Will it pay off?

I’m increasingly dubious.

The Stakes

The Framers give us an opportunity for mini rebellions every 2 years.

Unfortunately gerrymandering significantly reduces the number of House seats with any chance of switching Parties.

Out of 435 seats roughly 45 are in play. This is lame.

However, Republicans currently have a 3 seat majority while defending 25 incumbent “in play” seats.

Midterms are typically rough for the Party in power unless things are going great. which they are not.

If Rs lose the House it’s impeachment mania for 2 straight years.

If they lose the Senate (53-47 advantage) you can forget about any appointments and Justice Thomas likely stays on the SC.

The Challenges

One - all wars cause market disruptions.

A war in the ME disrupts the most importnat of all markets - energy.

Diesel at the gas station by my house was almost $5.50/gallon. In California I’ve seen it over $8/gallon.

Almost everything at Walmart is delivered by trucks with a diesel engine.

When diesel goes up so to do the products we buy every week.

“Trump bombed Iran and all I got was $9 ground beef.”

Two - media coverage is brutal. BRUTAL.

Three - the electorate has a very low tolerance for ME wars

Four - the electorate also has a very limited understanding of what is actually going on.

Five - Progressives hate Trump with the burning fire of 100 suns.

Suppressed GOP turnout because of 1 thru 4 combined with 5 spells trouble.

The Solution

• Rubio runs point on Iran communication

  • it looks they are going with Vance…not smart.

• Trump pivots HARD to domestic policy, especially affordability and immigration.

  • Trump went after “woke right” podcasters today. lol.

• Give something to the MAGA base

  • Epstein stuff? I don’t know.

Live Free,

Kalian

Iran does not have thousands of sleeper cells.

They do have longer range missiles than they claimed.

Other Middle East powers did not rally to Iran’s defense - quite the opposite.

European countries are not capable of projecting force without American support.

CCP technology is decades behind ours.

Secretary Rubio

Secretary Rubio described the reasoning for striking Iran when we did…and it makes total sense.

Basically, Iran was close to having so many drones, missiles, etc. future missions would be significantly more difficult.

Send in the Marines

Will we put boots on the ground?

I’m going with probably not.

We’ll see when the POTUS speaks later today.

Midterm Risk

Eventually we will learn why Trump decided to go HAM on Iran.

My guess based on zero actual intel - Iran was close to getting advanced weapons they could use to close the Strait of Hormuz.

No, it wasn’t Jews using space lasers to control his brain.

But whatever the reason it must have been serious because this is a massive electoral risk.

If gas prices rip and the bond market freaks (think 8% mortgage rates) the Republicans are getting smoked.

Same if hundreds of Marines are killed securing oil infrastructure.

Monitoring the Situation!

Reminder - it’s good to be informed but it’s not good to spend all your time on politics.

Live Free,

Kalian

I want America and Americans to win.

I want tyrants to lose.

At home and abroad.

With that said, here is my take on Iran.

NeoCons, Progressives and Globalism

The existing global order is based on “democracy” and equity.

NeoCons believe self determination creates a free society (it doesn’t, see Iraq and the Taliban).

Progressives believe equity eliminates oppression and leads to peace and tranquility. Again, it does not because equity is impossible without tyranny.

NeoCons want limited war followed by regime change and elections…all managed and monitored by NGOs.

Progressives want to diminish US power globally while advancing equity primarily via LGBTQ in the ME and “anti-hate” censorship in Europe…all managed and monitored by NGOs.

Both profit/benefit from long, protracted US military involvement in low yield, hard to monitor countries.

For example - where did all the money we spent in Afghanistan go? How could you even find out? If there was fraud (duh) how and where will they be held accountable?

We both know the answer.

Iran and Obama

Super short version - Obama wants Iran to act as a counterbalance to USA/Israeli influence in the ME.

He is fine with them getting nukes.

Obama is smart so he basically says, “look man Iran is strong militarily and America is awash with Iranian sleeper cells we can’t do anything other than negotiate.”

America is tired from Iraq and Afghanistan and says, “works for us.”

Trump looks at the above and says, “WTF are you doing?”

To him:

• neoconism doesn’t work

• progressivism is slow surrender to China

• NGOs fundamentally oppose Trump on pretty much everything

• US taxpayers are fleeced to fund neoconism, progressivism and the vast NGO empire

The Trump Plan as I See It

• remove criminal aliens

• secure the border

• hit the cartels

• take out Iran/CCP puppet in Venezuela

• take out the Mullahs in Iran

• make a deal with Cuba

• reorient the world to US Power

• while weakening China

Live Free,

Kalian and not Kolton

On it’s own that isn’t good or bad…but the anti-natalist, anti-kid, “omg you need to make $400k to afford childcare” rhetoric surrounding parenting is absurd.

Having kids is amazing.

Our sons are the best part of our life.

Waiting is Overrated

You get less time with your kids and especially your grandkids when family formation is delayed.

If you wait until you’re 40 and your kids wait until they’re 40…grandma and grandpa may exist only in photographs and stories.

40 + 40 = 80

80 is more than the average life expectancy.

Live Near Family

The only people you know your whole life are your siblings.

My sisters and I share memories no-one else on earth shares.

Eventually only the three of us will remember Joslyn being stung by a bee on the way to the lake, Christmas mornings when we were kids, saying goodbye when I left for West Point in 1995, eating dinner at my grandparent’s house, etc.

Kids Aren’t For Everyone

It’s ok to not have kids.

Parenting isn’t for everyone.

The world needs good aunts and uncles, too.

Live Free,

Kalian

So you want your kid to go to college. Maybe even play a sport.

But a house? Start a family?

Bad news - he is now competing with every college aged person on the planet.

Good news - you know he must become elite.

Assumptions:

1. the world wants access to American markets

2. our ruling class is more than happy to give it to them

3. America’s education system prefers activists to excellence

Growth

Our economy requires constant growth.

We have:

• world reserve currency

• fiscal policy demands dollar creation

• a fiat currency

In the above scenario the easiest way to get “growth” is via money printing and spending.

Why? The ROI for the government is almost 100%…at first.

Efficiency

Businesses need profit.

• Employees are expensive.

• Getting cheaper employees is good for profit.

• Eliminating employees is even better.

College Sports

Colleges need profit.

• College sports are a business

• It’s way more expensive to develop players than it is to import already developed players

If you want to compete you must be elite (rhyme unintentional but we’re going with it).

Not just elite locally or even in the US. You must be as good or better than the best players from every country on earth.

You may not like it but that’s the reality.

And all of the above applies to everything in America.

• house

• car

• wife

• job

• food

Get elite or get left behind.

Live free,

Kalian and Kolton

In reality the Republican Party is a soft af faux opposition desperate to return power to Democrats.

Think of it this way:

The Democrat Party is racing in lockstep toward totalitarianism at 100 MPH.

Republicans are like, “well what if we only go 70 MPH? Is that ok with you? Please don’t call us racist.”

Mitch McConnell isn’t putting your trans kid in a Gulag.

The GOP isn’t deporting 20 million people.

It’s flopping around like a fish on the bottom of a boat hoping Trump can’t get ahold of it before the midterms.

Remember Obamacare!

Like the Alamo except we don’t kick ass and take Texas we cried on cable news.

Republicans ran for YEARS on repealing Obamacare.

“Give us the Oval Office, Senate and House and it’s over for the ACA!”

Except of course it wasn’t because they never expected to be in the majority (JEB! was supposed to lose to HRC) and when they found themselves in power crapped their pants, demanded Jeff Sessions resign and passed limp wristed tax cuts.

Side note - trumprx.gov is very interesting. We’ll see where it goes over time.

The SAFE Act

Voter ID has massive, bipartisan support.

More than 70% OF DEMOCRATS support it.

Almost every Republican in the country supports it.

Chuck Schumer is in the minority.

His voters want voter ID.

Every single elected Democrat and the media will line up with him in opposition and he will win.

Rs hold the majority with an 80/20 issue sitting right in front of them.

Passing voter ID guarantees more R seats.

It’s a legislative slam dunk…but it won’t happen.

A few GOP Senators will give a speech about “preserving democracy by preserving the filibuster” while every state with a D majority gerrymanders Republicans out of existence.

Moral of the Story

Fearing Republican tyranny is like fearing the tooth fairy.

Why?

The Party exists to serve in the minority.

It’s why Old Guard GOP and Conservative Inc. hate Trump.

Trump wants to win.

Winning makes life hard for elected Republicans because the “we don’t have power” excuse goes away.

What about Trump tyranny?

Not possible.

Most government institutions are Progressive and fight tooth-and-nail against the Trump admin.

Same with the media and at least half of the aforementioned GOP.

Up next - the Democrat Party.

Live Free,

Kalian

He’s a good young man and an even better American.

I am proud he is my son.

On his birthday I like to do a parenting episode.

For those of you who aren’t parents, keep listening - you can apply this lesson to other relationships in your life.

How to Build a Lasting Bond

I want my sons to want to do stuff with me.

Most parents want the same.

Good news - you can do it.

Bad news - it’s a lot of work…as God intended.

Good news again - if you do it right it’s a lot of fun

The System

obviously the below works best if you are a good parent.

Step 1: Do things with each kid where you are the Subject Matter Expert

• Kolton

  • Circle K

  • MCU Movies

  • fishing

  • snowboarding

  • weight lifting

    • Squatober (tradition)

  • mountain biking

• Abe

  • Drawing

  • WWE

  • Toy Hunts

  • Two Touch (soccer)

Step 2: as they get older train/allow them to be the Subject Matter Expert

• Kolton

  • Sprinting

• Abe

  • Toy Hunts

  • Action Figure Scenes

Keys to Success

• have fun

• one-on-one when possible

• add a lifelong tradition to the end of each activity to tie them together as the kids get older

  • I doubt Abe and I will go to Walmart looking for WWE end caps when he’s 20.

    • but we will for sure go with his kids…assuming I’m still around in 20 years.

Do something fun with your family today,

Kalian

1. The dollar is doing great!

   1. It’s down 11% over the past 12 months

2. Housing prices will not come down

Followed by:

Oh my.

Apparently “didn’t work very hard” means “made the mistake of being born too recently.”

The American Dream

The American Dream is built on the belief that you can work hard and earn a better life than your parents.

This belief is absolutely 100% and without question critical for the survival of America as a free country.

The Republic literally requires hope amongst younger generations.

If you believe the American Dream is dead you are less likely to:

• work hard

• get married

• have kids

You are MORE likely to:

• fall prey to grievance peddlers (from the Left and Right)

• believe bizarre conspiracies

• demand collective action to fix your problems and punish your perceived enemies

We either provide a clear path to happiness and success for young people - especially young men.

Or watch wealthy globalists loot America en route to Communism.

Live Free,

Kalian

But it provides parents with ample opportunity to teach our kids how to think about the world around them.

Before engaging with or believing ANYTHING you see ask yourself the following:

• is this realistic?

• what’s the source?

• are there corroborating sources?

• can I see the info myself?

The 24 Hour Rule

Wait 24 hours for things to shake out before forming an opinion.

How many stories come out hot and are later exposed as completely fake? A lot.

And AI is only making it worse.

That’s it, that’s all I’ve got.

Live Free,

Kalian

There’s a good reason - they are not.

We could spend months talking about why…but that’s a waste of life.

Here’s the short version:

• Too much government

  • regulations

  • taxes

  • money printing

  • spending

• GDP > Everything

  • outsource to China? What could go wrong?

  • import lower wage professionals to boost the bottomline? Like, duh.

  • build more homes? Nope. That drives prices down and Daddy Government needs a robust economy going into [insert election here].

When GDP is all that matters and money is “free” it’s just a matter of time before the best way to get ahead in America is attaching yourself to the printing press (aka the Federal Government).

As government power and spending grow the only acceptable opinions are those requiring more government power and spending.

Lastly, Americans like you and me didn’t do the work required to maintain the systems designed to keep a free people free.

The Failure is Bi-partisan

Both Parties made this mess.

Both Parties profit from it.

They are complicit.

More on this in another episode.

How do we fix America?

One person and one family at a time.

Our job is to change course for our kids, grandkids, etc. by raising the next generation of American leadership.

It’s by far the most impactful thing we can do right now today.

What about politics?

Who’s in office matters.

Sort of.

But we are freedom loving individuals and parents need to know and understand the root causes of issues instead of the results we see and argue about on social media.

That’s all for today.

Live Free,

Kalian

if you visited the site in the past 24 hours you probably noticed it is completely blank.

Why? How?

Well, I was testing an AI workflow and it deleted not only the active posts but also the drafts.

Poof.

Almost 150 episodes gone.

lol. Computers, man.

Back to Day 1

Deleting years of work is bad news.

The good news - posts over 30 days old are rarely viewed.

Thus my stupidity is an opportunity to start from scratch and hit the things most important for Mass Americanization in 2026.

The Podcast Apps

The RSS feed is dead. I assume it will eventually refresh and all old episodes will also fall into a black hole of poor IT decisions.

What you need to do.

Nothing.

Live Free,

Kalian