The Leviathan of Government and Market Distortions -

Unbridled Growth of Government

The U.S. federal government, the largest organization in human history, has developed an insatiable appetite for expansion and power. As Joe Rogan said on his podcast, “the size of the US federal government is, it’s the biggest organization in the history of the world it’s there’s nothing there’s not even a close second.” Unlike the free market, where incompetence can lead to failure, the government’s growth often comes at the expense of efficiency and effectiveness.

Wealth Distribution: A Tale of Two Cities

The richest counties in America, predominantly surrounding Washington D.C. and New York City, illustrate a stark reality. As Dave Smith said on the podcast, “You ever look at the um if you look at like the uh the list of the uh the richest counties in in America and they’re like I forget the exact numbers it’s like it’s all obvious it’s like 10 of the they’re all not all but the vast majority of them are right outside Washington DC and right outside New York City.” This wealth concentration isn’t the result of productive industries but a direct consequence of massive federal spending and Wall Street’s financial manipulation post the gold standard’s dissolution.

Extraction of Wealth: The Great Divide

The current financial system isn’t enriching the country in a holistic sense. Instead, as Dave Smith commented, “they’re extracting wealth out of the rest of the population. It’s all just extracted out…literally the federal spending is extracting wealth out of people by taxing them and then spending it literally taking the money from people who work and giving it to politically connected people.”

The Fiat Currency Conundrum

The fiat currency system, detached from any tangible standard like gold, has plunged society into a perpetual cycle of inflation. As Dave Smith explained, “when you have a fiat currency system and you go off of any type of gold or anything that kind of limits the government’s ability to just print as much money out of thin air as they want to you get this thing where we live in a cycle of constant inflation.” This system contradicts the natural tendency of a developing society, where prices should decrease due to increased efficiency and productivity.

A Gamble Disguised as Investment

The financial advice of today propels individuals into a constant state of gambling. With money losing value due to inflation, saving becomes a losing game, pushing people towards investments they barely understand, often on the advice of Wall Street professionals. As Dave Smith said, “first of all you’re going to if you just hold your money cuz this is what people used to do many generations ago was the idea of just saving your money you save it but if you just save your money today Joe you’re a sucker because of this system right like if you just hold your dollars well you’re just losing money actively so you got to be chasing interest in order to just not lose money.”

Banking System: A House of Cards

The banking system, based on fractional reserve banking, is an intricate house of cards. As Dave Smith explained, “when you open a bank account and I don’t know exactly what the reserve rates are now because I know they did change this during Co but for a while it was 10% um was the what the Federal Reserve set as the reserve uh that you had to put away so when you come into your bank and you give them $100 to open a checking account just to make it an easy number they they hold $10 and they loan out $90.” If everybody came to withdraw their deposits, there would not be enough money for banks to cover this.

The Road Ahead: Navigating a Precarious System

Navigating this financial landscape requires a paradigm shift, where reliance on a fragile system is replaced with a more robust and transparent model. The current discontent and distrust towards financial institutions and governments underscore the need for a decentralized approach, echoing the libertarian ethos of self-sovereignty and accountability.

As we tread this path, the focus should be on creating a system where value isn’t artificially inflated or controlled but is based on real, tangible contributions to society. The goal isn’t just financial security but a return to a system where trust is earned, not mandated, and wealth is a reflection of genuine societal value, not the whims of a central authority.

Thank you for reading “The Leviathan of Government and Market Distortions“.