World Brief with Zach McCormick

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Why does it matter who is Pope?

In short?  Everyday life. The Pope -  the head of the Catholic Church-  is the spiritual leader of nearly 1.5 billion people worldwide, controls a centuries-old (mostly cash) financial network,  has final say over the massive real estate holdings (including within the City of London and elsewhere) and has  ready access to heads of state (most of whom come to see HIM in Rome). 

In other words the Pope  - one man - can influence world politics, social norms and religious viewpoints on a global scale and that effects everyone. 

It can be a double-edged sword however, and it’s part of what fueled some of the controversy around Pope Francis (who was the first and only Jesuit pope in history).  Pope Francis attempted to use the papal influence to affect many liberal reforms which were welcomed by his supporters. 

However, not everyone viewed him on favorable terms. Not only did Pope Francis oust many prominent and well-liked Arch Bishops (that opposed his changes),  but he was viewed as being the extreme  opposite of his predecessor (Pope Benedict) who  was seen by many as the being the ideal Catholic leader. 

And so, in an age where the death of religion is much exaggerated, questions arise - will the next Pope follow Francis’ renegade path  or will there be a ‘return to normalcy’ a la Pope Benedict or John Paul?  Perhaps more critically, in the 21st century, what effect will the next pope have on everyday life?  

What don’t think?  

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Have you been eating genetically modified food without knowing it? 

Could be. So-called “gene edited” (GE) foods don’t have to be labeled in more than 20 countries including the US, UK, Canada, Japan and Australia and that means, you could’ve eaten GE products without realizing. 

But is that really a bad thing? Supporters of “GE foods” are quick to point out that there’s a big difference between “Genetically MODIFIED Organisms” (GMO’s) and Gene EDITED ones.  GMOs have their DNA changed and are effectively a distinct sub species. 

By contrast Gene EDITED foods are molecularly identical to non-GE foods and are basically just the best version of that food (think the tastiest tomato or the sweetest orange). Making a GE food involves removing defects while the organism is in its developmental stage - like  “fast forwarding” nature by skipping the need for “selective breeding” through multiple generations to get the desired traits.  In fairness selective breeding has been practiced forever - it’s how champion racehorses or prized pumpkins are bred and grown. GE tech just speeds up the process ( a lot).

This is probably why regulators don’t think there is a need to label these foods and that logic is sound enough. But if there’s no harm, why not give the consumer the right to choose GE or Non-GE for themselves?

Do you think Genetically Edited foods should be labeled? 

Let me know in the comments. 

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Where was your luxury purse actually made? 

Recent allegations suggest that many luxury brand labels such as Chanel, Gucci, Louis Vitton and others are making their products, (or most of them)  in China and not in the country listed on the tag. 

To some this comes as a shock because we’re not talking about “knock offs” - these are the authentic name brand goods and some have retail prices in the tens of thousands of dollars. The purses are frequently crafted from high-end European leather and qualitative hardware  but they’re actually made in China before being shipped to the “country of origin” listed on the tag. Then minor“finishing work” is performed in that country to ensure legal compliance. 

The funny thing is, some people are just buying direct from the manufacturers in China and saving tons of cash while giving up nothing in quality - the bags are made from the same factory that exports them, so they’re indistinguishable from what’s on the shelf in US or European markets and for some people paying all that cash just isn’t worth it. 

But that’s the thing about name brands - it was never about function or quality (necessarily), it’s the image that matters when you’re spending $5k, $10k or $50k for a luxury label. However, most of those buyers did assume that when it says “Made in Italy” or “Made in France” that it actually was and that’s the intangible part of what makes a luxury label worth the money. 

So? Does it really matter where it was made? 

What do you think? 

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Is America about to step on an “Insurance foreclosure land mine”. 

Seems like it. As if it wasn’t bad enough that no one can afford to buy a decent home, a new threat is looming. “ Insurance foreclosures”. 

Insurance costs are skyrocketing and homeowners (who already had to stretch to pay their mortgage) can’t afford these sky high premiums so they’re simply not paying them. But here’s the catch, Most mortgage notes have a clause that allows the bank to get a policy on your home and add that cost to your monthly bill if you don’t maintain your own coverage.  Most of the bank’s insurance policies cost even more than a the consumer ones and when people can’t pay THAT bill, the banks foreclose. The net result that more homes get sucked up by corporate owners like Blackrock creating entire generations of permanent renters. 

Do you think this is right? What’s the fix?

Let me know in the comments. 

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Tariffs: Who Wins?

If things go well, working class Americans who need more high-paying jobs . 

For context, a tariff is a tax on things that are imported into the country. 

They’re designed  to incentivize companies to build factories here in the US and make US-made goods competitive. 

Right now,  nearly everything in stores is imported but it wasn’t always this way.

Not long ago, it was a tariff-based system of trade that paid the bills and made the USA the “land of opportunity” where the best products were produced. Then, in the 1970s globalization policies gutted American manufacturing and ruined the lives of countless working-class American families as companies found it cheaper to build overseas. Now that tariffs are back the manufacturing middle class might make a comeback too.  

The dream is a good one but there will be some bumps in the road for sure. If cheap throwaway consumables are the ‘drug’, the ‘rehab’ will be what’s coming next — short term price hikes, some layoffs (mostly at international companies) and stock market volatility. 

But once we get through our economic “withdrawals”, and as other countries either start agreeing to drop their tariffs or companies start re-building factories in the US, there will likely be a massive uptick in the number of high-paying jobs which don’t require an expensive college degree to get. 

The question will be, can Americans hold on? 

Do you think the tariffs are “worth the pain”?

Let me know in the comments. 

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Did England just betray the US and poach the Ukraine minerals deal? Pt. 3/3

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Did England just betray US & poach the Ukraine minerals deal? Pt 2/3

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Did England just take the Ukraine mineral rights deal out from under the US's nose? 

Pt. 1/3

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Recent developments in cloud seeding technology suggest “yes”.

The question arose because Florida (which ironically gets more rain than most), wants to ban cloud seeding and all “weather modification”. Proponents of the technology oppose the ban saying the tech is now highly advanced, harmless and even important for national security. 

So what is it? Cloud seeding , (AKA Precipitation enhancement”) is a term for sending small particles, (salts or silver iodide), into the atmosphere to cause raindrops to form and then fall in a specific area— ‘on demand’ (more or less). The technology has been around for decades but was difficult to “aim”.  Now however, purported advancements in drone and radar technology allow for precise results and with these advancements come some BIG questions. 

For example, if you seed a cloud and make rain in one spot, will there be any more rainfall in another spot (say one that historically always got lots of precipitation?). 

Even if the answer is ‘no’,  huge ethical and legal implications exist like, “who gets to decide where it rains?”. If the technology has advanced so far that localized ‘drop shipments’ of H20 are a thing, is it not possible that someone could start demanding people pay for precipitation?

Maybe the tech isn’t quite to this point…yet… but water is life and the answers to these questions could have life changing consequences — literally. It seems prudent to ‘get out ahead’ of the issue now and to make sure we’re prepared when the time finally arrives. 

Do you think cloud seeing should be legal? Let me know in the comments and check back soon for more briefs. 

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Yesterday President Trump announced that presidential pardons issued by former President Biden were invalid because they had been signed using an autopen. Critics immediately rejected the claim but others have pointed out that the US Constitution is silent on this subject.

While this particular issue will undoubtedly cause considerable debate going forward, perhaps, the bigger question is whether presidents should even be allowed to use an autopen. After all, an American President’s signature is incredibly powerful — life and death and everything else hang in the balance and one stroke of that pen can tip the scales.  As such, the signing requirement has always been a small but important ‘security feature’ to prevent big mistakes. It also acts as a basic test for determining both mental and physical capacity  because it allows the public to view the signatures and compare them over time. 

Historically, since its invention, Presidents only used the autopen to sign thank you cards and unofficial letters. By contrast all legal instruments were signed in person and when the President was away,  couriers would race across the world to deliver the critical documents to wherever he happened to be. It was not until 2011 when President Obama used an autopen to renew the FISA court program that this all changed. 

It remains to be seen whether the American public will demand a rule change to prevent the autopen from being used for important matters going forward but it is certainly on people’s minds now. 

What do you think? Let me know in the comments and check back soon for more briefs.