I had intended to talk about Facebook today, but I ran off in so many different directions that I never got around to it.

Today we're going to talk about Trump's recent speech at the UN, Hillary's continuous campaign to blame everyone but herself for the election loss and we're going to chat about a San Diego professor who handed out extra credit to anyone who'd take a white privilege survey.

Really good show today,

Jason

Great article out of Zero Hedge today covering the current pension crisis in America. If you've listened to this show for any length of time, you know the public pension system is wrecked. But this article really went into detail about how it all might shape out in the end. Let's just say it's not a rosy picture. Like Mauldin says, "There are no good choices anymore."

I've got a lot of social stuff in the stack today. I want to talk a little about Brown University's decision to start segregated dinners after the recent clash with White Nationalists.

Depending on who you listen to you'll get very different opinions on this. I'd like to give you a practical one.

We'll also discuss the Republicans attempt to revive their Obamacare lite proposal. What can I say, read the fine print. Headlines rarely tell the full tale.

Great show today, thanks for listening and tell a friend! :)

Jason

This morning there was an attack in London. If you're at all up to speed on current affairs, you know that already.

North Korea also fired another missile over Japan.

The question I want to discuss today is, "What the heck do we do about it?"

Most people think we need to do "something." I'm not entirely convinced we do. Many wars could have been prevented by just not acting.

On the flip side, a lot of wars ended up being worse because someone was too cautious.

It's a delicate dance, and today we'll talk it through.

Jason

For the first time in more than a decade, the House managed to pass a spending bill before the end of a budget year. The way you should read that is, "It took more than a decade, but the House finally did their job."

They've got plenty of money to spend. This year the government has taken in a record amount of money, besting the last record by a clean 8.4 billion. But that hasn't stopped the spending machine from finding new ways to spend all that loot.

Even with record taxes the government still spent 673 billion more than it brought in.

I've said it before, and I'll repeat it now. It will never be enough. There isn't enough money on the planet to satisfy society.

All that today PLUS if you've felt a little overly masculated lately, you might want to check out a new program from Duke to help put you in your place. All that and more on the show today.

Jason

The New York Times published a piece today on rising inequality and the difference in opportunity between low-income workers today and the ones of the 1980's.

I read the article defensively at first. It is the New York Times after all. But after the first couple of pages, it was clear the author
was correct in his assessment.

If you choose to try and make it in America today using the same tactics your parents and grandparents used you're going to fail.

The entire economic landscape has changed. The middle class of my parent's generation is disappearing. Jobs are being outsourced or have simply been lost to technology.

You can't live in the past and expect to thrive in the future. What worked in 1980 will not work today. The days of getting hired by the factory after you graduate high school and working there for 30 years are over. That model is dead (at least for now), and you've got to accept it if you want to thrive in the 21st century.

Today I'll share some of my thoughts about the new economy and why I think it presents us with the greatest opportunity we've ever seen

According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics Americans spent more in taxes than they did on food and clothing combined in 2016. The percentage difference was roughly +14%.

If you can believe it, the same data shows that, in just three years, the average American tax bill increased by 41.13%.

Frustrating as it might be I feel the need to reiterate the most important truth about government one can commit to memory...

...Nobody is looking out for you.

Sure they say they have your best interest at heart but is it really in your best interest for the government to take more from you in taxes than what you spend to feed and clothe your family?

Is there no limit to the entitlement some in government have to your fruits of your labor? What should we consider a reasonable amount of theft?

This type of violation will never end until we decide to elect representatives rather than politicians. It will take a conscious effort on our part as individuals to carefully screen those we choose to support for political office. And if they turn out to be liars and cheats who deceived us then we have the responsibility to correct our mistake and seek new representation.

It's been a great week. Enjoy your weekend. I'll talk to you on Monday.

Jason

I have to say this is the most abrasive interview I've ever done. Nick, to his credit, asked to come on the show even after I warned him it was going to be a non-permissive environment.

Nick and I discuss the recent controversy with Tom Woods, the implications that Tom and others at the Mises Institute support white nationalism and the future of the Libertarian Party.

I'll let you draw your own conclusions as to who won this argument, but there's no question Nick and I differ on a host of issues.

Hope you enjoy the fireworks.

Jason

Trump is going to be in Missouri today talking with a group of blue collar workers about tax cuts.

If any of them are hoping for specifics, they're going to be disappointed since Trump won't be offering up an actual plan. Rather he'll be pontificating and waxing unpoetically about the need for tax reform. (as if that was even in question.)

Frankly, I get tired of hearing politicians drone on about the importance of tax reform and then seeing nothing get done. The truth is, Trump can't talk about specifics because he doesn't have any. His tax plan died with Obamacare reform. The money to make his tax plan worked came from cuts in Obamacare.

I use the term "cuts" loosely since they wouldn't go into effect for ten years and the likelihood of them ever being implemented was close to zero.

No, this speech is just another set of empty promises and pipe dreams designed to rally the base and give the appearance Trump is actually working for the people.

***
Italy is trying to get a basic income passed. We've talked about this before when we discussed the pros and cons of a universal basic income here in America.

I thought it would be a good idea to run back through it again.

Don't forget to share the show!

Jason

It pains me even to take time discussing the idiotic notion that price gouging is somehow evil or even bad for the economy. Most economists don't even bother explaining it because it seems ridiculous to spend time arguing that prices changes relative to demand are somehow a bad thing.

But it is this very lack of clarification from those in a position to give it that creates the window of opportunity social justice warriors need to spread disinformation.

Most of them are just Johnny and Susie DoGooders who lack the education necessary to understand what they're advocating for but that doesn't make their ideas any less destructive.

The truth is that price gouging is a good thing. It's a necessary thing for an economy to function correctly. Anyone who says differently is either lying to you or don't know what they're talking about.

Today I'll discuss a couple of price gouging examples in Texas and how it helps ensure goods and resources go where they are most needed.

We'll also discuss Antifa, the violent protests in Berkeley and Trump's decision to recent the ban on police militarization.

Big day today. Enjoy the show!

Jason

I'm fond of this saying. I use it a lot when I teach. I use it because, before I can help someone change their life I first have to get them to take responsibility for where they are. From there I can help them get where they want to go.

I think it's only a matter of time before Trump gets blamed for the recent disaster in Texas. It won't be his fault. No president can be held responsible for the weak reaction of 10,000 government workers. But that's not going to keep the media from blaming him.

What get's me fired up is the expectation by those in the media that it is governments responsibility to make sure you get out of town before disaster strikes.

Keep in mind this wasn't a tornado. The citizens of Houston had days to get out of the city. If you waited until the last minute, you might have had trouble leaving, but you had more than enough notice that a major storm was coming.

So if you didn't get out who's fault is it? If you haven't guessed, it's your fault. One of the great frustrations I have is how little personal responsibility people have these days. It's always somebody else's problem. It's someone else's fault. I'm sick of it. Man up. Take responsibility for your self and your family. Manage your business and grow up. Stop waiting for someone to show up and hold your hand.

It's great to be back in the studio this week, thanks so much for being part of the show. And if you're ready to change your life here's something I think might help.
http://www.jasonstapleton.com/kickstart