We are always talking about how private citizens and companies need to provide for the less fortunate. We disagree with the notion that the government has a responsibility to provide for the poor and the indigent. "Taxation is Theft!" we cry.

But a recent experiment by Panera Bread to offer free food to anyone in need failed miserably. It was a concoction of capitalism and charity that was doomed from the beginning.

The question is why?

Today we'll dive into the specifics and I'll do my best to show where the failures were and how you could make it work.

Jason

It's a crazy news day. Anthony Bourdain committed suicide last night which normally would not make my list of news stories but today is different. Being a Marine I know the effect mental illness has on people and I think we have all had a deep depression at some point. So I wanted to take a minute and share some insights from my own life that might inspire you to seek help if you're struggling.

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Ben Bernanke is now out telling everyone the next recession is coming in 2020 and it's all because of Trump. It can't be due to poor monetary policy by the fed. NO! As a matter of fact, Trumps tax cuts have superheated our economy and will ultimately cause us to fall off a cliff.

Yes, Ladies and gentlemen, you keeping more of your money is what will end us. LOL.

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A board of realtors in Connecticut has decided you shouldn't be able to put a for sale sign in your yard. I can only guess as to why this is. (And I'm a really good guesser) but the reason doesn't matter. It's a violation of free-market principles and they need to be called on it.

Jason

I'm still in Las Vegas. It's been great to get away for a few days and I just finished my presentation with my good friend Mark Green at the Real Estate Mastermind event at the Palms Casino.

He and I spoke about inflation, interest rates, government shenanigans and how mortgage lenders need to change the way they do business if they want to survive and thrive as the industry changes.

The truth is, all industries are changing...constantly. Your life is changing constantly. If you're not adapting you're going to get screwed.

So today I thought I'd take some of the principles I shared on the stage and see if I can apply them to you and your life.

Enjoy!

Jason

I'm in Vegas today. I'm giving a speech tomorrow with my good friend Mark Green about how to use Real Estate as a hedge against inflation. I'll be speaking to a large group of real estate professionals and I'm going to try to drop enough knowledge on them, with enough clarity so they can go home and better advise their customers and clients.

This an exciting time and the weather here is a balmy 102. :-)

Today I have Eric Brakey on the show. He's running for US Senate in Maine and he's a close to a libertarian as you're going to find running under a Republican flag.

https://ericbrakey.com/

I don't care how we get liberty-minded people into Congress as long as we're doing it. Eric seems like a great choice.

So give it a listen and don't for et to donate to the show if you haven't already.
https://www.jasonstapleton.com/donate

Jason

So, Paul Manafort's problems just went from bad to worse. Apparently, he's been contacting witnesses in his case and attempting to clarify their memory regarding certain facts of the case.

Paul's in real trouble here and it looks like he's going to be spending the balance of his life in prison when this is all over. What they really want is dirt on Trump and he'd probably roll over if he had any.

There is the off chance that Trump may pardon Manafort as he's leaving office but if I was Paul I wouldn't want to be pinning my hopes on that long shot.

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President Trump rescinded an offer to have the Superbowl winning Eagles to the White House after he found out only around 10 of them were going to attend.

First, shame on the Eagles players who let politics get in the way of being recognized for their talent and skills. You think every medal of honor winner who was pinned by Obama loved having the nations highest honor awarded by a progressive president? Of course not but they attended the ceremony none the less.

Second, shame on the President for not honoring the men who were willing to show up and represent their team. Even if it had only been one guy the president could have used the opportunity to take politics out of sports and highlight the teams exceptional season.

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The media is going bonkers over the Trumps comments regarding his ability to pardon himself. We discussed it yesterday on the show but I've got a funny montage I'll play for you showing just how stupid and petty our media has become.

I'm not going to hold you in suspense. The answer is YES! Of course he does.

But that doesn't mean he can act like a King. (Not unless we let him)

Today we're going to do something the mainstream doesn't feel necessary; Read the constitution.

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The Supreme Court handed down a narrow ruling regarding the Christian baker and that cake he refused to bake. Turns out the baker has some rights. Unfortunately, SCOTUS failed to address the real issue which has nothing to do with religion.

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The US dollar is getting stronger. For all the talk of the dollars end, at least for now it's getting stronger, not weaker.

The question is why? To understand what's happening you need to first understand how imports and exports are affected by changing currency prices and what affect tariffs play in international trade.

This last section is a little more difficult both for me to explain and for you to grasp so please be patient with me. :-)

Jason

Nacy Pelosi came out bashing the latest jobs numbers showing unemployment had fallen to 3.8%, the lowest number since 2000 and tied for the 1969 record low.

Some people will claim the unemployment numbers are fake and we're really not doing as good as the number shows but regardless of what "M" series of data you look at unemployment is falling across the board.

So what is Pelosi so upset about? She thinks all this low unemployment is bad for the middle class. Is she right? We yes, sort of.

While low unemployment is never a bad thing,if middle-class workers are not seeing wage increases that beat inflation they are still losing ground.

Today I want to talk to you about the numbers and what you should be doing now while times are good to prepare for the lean years. This is the time when fortunes are made. This is the time when the foundations of greatness are laid.

Enjoy!

Jason

Not just any host could tie a story about a minimum wage to a story about a lemonade stand then tie both of those stories to a Brazilian trucker strike.

But I am not just any host.

So today I wanted to share some thoughts from our good friend Milton Friedman and explain why it's competition that protects the worker, not unions or the government.

Enjoy!

It's an odd question. You might quickly answer it means you care about freedom and democracy. You might claim it means you care about free markets or Judeo-Christian values.

But I don't think any of that is correct. Frankly, I have a hard time putting my finger on it as well. I took the time to ask a few people about it this weekend and none of them could give me a concise answer either.

I know what it USED to mean to be an American and I know what many in our country believe today. But we are a wide and diverse nation. Pinning down what it means to be an American today is complex and nearly impossible.

So I thought I'd take some time to discuss what I think it SHOULD mean to be an American. I hope you find it valuable when deciding for yourself what kind of country we want to have.

Jason