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- Deficits Grow, Gold Shines, and DARPA Serves Dinner
Deficits Grow, Gold Shines, and DARPA Serves Dinner
Hola Libertinus!
Strap in, because this week we’re diving into the economic circus where deficits keep growing, gold is skyrocketing, and even Musk might not be able to fix the government's spending addiction. And if that’s not enough, DARPA is cooking up a plan to turn plastic into your next meal—because apparently, nothing says "sustainability" like recycled shampoo bottles on your dinner plate.
So grab your libation of choice, sit back, and prepare to laugh, cringe, or shake your head at the madness that is modern politics, economics, and... fake food.
✉️ DISPATCHES
Noise & Signal on X
I want to take us on a tour through the echoing halls of X over the past few weeks. There is a lot of noise, but if you listen closely enough, you can hear the signal.
Let me show you…
A survey of economists (including me).
— Jason Furman (@jasonfurman)
1:26 PM • Sep 14, 2024
Jason Furman points out a survey of economists that demonstrates pretty resoundingly that most economists believe Trump's economic plan is worse than Kamala's in terms of inflation and federal budget deficits.
This may indeed be the case, but what is missing from this data is that both candidates' economic plans will be bad the federal deficit.
Why is this though?
The elephant in the room that no one is talking about is spending.
Neither candidate has any plans to reduce spending in any substantive way.
In fact, each president over the past two decades has spent more than the last. That is because cutting spending isn't politically viable.
And don't get me twisted, I am a big fan of tax cuts, including those which have been proposed by Trump, but increased spending without increased income is a recipe for disaster.
And no, tariffs are not a viable long term source of income.
In an ideal world, the path forward would be dramatic reduction in government spending accompanied by tax cuts.
But I'm not holding my breath for this one.
Things aren't bad enough yet for everyday voters to understand how big of a problem the deficit is, and we can expect increased spending, and deficits, regardless of which candidate wins.
"If Trump wins, we do have an opportunity to do kind of a once in a lifetime deregulation & reduction in the size of the government. America is going bankrupt extremely quickly. The interest payments on the national debt just exceeded the defense budget," Elon Musk has said.
— unusual_whales (@unusual_whales)
2:01 PM • Sep 14, 2024
Which leads me to Elon Musk, who has been floated as the potential head for a "Government Efficiency Commission" in the event of a second Trump presidency.
The idea here is that Trump can leverage Musk's cost-cutting abilities to rid the government of its inefficient spending practices.
Musk has a very strong track record in increasing efficiency in the private sector, but I'm not particularly confident he will be able to pull off anything substantive in government.
Why is that?
The biggest expenses are the least politically viable to slash.
The US government's biggest expenses are social security, medicare, and servicing debt, which account for 21%, 14%, and 13% of the federal budget respectively.
No substantive majority in either party is willing to touch social security or medicare, and if the US simply stops servicing it's debt the world monetary system would collapse. I don't seem much room for Elon to maneuver here.
Tucker makes hilarious comments about Trump coming out against eating pets.
🔊
— Wall Street Silver (@WallStreetSilv)
2:23 AM • Sep 14, 2024
But why focus on the deficit when we could be talking about eating pets?
Tucker Carlson's poor attempt to turn Trump's comments on Haitian immigrants eating people's pets into some kind of endearing comedic attribute highlights something true about the modern American right.
In the words of Peter Thiel, the modern American right is a "rebel alliance."
In other words, there is no coherent unifying ideology on the right, just a smattering of various special interest groups that all agree that they are opposed to the left.
How can Tucker Carlson tell who a leftist is?
Well, anyone who gets mad about Trump claiming Haitian immigrants are eating pets of course.
“If you don’t want AI to replace you, be a little bit racist or a little bit sexist or or just really funny. Everybody else will get replaced.” -Peter Thiel
— ᴍᴇᴅ ɢᴏʟᴅ 🐒 (@MedGold_)
12:14 AM • Sep 14, 2024
And speaking of Peter Thiel, I'm just gonna put this here without comment.
Bodycam footage of Trump assassination attempt suspect released
— Insider News (@InsiderNews)
7:39 PM • Sep 16, 2024
Amidst the backdrop of all of this, Trump racked up another assassination attempt against him, this time by a pro-Ukrainian extremist.
As if there wasn't enough noise already bouncing around the corridors of X.
Gold over $2580.
— Gold Telegraph ⚡ (@GoldTelegraph_)
8:06 PM • Sep 13, 2024
But let's talk signal.
What is actually important in the world right now that we can learn from and leverage to maximize our freedom?
Gold is hitting its stride and reaching new all time highs. And of course, gold can be a good way to help insulate yourself from the US governments financial issue we discussed earlier.
Also, it can be a lucrative financial asset as we are seeing in real time.
2 residencies you can do from the comfort of your own home:
- Mexico 🇲🇽
- Dominican Republic 🇩🇴Both start in your home country, and you get approved at your local consulate or embassy,
— My Latin Life 🌴 (@MyLatinLife)
5:42 PM • Sep 16, 2024
You may not realize that you can start a second residency process while sitting on your couch.
Worried about all of the noise?
People on the beaches of Puerto Vallarta aren't. There's a lesson in that.
⚡️ Market returns before and after 50bps Fed rate cuts.
How do you think the next rate cut will impact the market? 👇
— Cointelegraph (@Cointelegraph)
7:25 PM • Sep 16, 2024
Finally, by the time you read this, the Fed will have announced it's rate cuts.
Depending on how you think this will impact markets moving forward, it may be a good opportunity to make some speculative plays with your fun-money.
Tread with caution and make sure to manage your risks though - anything can happen here.
Noise is anything that either 1.) you have no control over, or 2.) you cannot leverage to minimize your risks or increase your freedom.
Staying focused on the signal is the only path forward. ~West
The Rise of Fake Food
Can Plastic Waste Be Transformed Into Food for Humans?
“For years, scientists have also been experimenting with various species of plastic-eating bacteria. But DARPA is taking a slightly different approach in seeking a compact and mobile solution that uses plastic to create something else entirely: food for humans.” (Undark)
Let’s be honest—plastic is everywhere.
It’s in the oceans, clogging rivers, stuffed in landfills, decorating our highways, and, if you’re lucky, swirling around in your tap water. It’s practically the Earth’s new topsoil.
There’s no escaping it, and honestly, why should we? Forget the recycling guilt trip—it doesn't work, anyway.
It's time to face the facts: The planet’s drowning in soda bottles and grocery bags.
But wait—why are we trying to solve this problem the old-fashioned way?
Instead of futilely trying to just clean up this mess… it’s time to get creative.
Modern problems require modern solutions, right?
Enter DARPA.
You know, the folks who brought us drones, HAARP, Siri (Yes, that Siri), the Boston Dynamics Murderbot, the Snake-Dog Murderbot, your friendly neighborhood RoboRoach, and, of course, bottomless military contracts.
DARPA's cooked up (no pun intended) a genius plan to feed all that plastic to some hungry microbes, and then—wait for it—we can EAT those planet-saving microbes!
The best part? It even looks and tastes like everyone's favorite vegan popcorn topping... nutritional yeast!
Problem solved, right?
We're cleaning up the planet and tackling world hunger. Two birds, one mouthful of dehydrated, bio-synthetic sludge.
Right now, they’re designing this miracle for soldiers stationed in remote outposts. Because nothing says "support the troops" like feeding them yesterday’s water bottles.
But we know how this story goes…
Today, it’s for the military. Tomorrow, it’s for developing nations under the guise of “sustainability.” And soon? Save-the-world sprinkles will be at your local Whole Foods, garnishing your favorite nacho-flavored, overpriced kale chips.
But why stop at plastic? The sky’s the limit when it comes to waste consumption. Paper, construction debris, and old textiles could provide a valuable source of dietary fiber.
A nice plastic-waste casserole with a drizzle of chemical runoff, served in cute li’l ramekins, could be quite the gourmet canapé at your next dinner party!
PFAS, microplastics, and antidepressants are already in our water supply, so the tap is already pulling its weight.
Now, while we’re all getting used to the planet-saving idea of feasting on microbe-produced sludge...
The real food supply is being regulated out of existence. Farmers across Europe are (still) in revolt, protesting carbon taxes and restrictions that make raising livestock and growing crops practically illegal.
But don't worry, it's all part of the master plan.
And be honest, who really deserves fresh veg or a steak when the planet is at stake?
Soon, we can all feel good about ourselves, sipping on a shake that started life as a shampoo bottle, knowing we’re doing our part.
And I, for one, fully support this progressive solution.
And just think of the future! The possibilities are endless. Who needs farmers and their dirty, carbon-intensive crops when we’ve got endless green waste streams to feast on?
Fingers crossed every meal could soon be mass-produced from the nearest landfill, pre-packaged in single-use plastic that can be—wait for it—turned into our next meal. ~Zach
What did you think of today's newsletter? |
That’s a wrap for this week’s tour through the absurdity of big government spending, fake food solutions, and the ongoing assault on your right to think freely. Remember, as the noise grows louder, it’s more important than ever to focus on the signal.
Stay curious, stay skeptical, and always keep your eyes on the real goal—maximizing your freedom in an increasingly unfree world.
Until next time…
Sic semper debitoribus,
~ West & Zack
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