Speaking Wrong At The Right Time

With the revealing of country locations for all accounts on X, many of us are realizing how bad the problem has been with foreigners impersonating Americans for money or to create astroturf campaigns.

But have we asked ourselves why it worked in the first place?

Speaking Wrong At The Right Time is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Why was it so simple for a guy in Pakistan to gain hundreds of thousands of followers pretending to be a Trump fan? Why were we enticed to comment on the most low-IQ posts with a command to “Reply if we agree?”

It’s very easy to point the finger at third-world agitators and engagement farmers, but maybe we should reflect on why it worked in the first place.

The state of politics for over a decade has been absolutely insane and incredibly tribalistic. Whoever you vote for is not good enough; you must wish death upon the opposition every chance you get.

And with social media, you can get an audience as you metaphorically “destroy” your opponents online with an audience, like a matador stabbing a bull for the crowd’s bloodlust.

Share

Because we lead with hatred instead of indifference, we are prime targets for manipulation. Emotional people are easy to control; thinking people aren’t.

The online political world isn’t really about thinking or even challenging yourself; it’s about confirming what you already believe. Publicly, you’re not encouraged to admit you’re wrong, and you’re for damn sure not supposed to apologize (even when you’re in the wrong).

Most Americans don’t travel outside of the country, but as someone who does and has many friends outside of the United States, I can tell you that everyone watches what we do.

They consume our entertainment, understand our references, and obsess over our political dynamics. Now, because they don’t live in our country, they’re not 100% accurate. But it doesn’t take permanent residency to see how dysfunctional our political dialogue is.

These foreign agitators and engagement farms work because we’re emotionally vulnerable. We just want people who regurgitate what we believe 100% of the time, regardless if they’re sociopaths or act contrary to their messages.

Share

With a critical eye, we should have caught some of these people easily, but because they were a “fan account” that was pro-your cause, you followed them, liked their drivel, and engaged with them as if they were real.

I believe America is the greatest country in the world, but often our nationalistic hubris gets in the way of thinking we are incapable of being played for fools.

We meme with mockery of lesser-developed nations with a superiority complex, yet those guys were able to make money and steer political discourse from the comfort of their home with you none the wiser.

I presumed this issue was bad, but I didn’t think it was this bad. An entire industry of agitation and engagement payouts exposed with a single transparency update.

But you can’t always hate the players; sometimes you have to hate the game. The political game we’ve been playing in turned many of us into emotional morons who were too egotistical to think they couldn’t fall for manipulation.

The people who type “this is a psyop” every day fell for the psyop. People who think they can never get scammed are the perfect targets for scammers.

India, Pakistan, Russia, Nigeria, and select Eastern European nations twisted our political environment into knots because we think we are immune to being used, especially by foreigners.

Account transparency is great, but the fix is we are transparent about ourselves and what we’ve become. Maybe you are wrong and the opposition is right. Maybe you don’t have all the answers. Maybe we should stop looking for constant validation from complete strangers.

Or better yet: Maybe we should go outside more often.

Refer a friend

Subscribe now

A.I. intersecting with American employment is something and I have discussed privately with grave concern.

What most people don’t realize is that we are about to get hit with another technological hit when robotics reaches a highly effective point and they marry the two together.

Check out the article and let me know what you think.

Share

Refer a friend

I’ve talked to a lot of people who grew up in broken homes, and there tends to be a common trait that holds them back in life.

No matter if they were abandoned or abused in other ways, they tend to carry their parents’ flaws as if it’s their own, and they measure their value based on how they were treated.

Speaking Wrong At The Right Time is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

This is because it’s habitual for them to point the finger back at themselves when they lack the understanding as to why they’re being mistreated or why their world is crumbling around them.

Children often ask what they did wrong when the adults around them destroy their world and never properly reassure them that the responsibility belongs to the adults running the show, and not the child participant.

Because children can’t adequately comprehend adult relationship dynamics or behavioral problems, they improperly answer the question that circles their mind: “Was this my fault?”

Share

What inevitably happens to the child who determines themselves as being the reason for adult dysfunction is that they measure their value as a human being based on their treatment.

In other words, if the people who created them can’t even treat them properly, then maybe they aren’t of significant value.

Every child is deserving of love and a baseline of innocence, but when both are ripped from their grasp, they will enter a developmental territory they are unable to navigate alone.

If I were to use myself as an example, decades of self-reflection and therapy were invested to fully absorb (and believe wholeheartedly) that it was not my fault that my father wasn’t there nor was his absence a determination of my value.

It’s the hardest hurdle to leap over because it’s the oldest and most entrenched narrative about who we are.

It’s a habitually repetitive narrative that many children have been repeating to themselves quietly and every time they fail at something or life doesn’t go their way, this mantra of their low value gets validated.

This is an internal minefield that is unfair for children to navigate and when they make a misstep, the adults focus on the explosion rather than why there are so many explosives lying at the feet of our children.

I tend to see struggling children responding in one of two ways in how they express it: They either express it internally or externally.

Meaning, they display their frustrations or low self-esteem externally, by punching walls or hurting people, or, they stay incredibly quiet about what ails them because the battlefield is within.

I was more often an internal fighter and even if I expressed traits of being depressed, I would always claim that everything was fine when it wasn’t. I mean, how could they prove otherwise if I’m not doing anything externally?

The external fighters always get found out but the world punishes them for not being able to handle the world their parent or parents created for them. Their hopelessness is on full display in the most anti-social ways possible, but we lament the symptom and not the root problem.

Beyond having parents be accountable for their failures, it’s important to rewrite the script of this child’s internal dialogue.

We must stare in the face of forgotten and mistreated children and verbalize that they are not responsible for their parents’ shortcomings.

They are of value because they are made in the image of God and this value is innate for every child brought into this world.

But there is to be a strong emphasis with understanding that their value doesn’t increase or decrease depending on someone else’s negligence.

Express sorrow for them being born into an unfortunate circumstance but remind them that where they start in the race doesn’t need to determine how they finish.

And explain to them that just because someone important in your life doesn’t love you doesn’t mean you should be equally loveless to yourself.

I was able to move forward when I completely understood that my father didn’t love me, not because I am less than, but because he chose not to.

My life excelled when I recognized how many people do care for me and that fixating on the negligence of one man, my father, made me negligent in appreciation for what love I did receive.

Your parent(s) may have failed you but you don’t need to fail yourself.

Refer a friend

Subscribe now

is someone I consider a friend and he graciously invited me back onto his podcast to talk about my book “The Children We Left Behind” but also dive into people who I call “Christians In Name Only” and how many of them are narcassists.

Share

In this interview, I do a better job at explaining what I’m talking about but I do have an article discussing this here:

Refer a friend

Subscribe now

The New Jersey legislature has been controlled by the Democrats for over 20 consecutive years, and their policies have put a stranglehold on our economics.

I know of several people who have left the state because it’s ultimately too expensive to stay here long-term. It’s nearly impossible to buy a home if you’re a young person unless you’re given a windfall of money.

The rents are through the roof, and I don’t know how anyone who is making the median household income can survive here.

Share

Even if you can afford to buy a home, the property taxes in New Jersey are the highest in the nation, rendering many housepoor. And God help you if you’re retired and on a limited budget because you’ll be getting hit with a 12k to 19k annual tax bill depending on where you live.

I had hoped for change, a somewhat rebalancing with increased representation coming from the Republican Party because things here clearly are out of balance.

In this article, I detail what I predict for the future of New Jersey…and I hope I’m wrong about my predictions.

Refer a friend

Subscribe now

When I saw Governor Hochul go on stage with Socialist Mamdani, it dawned on me that this is a changing of the guard. It was a humiliation ritual as she stood on stage to only get booed by the crowd.

Let me know what you think.

Share

Refer a friend

Today, I am voting for Republican Jack Ciattarelli as Governor of New Jersey. This will be the first time I’m voting for a Republican as Governor in New Jersey.

I am an independent who has voted both Democratic and Republican in my lifetime, but the Democrats have destroyed my state in recent years.

Subscribe now

New Jersey is often the butt of jokes (many initiated by myself), but it’s a beautiful state that is riddled with overtaxation and is simply not affordable to live in.

New Jersey has the highest property tax rate in the country and simultaneously has the highest average home price. I know several people who have decent homes who are paying $12,000+ a year in property taxes.

Meanwhile, in neighboring states like Pennsylvania, the same house and property would probably cost them half the amount in property taxes.

New Jersey has a progressive income tax system with a top marginal rate of 10.75%. Among the 50 states, this ranks as the 4th highest top marginal individual income tax rate.

We are effectively being economically squeezed to death by overtaxation, and the dagger in the heart has been the rising energy costs.

Share

Our energy costs have risen 24-31% in a single year, and everyone is bearing the brunt of these costs. What’s not helping is that our state government is going all in on renewable energy projects that’ll cost lots of money but won’t be sufficient for the demands.

Not every issue is the fault of Democrats, but their solutions are not helping.

Their promises are falling flat, and what’s been happening is that their messaging has been about attacking Trump rather than acknowledging there is a massive affordability issue in our state for the working class.

Prior to the pandemic, my wife and I were looking to become first-time homebuyers. On average, in the areas we were looking at, a home would cost around $350,000. That same home a couple of years later is half a million.

Even condos aren’t going for that price in a decent area. Even if we could save up enough for a decent down payment, we are faced with high interest rates and murderous property taxes in nearly every area of this state.

We’ve asked ourselves if it’s even worth staying here because even with an above-average income, we are still priced out of experiencing the American dream.

It’s hard to fix things if you don’t acknowledge that there is a real problem, and Jack’s Democratic challenger, Mikie Sherrill, doesn’t appear to understand how dire it is that we resolve these issues; otherwise, the next generation of residents will suffer an even greater consequence than what I’m going through.

I’m terrified for the college kid who wants to start a family in New Jersey in the near future. How can you build a life here when rent in a halfway decent area is astronomical and saving to buy an already overpriced house is nearly impossible in the most expensive state in the country?

Share

The Democrats have been compromised by radical progressive ideologues and minimize the pain of anyone who isn’t in the top tax bracket. We are being strangled, and they don’t seem to recognize that we can’t breathe.

Another massive issue tied to the economics is the illegal immigration issue here. New Jersey is seen as a “sanctuary state,” and I’ve been inside these warehouses all over the state: illegal Hispanic workers are in massive abundance.

These are jobs that would have given citizens who are lower-middle class employment opportunities with enough money to take care of their families, and now they’re being skipped over for a cheaper illegal workforce.

We look at how, decades ago, you could own a house, a car, and take care of your family on a single factory job. Those days are gone because Americans are battling an illegal workforce that drives down our wages.

I’m a pragmatic and realistic voter; I don’t expect Jack to fix every issue that we have going on in this state. What I want is someone who is prepared to stop this unaffordability train that’s about to economically derail us.

I joke about New Jersey, but I’ve lived in this state for over 25 years and I like it here. I’ve lived in multiple counties throughout the state, and this place is my home. There are good people here who are trying their best to make ends meet, and the pathway over the past couple of decades hasn’t been working (yes, even under Christie).

It’s time for a change and for there to be equal competition for every resident’s vote. It’s time for everyone’s interests to be in mind and not just the niche interests of the upper class.

I’ve lost trust in the Democratic Party and the people they prop up for positions of power to champion what I care about.

Jack’s platform acknowledges these issues and he’s approaching things with a common sense response. Whether he follows through, only time will tell.

I’m giving Jack Ciattarelli a shot. He has my vote.

Refer a friend

Subscribe now

I remember the first time I gave a speech, it was in front of 600 people and I was nervous but got through it, receiving a standing ovation. I’ll never forget James Lindsay congratulating me and saying “This was your first time?!”

Coincidentally, James was in the audience as I was on this panel talking about something that I care about deeply: Fatherhood.

Share

After this panel, I had so many people come to me and say that it was their favorite panel. I was blessed with the opportunity to talk to people who were going through their own family separation issue and being able to help the best way I could with advice.

Enjoy!

Refer a friend

As someone who took many years to finally come to Christ, I take being a follower of Jesus incredibly seriously.

However, what I’ve found is that there is a segment of Christians who are only Christians in name only, not by behavior.

Subscribe now

They wear Christianity like a skinsuit, parading around in the outfit of faith to convince onlookers of their supposed righteousness.

They are surface-level creatures who wear the cross around their neck as a cover for their internal ugliness.

We are all sinners, including myself, so this isn’t about me being perfect. The difference is that I can acknowledge my flaws as I’m willing to improve myself; these “Christians” aren’t.

It’s faith by appearance and not by substance for them. These are people who can recite scripture but the words they espouse are as empty as their hearts.

They’ll dive into the weeds of the Bible, hyper-analyzing words and translations but will completely lose the point as it’s only to serve their ego.

Christians in name only are the ones who use a line from the Bible to beat you over the head with but never absorb the essence of the Gospels.

They are people without grace or accountability, always looking for forgiveness when they withhold it from everyone else.

Share

Christian narcissists are the worst because they will use the name of Jesus to anoint themselves by redirecting His glory.

These are people who constantly lie, purposefully deceiving other Christians, and take advantage of people who they view as weak while standing in front of a crowd with their eyes closed and their hand to the sky.

To these people, if you are to act like Jesus did, you are ripe for the picking and a fool for lowering your guard around them. They are wolves who wear the clothing of the flock.

I’ve borne witness to a Christian narcissist who will manipulate until they get what they want and discard you when they’re done devouring your goodwill.

I am no biblical scholar and will never pretend to be but deception is not of God and neither are these people. These aren’t just imperfect Christians who need a helping hand; I have tremendous grace for those people.

No, these are people who sinisterly smirk when they infiltrate our good graces and pray to themselves as the gods of their own universe.

They are performative narcissists who are putting on a show to hide their evil intentions. The essence of God is love but the only thing these people love is their reflection.

They are Pharisees in holy garb with a heart of stone armed with scriptural daggers. The title of “Christian” provides a dual shield and weapon depending on how close someone is to discovering who they really are.

Share

I am commanded to pray for these people to genuinely come to Christ but I’m also implored to use discernment. I believe many of us fall for the label, the pageantry of Christianity and neglect to seek substance from these people.

It’s not what they do in public, it’s what they do when no one is looking. As a believer, I do what is right not because I’m afraid of condemnation from man but because it’s an honor to glorify God by mimicking the behaviors of Christ to the best of my ability.

But Christians in name only want credit for good deeds done with an empty heart.

To love anyone, you must sacrifice for them but Christian narcissists never give up anything of value unless they are to receive something in return. Love to them is an exchange rate and not a system of donation.

They say there is no honor among thieves and neither is there among Christian narcissists. Honor to them is a public relations decision instead of a motivation that comes from a pure heart.

And as long as the public doesn’t see their dirt, they will proudly leave a trail of filth behind them.

They say sunlight is the best disinfectant for a hidden problem, and Christian narcissists will scatter like roaches when genuine lovers of Christ begin turning on the lights to their evil ways.

Jesus said you will know them by their fruit and they are spoiled to their core.

Refer a friend

Subscribe now

This is the latest appearance made on Sky News Australia, discussing Bernie Sanders’ comments about why Kamala Harris lost, what’s happening in the NYC mayoral race and Steve Bannon’s claim that Trump will get a third term.

Enjoy!

Share

Refer a friend