The Dollar Isn’t Backed by Gold — It’s Backed by DIME and a Carrier Strike Group

Let’s retire the fairy tales.

The U.S. dollar is not backed by gold. It’s not backed by “faith.” It’s not backed by vibes. It’s backed by power — specifically the kind of power that sails in carrier strike groups, negotiates trade deals, controls sea lanes, writes sanctions law, insures shipping, and can ruin your economy before your stock market even opens.

Stolen Valor Wears Medals — Stolen Charity Wears a Flag and a Suit

There’s stolen valor — the guy at the bar wearing medals he never earned, hoping nobody asks what unit he was in. Then there’s stolen charity — the polished executive in a tailored suit wearing patriotism like a lapel pin while cashing checks “for the troops.” One lies about serving. The other lies about serving those who served. Both are frauds. Only one gets invited to donor banquets.

Babel with a Budget: Why Big Systems Always Eat Themselves

So we keep building Towers of Babel—just with better branding, larger budgets, and more acronyms. Corporations, governments, military bureaucracies, international institutions—all convinced that if we just add one more layer, one more committee, one more compliance office, the tower will finally reach heaven.

Please, leave the government out of trying to ‘fix’ the ‘affordable housing’ problem

As people yell about the lack of “affordable housing” I see an interesting difference between my good friend — OK, OK, I’ve never actually met him in real life! — Architectolder, who posts a lot of pictures concerning houses interiors and exteriors, and Alicia, the Courtyard Urbanist, whom I have previously mentioned. Each have differing …

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While America Has a Nervous Breakdown, China Is Measuring the Curtains

History has a sense of humor, and it’s rarely kind. As the United States barrels headlong into a Fourth Turning crisis—complete with generational rage, institutional distrust, ritualized protest, economic anxiety, and ideological self-harm—China isn’t protesting anything. It’s watching. Quietly. Patiently. With a spreadsheet.

Opinion: Why Tariffs Are Not the Way to Effect Regime Change in Iran

As part of his strategy for isolating the radical mullah-ruled government of Iran in the world community, President Trump has announced plans to issue a 25% tariff against all countries that continue to do business with the current Iranian regime. This is a counterproductive approach for three reasons. First, and most immediately, this kind of …

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Ford might discontinue entire F-150 Lightning line

It seems that the electric vehicle mandates of the Biden Administration were not greeted with approval by the public, and the public are not choosing to buy the silly things without Federal government bribery. From The Wall Street Journal: Ford Considers Scrapping Electric Version of F-150 Truck Once hyped as a ‘smartphone that can tow,’ …

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I Check Bluesky So You Don’t Have To

Lex McMenamin (they/them) describes himself¹ in his Bluesky biography as: permanent Philadelphian in NYC, opinions mine WAS politics @teenvogue.com member @transjournalists.org @leximcmenamin elsewhere linktr.ee/leximcmenamin As you can see, Mr McMenamin, who puts plural pronouns in his signature line on Bluesky, is going to be a flaming liberal, as the list of his online articles shows. …

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