The poet John Donne wrote, “Any man's death diminishes me.” Perhaps not in the case of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Look at what can happen when the U.S. stays in the game, pairing its military might and technology with Kurdish courage and fortitude. In this episode, Stephen reflects on the death of Baghdadi, as well as what it will mean for the Kurds, Turkey, Iraq, and the Middle East as a whole. The U.S. should never have abandoned the Kurds, Erdogan is complicit in supporting ISIS, and Iraq is doubting the United States. War clouds are forming in the Middle East. Don’t miss this episode!

At the end of World War II, much of what we think of as third-world countries were not developed enough to be global powers. The U.S. was the superpower on the world’s stage, owned 90 percent of the world’s gold, and had robust industries, technologies, and innovations. Like it or not, the U.S. was the world’s policeman. Now, new players like Russia and China are emerging onto the world’s stage. As this shift occurs, Stephen advises that the U.S. must be very careful in receding from the Middle East. If the U.S. throws up its hands in despair and exits, a vacuum will be left for evil to fill. Listen in as Stephen discusses macro trends in light of Donald Trump’s recent decision and the effects it has had on the Kurds.

Donald Trump’s betrayal of the Kurds may be one of the most important events to happen in our lifetime. Having just returned from Iraqi Kurdistan, Stephen shares his knowledge and personal experience regarding U.S. policy and matters involving the Kurds and Turks. The Kurds are some of the most gracious, loving, and generous people in the world. Sadly, they have a long history of being betrayed. If not promptly addressed, this is a decision that could cost thousands of lives and disrupt progress in foreign affairs for a generation.
Mentioned in this episode:
https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/
https://www.rudaw.net/english

On top of serious international problems, trade wars, and a looming recession, division in the U.S. is increasing with the very likely possibility of President Trump’s impeachment. President Trump has so fully declared war on the Left, and so foolishly left himself open to these charges, that it is highly probable he will be impeached by the House. Stephen explains the impeachment process and predicts how he thinks this scene will play out, as well as how he wishes this narrative would develop.

Sex traffickers in Romania say they specifically target the church. Why? “Church girls are pure and their fathers are too busy to tell them they love them. If we tell a church girl she is pretty five times and give her flowers, we have her.” This problem certainly isn’t limited to Romania. Stephen shares some shocking statistics about the extent of the global sex trafficking epidemic. (Mentioned in this episode: https://uncaged.org.).

As you may know, on September 14 there was a drone strike on one of the largest oil fields in the world in Saudi Arabia. All evidence suggests the attack arose from Iran. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo flew in to Saudi Arabia to declare the event an act of war. President Trump responded by saying the US is, “locked and loaded.” But should the US take action? In this episode, Stephen encourages all Americans to ask the critical “what, why, and how” questions of our government.

This year it came to our knowledge that some wealthy people had spent huge amounts of money to get their children into American universities. Hot on the heels of last week’s episode about the United States’ preoccupation with higher education (particularly the liberal arts), Stephen tackles the moral and leadership flaws behind the Varsity Blues Scandal. In wrapping up, he mentions one person in particular whose involvement will be worth watching in the months and years ahead.

You probably know unemployment is at an all-time low in many states. But did you know that there are one million unfilled jobs in the US? In fact, there half-a-million unfilled jobs in manufacturing alone! In this episode, Stephen challenges the conventional wisdom that every high school graduate should rush off to college or university. The higher education model may not serve every individual best. Instead, Stephen urges young men and women to consider their aptitudes and explore opportunities in which they might not only find more satisfaction, but earn more money.
(Source: https://www.axios.com/americas-worker-deserts-baa3ba5c-30a3-4d19-8899-461212d31fc2.html)

Donald Trump says he wants to buy Greenland, and the world reacts as if watching an SNL skit. Of course, there’s much more to the story than meets the eye. For Stephen, the Greenland idea captures almost all the good, bad, and ugly of the Trump administration. Learn why this idea isn’t as novel as it may sound and why the Arctic could become a global political tension zone in the very near future.

American society is becoming a high-tech version of Rome, where life was cheap and control was maintained through “bread and circuses.” Today, for the first time ever on the podcast, Stephen tackles the topic of football, focusing specifically on the story of Andrew Luck, the famous 29-year-old quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts who recently announced his decision to resign from the sport due to recurrent injuries and pain.
"File:Andrew Luck 2013.jpg"by Mr.schultz is licensed under CC BY 3.0

Stephen’s been receiving some odd phone calls lately: “Are you in the family?” Which one? Ah, Netflix’s new mini-series, The Family? In this episode, Stephen answers that question while providing some background and insights regarding The Fellowship organization, the Netflix production, and the possible motivations behind this dramatized documentary. Cue the ominous music… and pop in your earbuds!
(Image via Netflix)

What demographic trends are shaping the world in which you live? In this follow up to a May 2019 episode, Stephen examines high-level global and domestic trends. Dive into this statistically rich episode, and learn about rising and falling birth rates, the white/non-white divide in political parties, and the increasing urban/rural divide that’s turning conventional wisdom on its head.

Pain and hardship is a part of life. In fact, these things may even be the price of an exceptional life. There’s no avoiding them. Happy Warriors know that there is glory and victory on the other side. They’re made better by the struggle. Every swing of the sword and push of the shield invigorates them. They love to overcome adversity and raise a glass with their band of brothers or band of sisters to celebrate the sweet victories of life. May we, in our age, band together as Happy Warriors to contend against the challenges of life.

Ready for a thought experiment? Join Stephen in this episode as he imagines what he would say if he were an advisor to the GOP. Stephen addresses demographic issues (one of the most important truths of American politics today), rhetoric, Trump (the good and bad), and key points about free markets and economic development that the GOP should be making in order to attract a wider voting base. Next, Stephen chastises the GOP for their serious error in supporting President Trump’s wildly uninformed and offensive, “Send them back,” message. Finally, he demonstrates why the GOP should have no problem defeating the rhetoric of several popular far-left congresspeople new to the scene.

In the speeches of Bernie Sanders, in the Occupy Wall Street movement, and in popular chitchat, we hear often that the top one percent of earners in our society are destroying us. Is this true? Is one percent of the country the cause of all our woes? And what do you have to earn to be in the top one percent, anyway? Stephen answers all these questions and points us to a more sane view than you may have likely heard before.
This episode originally aired in July 2017.