Academic historians dislike the concept that history is often made by groups of individuals plotting together in confidence, even though one obvious way to get big things done is to make plans with your friends and allies while keeping your rivals in the dark as long as possible. One exception is the late Georgetown history professor Carroll Quigley, who in 1949 completed a book rather grandly entitled The Anglo-American Establishment. Decades later Bill Clinton was an undergrad student of Quigley (he got a B from him). In Clinton’s 1992 acceptance speech at the Democratic convention, he cited Quigley as an … Continue reading →

For as long as the present economic system lumbers along, Keynesians will control the levers of power and influence. But when at last the system goes down in a heap, and central banks cannot restore the system, there will be a quest for answers. Keynesians have the long-run disadvantage of being in control of the tax-funded educational system. They are in charge of the major economic institution of our day, the Federal Reserve System. They will get blamed. When people’s retirement plans are smashed, they are going to look for somebody to blame. That means Keynesians. The Keynesians will not … Continue reading →

I hate sweet drinks—Coca-Cola et al.—so passionately that I grow angry whenever I see someone buy or drink one. I hate their taste, I hate the horrible plastic bottles in which they come; to see people carry them around with them as if they were dolls or comfort blankets infuriates me. It appalls me worse that anyone actually likes them. The drinks don’t relieve thirst, they merely create it and make their drinkers wish for more: a perfect recipe, from a certain unscrupulous commercial point of view. I was therefore secretly pleased to read in a paper published recently in … Continue reading →

In the early 1920s, George S. Clason wrote a series of articles about acquiring and keeping wealth that were passed out by insurance companies to their customers. In 1926, he combined these essays into a book titled, The Richest Man in Babylon. To this day, that book remains in print. In it, a series of parables highlighted Arkad, the wealthiest man in the area, who rose from poverty after learning from Algamish, the moneylender, lessons of saving and investing. Also, Dabasir the slave applied these rules to become a wealthy camel trader himself. Dabasir is portrayed as laboriously chronicling his … Continue reading →

–        E.A. Bucchianeri, Faust: My Soul Be Damned for the World Vol. 2 With the benefit of hindsight and the evidence of subsequent events, it is easy to identify moments in history that were (rightly or wrongly) meaningful, regardless of how the event was viewed at the time.  This will be a story about one such event. It is also a story of a repeating history…or maybe just a continuing history – after all, a few centuries from now the last 100 years will be remembered as one long event; a newer “100 Years War,” perhaps. I am currently reading … Continue reading →

What is the so-called “Greek Debt Crisis”? Is it simply the result of economic mismanagement by the Greek people and their successive governments, or is there more to it than meets the eye? Joining us to answer this question, we welcome once again Dr. Paul Craig Roberts (former US Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Economic Policy), who explains that the crisis is not fundamentally about debt at all, but rather the playing out of a strategy by the financial and political elites to establish two main principles: the looting of European countries by the “One Percent”, and the systematic … Continue reading →

For some 007 fans, the latest trailer for Spectre, which arrived earlier this week, will have cemented Daniel Craig’s postioned as the definitive Bond: a muscled man-of-action, with plenty of rough-around-the-edges charm, and a much-needed touch of brutality. For others, no actor will ever top Sean Connery’s take on the character; between 1962 and 1983 the rugged, reassuringly virile Scotsman starred in seven Bond films, including much-loved titles such as Dr No, From Russia With Love and Thunderball. Roger Moore, who played the secret agent from 1973 to 1985, will always have his share of loyal fans – and we’re sure … Continue reading →

When man grows overconfident and full of hubris in his accomplishments and importance, mother nature, or the gods, remind mankind who is really in charge. Or so it may have seemed to the ancients, who witnessed the awesome and raw power of erupting volcanos, and sent out warnings through time in the form of religious lessons, myths, legends and chronicles. These amazing, violent occurrences were so traumatic and unnatural (or supernatural) to early cultures that since prehistoric times myths and legends have sprung up throughout societies in attempts to explain the events, or protect against them. We explore a few … Continue reading →