the late 50s and early 60s. We started off by talking a bit about the song We Didn’t Start The Fire by Billy Joel, and how it was a timeline of Operation Gladio. The main focus was the CIA’s efforts to make sure Patrice Lumumba didn’t secure power in the Congo, and what they did leading up to his eventual assassination. If you’re interested in one of the earliest operations of the Deep State in Africa, you will enjoy this one. You can find the Colonel on Twitter, Rumble, YouTube, and Substack.

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Yesterday I had first time guest Dark Enlightenment on the podcast. I have been looking forward to this one for some time, but we avoided current events for the most part to focus on the big picture topics that are going to become more obvious to everyone over the next decade. We talked about the state of the US and the changing demographics in cities, the issues in the relationship between men and women, and why Trump and the other elites won’t be able to correct course over the next 5 years and more. If you want to hear an unfiltered conversation on the big picture on where things are headed, this one’s for you. You can find his Substack below.

Podcast Summary

* His big picture view of the world and the Zionist occupied government we have here in the US.

* The breakdown of cities across the US, and what could be done to fix it.

* Why the younger generations of men are more radical.

* The breakdown of the egalitarian worldview that everyone is equal.

* How the relationship between men and women has broken down and the potential solutions that could be coming.

* The side effects of having women in positions of power like judges and politicians.

* Why Trump and the other elites won’t be able to correct course.

* Book Recommendations: Suburban Nation by Andres Duany, The Plot Against The Church by Maurice Pinay, Liberalism Is A Sin by Father Salvany & They Have Uncrowned Him by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre.

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Yesterday I had Mike Ariza back on the podcast, and he brought supply chains expert C.J. Nord on to join us. Mike gave us an update on the oil situation in California as far as imports, refining capacity, and what could and should be done at this point. C.J. also talked about why the US should have a Federal Reserve equivalent for supply chains in the US, and we talked a little bit about how it could be setup. If you’re interested in energy, California, or supply chains, you will enjoy this one. You can find Mike on Twitter, but he has also been contributing to Gas Crisis. You can find C.J. on Supply Chains For Good.

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Yesterday I had Dale Comstock back on the podcast. We talked about what has happened in the Middle East since the last time he was on, the bottlenecks that the US is looking to control, the lack of trust in government, and several other topics. We went down rabbit holes on the medical system, the relationship between men and women, and where AI is taking us in coming years. If you want to find Dale or his books, you can find him on his website.

Podcast Summary

* An update on events in the Middle East and where he thinks things are headed.

* The US strategy around containing China and what China might do in response.

* The lack of trust in the system, and the loss of legitimacy for government.

* How the medical system is broken, and the nodes of control in the elite class.

* Why women shouldn’t vote and what happens when women are placed in combat roles.

* The infiltration of the information space and how large figures try to influence the narrative.

* Why he is still pessimistic on where AI will go and what it means for humanity.

* Book Recommendation: The Gift Of Fear by Gavin de Becker.

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Yesterday I had Maxim Benjamin Smith back on the podcast to give us an update on The Preparation and what he has been up to for the last couple quarters. We talked about his time in Thailand, Japan, what it’s like returning to the US, and a younger generation’s perspective on some of the issues we see today. For anyone that is thinking about college, or has a son in high school, this one is definitely worth a listen. You should also check out The Preparation on Amazon. You can find Maxim’s Substack below to stay updated on what he is up to.

Podcast Summary

* The health issues he ran into during his time in Thailand during Muay Thai training.

* His time in Japan and how his experiences there highlighted differences with the US.

* Why it’s important to recover every once in a while.

* The cycles of The Preparation, and why he thinks it is important to do the EMT cycle first.

* Why younger generations of men are more right wing and the issues with the Civil Rights Act.

* The economic difficulties that are coming and the way the economic system is set up.

* His thoughts on a version of The Preparation for young women.

* Book Recommendation: A Voyage For Madmen by Peter Nichols.

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Yesterday I had Colonel Towner-Watkins on for part 12 of the CIA Files. This week we covered Indonesia, the CIA’s efforts to push out President Sukarno, and how it ties together with the Ertsberg and Grasberg mines in Indonesia. If you’re interested in some of the different tactics they used to push out Sukarno, or how it ties in with a major mine that is still in operation today, you will enjoy this one. I have also included a link to a video with some background on the Grasberg mine for anyone that wants to learn the history. You can find the Colonel on Twitter, Rumble, YouTube, and Substack.

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On Thursday I had PurpleDrinkCapital back on the podcast to talk about some of the wild moves in the market so far in 2026. If you’re seeing this on the podcast feed, you might want to switch to YouTube or Substack for the charts. We talked about the broader market and the momentum unwind of recent weeks, his view on oil and the metals, the speed of markets, and several other topics. You can find his Substack below, but you can also find him on Twitter.

Podcast Summary

* The momentum unwind in certain stocks in recent weeks.

* Massive moves in large cap stocks as institutions chase momentum names.

* Why liquidity matters and where he sees the indices going in coming months.

* His view on the energy situation with the Strait of Hormuz, and why he’s focused on the oil price chart that keeps making lower highs.

* Why he thinks precious metals are going to perk up soon, but will take some time to head towards all time highs.

* The changes in the market that have led to faster moves.

* Why tech will have to lead for the market to head significantly higher.

* Why copper has been holding up better than gold and silver.

* His view on bonds and interest rates.

* Book Recommendation: Under The Bright Lights by Fred Katz (coming early 2027).

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This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.kontrariankorner.com/subscribe