Recent Viewpoints

Kerby Anderson Does it seem like so many important systems aren’t working the way they are supposed to be working? Just think of the problems associated with airlines, supply chains, and electrical grids. We live in a complex society where so many interconnected parts need to be working efficiently. And we need competent people running them. Harold Robertson persuasively argues that “Complex systems won’t survive the competence crisis.” He explains, “America must be understood as a system of interwoven systems;…

Kerby Anderson Are there long-term cycles that affect us? Unless you study history, it is difficult to see them. In a previous commentary, I quoted investor Ray Dalio who explained in his book, The Changing World Order, that he became more aware of long-term trends in the economy and made better financial decisions once he studied history. Here are three cycles that many analysts have been talking about. The first is a 250-year revolutionary cycle. That last hit in the…

Kerby Anderson Alex Berenson recently wrote about the “First Freedom.” He was on my radio program four years ago to talk about stories he was investigating after having left the New York Times. That was before he began reporting on topics related to the pandemic and vaccine that were considered forbidden. Perhaps now you can see why he writes about free speech. He has faced social media censorship by merely reporting the truth about the clinical trials of the vaccine….

Kerby Anderson The phrase “trust the science” isn’t as popular in the culture as it has been in the past due to the recent revelations about inaccurate scientific statements during the pandemic. And the phrase “trust the science” isn’t as accepted as it was in the scientific community due to so many retractions. The co-founders of Retraction Watch have been monitoring this problem for years. They found that only 40 scientific papers were retracted in the year 2000. But last…

Kerby Anderson China is not only a major threat in the world, but China is dying. Those two observations seem contradictory. But, they reinforce each other. The inevitable decline of China makes it more likely that the leaders of the Chinese Communist Party will act sooner rather than later. Ben Shapiro pulls together five serious problems for China in a recent video. Here are his arguments, along with a few of my comments. China’s first problem is demographics. China has…

Penna Dexter I’m against every big government program that is proposed. But one massive federal program really helped me. I am a Baby Boomer. I was born during the unprecedented spike in the US birth rate that took place after World War II. The ‘baby boom’ occurred alongside an economic boom, a sustained period of economic growth and full employment.  A big-government program played an important role. The G.I. Bill, enacted in 1944, put higher education, job training, and home…

Kerby Anderson The crime wave in the Golden State has been in the news for many reasons, but two events stand out among the many others. Perhaps you have seen the video of robbery at a Nordstroms. Nearly 50 criminals ran off with an estimated $100,000 worth of merchandise, and this was the third robbery of a Nordstroms. The other event that comes to mind was the protest from the Oakland branch of the NAACP calling out the “failed leadership”…

Kerby Anderson The latest tool of those involved in the cancel culture has been the use of “debanking.” This occurs when a prominent individual or organization is informed by their bank that they will no longer be allowed to use banking services. Nigel Farage faced such a statement from his bank in the UK because he was perceived as a politically exposed person (PEP) due to his previous involvement in Brexit. The bank argued that their decision to close his…

Kerby Anderson I recently saw an interview with E.B. Tucker, who usually talks about the economy and investments. He referred to a recent article about “The Good Old Days of 2023” in which he encouraged all of us to enjoy our families and our freedom. The reason he wants us to enjoy ourselves now is due to his fear of a future digital dystopia, which he locates ten years from now. The Tesla 6000 we drive drops us at the…

Kerby Anderson In this country, we have a division between the elite and the rest of society. In a recent op-ed in the New York Times, David Brooks asks a question of this elite class: “What if We’re the Bad Guys Here?” He has his peers consider a different story. “This story begins in the 1960s, when high school grads had to go off to fight in Vietnam, but the children of the educated class got college deferments. It continues…

Kerby Anderson This country received a financial downgrade earlier this month. In one sense it was justified. In another, it was absurd. Fitch Ratings reduced America’s financial status because of the increasing amount of national debt piled up by Congress and the president. This is no small issue. The other day, I read that nearly all (98%) nations that have surpassed a 130 percent debt-to-GDP ratio in the last 225 years eventually defaulted. We exceeded that percentage for a short…