Yesterday I had Dylan Marrello (Raging Bull Investments) back on the podcast. We talked about a bunch of different things, and listeners will either come away with food for thought on the path of the US and markets or some new investment ideas to dig into. We talked about several individual ideas, but my favorite part was the philosophical discussion about the actual purpose of financial markets and how far we have deviated from that. You can find Dylan at Marrello Capital and on Twitter.

Podcast Summary

* The S&P continuing to run, and how narratives, vibes, and other short term drivers move markets.

* The increasing volatility based on short term investors, leverage in the system, and the lack of fundamental investors.

* Why he doesn’t prioritize macro over the individual ideas in his investing process.

* How Miami International $MIAX benefits from increased trading volumes and volatility.

* The hyperfinancialization of markets, and the nihilism involved with sports betting and prediction markets.

* How the function of markets has deviated from the original purpose, and where that might lead in the coming years.

* The incentives (or lack thereof) for new businesses to go public.

* How recent moves in Playboy $PLBY show the short term thinking from investors.

* Recent developments with Turning Point Brands $TPB , and why nicotine is one of the greatest businesses of all time.

* How investors that don’t have experience operating a business or the ability to understand the complexities of running a business often miss the big picture when it comes to stocks.

* How AI and the data center buildout interacts with the commodities cycle, and why he still likes offshore oil services.

* Book Recommendation: The Fourth Turning by Neil Howe.

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Yesterday I had both halves of Gold Goats n’ Guns on the podcast, and it was a great follow up to our one on one conversations in April. Tom Luongo and Dexter White returned to discuss the situation in the Middle East with Schrodinger’s Strait, the messaging problems that the Trump administration has here at home, and how Trump’s meeting with Xi in China could play out. This was a great conversation that bounced around several of the most important topics playing out in the world today. You can find Tom on Twitter and his podcast at Gold, Goats n’ Guns. You can also find Dexter on Twitter.

Podcast Summary

* The messaging problem that the Trump administration has on the domestic front.

* How the redistricting push changes things for the midterms.

* How recent events in the Middle East will change global trade flows, and the potential supply chain problems that could echo through the economic system.

* The UAE leaving OPEC, and why Venezuela could be next.

* Kevin Warsh’s role at the Fed, and how things might change in coming months.

* California’s looming energy supply chain crisis, and how it could present a golden opportunity for the Trump administration.

* How Europe is setting up to be a powder keg this summer, and why they are looking like the odd man out on the geopolitical chessboard.

* How Schrodinger’s Strait of Hormuz has led to a polluted media environment around recent events.

* Why Trump needs to string together some domestic wins over the next several months.

* Why Susie Wiles needs to go.

* What phase 2 of the Iran War might look like, and how that gives Trump leverage for his meeting with Xi in China.

* How the discussions in China could lead to significant changes in US-China relations, and why it will take several years to rebalance things.

* Russia’s role in what comes next, and how their relationship with China could present problems for the West.

* Why investors should take a look at the globe and understand the bottlenecks and distances between countries.

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Yesterday I have Vince Lanci back on the podcast for an update on precious metals, but we also took a detour into current events, geopolitics, and the future of the US. We talked about why copper is leading metals higher, why Europe is the odd man out, and how Chaos Americana is shaking up the geopolitical chessboard. You can find Vince on Twitter and his work at GoldFix.

Podcast Summary

* Why silver is perking up, and why copper is leading the charge lately.

* Why gold is setting up to follow silver higher.

* How oil, the FIFA World Cup, and the 250th Anniversary are setting up a stagflationary environment.

* Platinum also following the path of silver.

* The continued bifurcation of financial markets.

* Why the UAE leaving OPEC is the first domino to fall in the beginning of the end of OPEC, and what it means for the petrodollar.

* Why the status quo is going to change in the next month with China.

* Europe as the odd man out, the problems they need to address, and the changes that need to happen with their welfare spending.

* South America’s role in the in the reshuffling of the global trade system.

* Why things are going to change and deals will be renegotiated after Trump is done in 2028.

* How the left captured the bureaucracy over the last couple decades.

* Why the US is trending towards an authoritarian system.

* How equities and bonds will react over the next several years.

* Book Recommendation: Andrew Jackson by H.W. Brands.

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Yesterday I had Colonel Towner-Watkins back on the pod for Part 2 of our series on the OSS and the CIA. This week we talked about the post WWII CIA operations in China. Today’s situation with Taiwan can trace its roots back to these operations with Formosa and Chiang Kai-Shek’s conflict with Mao and mainland China. We also talked about Unit 731 and how the drug trade is always operating in the background. You can find Colonel Towner-Watkins on Twitter and Rumble.

Podcast Summary

* The conflict between Chairman Mao, Chiang Kai-Shek, and Japan near the end of WWII.

* How the US had 100,000 troops in China in 1946.

* Unit 731, how the US shielded some of the top Japanese scientists involved, and how they even brought several to the US.

* The origins of the Flying Tigers, and how that led to the Civil Air Transport and eventually Air America.

* How the drug trade is always operating in the background as the funding mechanism for some of these operations.

* The different CIA operations that were based out of Tibet.

* The various prominent figures that will eventually play a role in other operations in the future, and the connections between the CIA and the State Department.

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Yesterday I had Joaquin Flores on the podcast for the first time. Our conversation bounced all over the place, but he connected some of the dots between what is going on the Middle East and the ripple effects we could see in Europe and China in coming months. If you’re interested in the countries and topics to keep an eye on into the summer, you will enjoy this one. You can find Joaquin on Telegram, and he’s a must follow for geopolitics and current events.

Podcast Summary

* How maritime trade developed over the last couple centuries, and why we will see rail logistics become a larger piece of the global trade pie.

* The supply chain disruptions that are baked into the cake, and how it will impact Europe and Germany in particular.

* How Greenland is an important puzzle piece to watch.

* Why the US is better positioned to weather the coming supply chain problems.

* How most news today has an agenda.

* The crypto connections with the oil trade in Iran.

* China’s role in the global power competition and the competition between factions of their elites.

* The accelerating bifurcation of financial markets.

* Book Recommendation: The Great Reset by Klaus Schwab.

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Yesterday I had Tim Duggan of The Oil Report on the podcast for the first time. We talked about what is going on the Middle East, and how the disruptions that are now baked into the cake will lead to higher oil prices for longer. We also covered the ripple effects that we will see in Asia and Europe, and the political issues in Ireland that could be exacerbated by supply chain disruptions. It was a great conversation not just on oil but also some of the big picture topics facing the West, and what could happen this summer as we start to see some of the consequences of closing the Strait of Hormuz. You can find Tim on Twitter and his Substack below.

Podcast Summary

* The level of disruption in the oil market, and why that will lead to higher prices for longer.

* The timeline for things to get back to normal as far as trade flows (roughly 100 days), and why too many things have been damaged to just go back to the previous status quo.

* The ripple effects we will see in Asia and Europe from energy supply disruptions.

* How the disruptions create opportunities in fertilizers and certain agricultural commodities.

* The UAE leaving OPEC.

* Flight cancellations and why we are probably going to see COVID level disruptions in the next three months.

* How Ireland has been impacted, how the government has reacted, and the unrest that has come from various government policies.

* Europe dealing with several self-inflicted problems, and the disconnect between what the average citizen wants and the policy of the bureaucrats.

* How you can see one aspect of the great power competition between the US and China in the oil market, and his view on the future of the petrodollar.

* Book Recommendations: Unsung Hero by Michael Smith and Gods of Money by William Engdahl.

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Yesterday I had Colonel Towner Watkins back on the podcast for the first part of our series on the OSS and the CIA. This episode should lay the foundation for the rest of the series where we get into more detail on the specific operations and other historical details. We covered the international syndicate and the involvement of secret societies and royal families, the different covert funding mechanisms, and the different fronts of the influence operations. We’re planning to do one episode a week, but I’m excited to see where this goes as we get deeper into what has happened in the post-WWII era. You can find Colonel Towner-Watkins on Twitter and Rumble.

Podcast Summary

* The beginnings of the international syndicate and the different power players on the international scene before WWII.

* How economic, political, paramilitary, and cultural warfare are the four fronts of operations.

* The plan to take out hereditary monarchies in pursuit of a one world government.

* How opium was the covert funding mechanism for these different covert operations, and how that was a part of the Boxer Rebellion in China.

* How the Boer Wars in South Africa created the idea for stay behind units.

* The secret societies like the Fabian Society and the Pilgrims Society, and how they were involved in the different globalist agendas.

* The involvement of powerful industrial titans, politicians, and royal families in these secret societies.

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Yesterday I had Peter R. Quiñones back on the podcast, and we got into a bunch of different topics regarding the future of the US. We covered immigration, the NGO complex, the GOP Samson option and the midterms, and the trend towards authoritarianism. If you’re frustrated about the state of the US and some of the recent events, this one’s for you. You can find Pete on Twitter, and his Substack is below.

Podcast Summary

* Why the managerial state needs to be destroyed and why Trump needs to put some wins on the board for the midterms.

* Immigration problems and what happens when you bring in special interest groups.

* Why we are trending towards authoritarianism and why Singapore is an example of a functional multicultural society.

* How political correctness is dying, and how important topics are shifting cultural conversations.

* The GOP Samson option, and why it’s a dead party walking.

* The NGO complex, the SPLC, and other organizations that work against the American people.

* Why mainstream media networks are increasingly irrelevant.

* The similarities between events in the US today and events in the Soviet Union and the Weimar Republic.

* Book Recommendation: Reflections on Violence by Georges Sorel.

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Yesterday morning I had retired Brigadier General Blaine Holt on the podcast for the first time. I’m still getting used to Zoom, so this one was audio only. We talked about the competition for routes and resources among the elite factions, the incoming supply chain problems, and why the Trump administration needs some big wins in the next couple months. You can find Blaine at Dangerous Intellectuals, as well as on Substack and Twitter, and his article yesterday for Newsmax is definitely worth a read.

Podcast Summary

* How the supply chain disruptions in the Middle East will impact Africa, Europe, and the US.

* The potential ripple effects for the US coming from California oil and gas supply chains.

* Why we are seeing a fifth generation war play out, and the battlefields in the information space, supply chains, and financial and economic warfare.

* Why the Trump administration is in the 9th inning as far as the legal and judicial situation in the US.

* How the political establishment on both sides is trying to block Trump at every turn.

* The potential for military involvement and tribunals.

* The King of England’s recent visit to the US and what it signals.

* Why Europe is in deep trouble and the future of NATO and the EU.

* Why everyone should prepare for potential disruptions in the food supply chain, even here in the US.

* Book Recommendation: Escape From Freedom by Erich Fromm.

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Yesterday I had Dave Masten, the CTO of Sagittarius Logistics, on the podcast for the first time. It was a fascinating conversation about the future of the space race and the progress of the US. We talked about the fleet logistics that are required for orbital data centers, the supply chain issues for the aerospace ecosystem, and the SpaceX IPO. We also talked about the long term future for space operations, including asteroid mining and colonies on the Moon and Mars. If you’re even a little bit interested in space, you will enjoy this one. You can find Dave on Twitter, and you can look into their operations on the Sagittarius Logistics website.

Podcast Summary

* The fleet logistics that will be required for orbital data centers, and why it will require six to twelve launches, every single day, for three to five years.

* The upcoming SpaceX IPO, and why you shouldn’t bet against Elon Musk.

* Why the US is the leader in the space race, and how China and Russia stack up.

* The supply chain issues that impact the aerospace ecosystem, and

* Why LNG is the preferred propellant for most launches today.

* The importance of bringing down launch costs, and why solar is the preferred orbital power source.

* The long-term future of asteroid mining and the logistical challenges of building colonies on the Moon and on Mars.

* Why he thinks certain heavy industrial operations will eventually be moved into orbit.

* The potential for political interference with the American development of space operations.

* How AI has accelerated development of different pieces of the aerospace ecosystem, and how AI might change things in coming years.

* Book Recommendation: Red State Mars by Travis Corcoran.

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