Kontrarian Korner

Yesterday I had Colonel Towner-Watkins back on the podcast for part 4 of our series. We got into Italy and how the CIA spent a fortune influencing the elections in 1948. This episode with set the table for getting into Operation Gladio, and you will see that the CIA playbook hasn’t changed much. We also tied things in a bit with what has been going on today with election interference, CIA operatio...

Yesterday I had Brandon Weichert on the podcast for the first time to discuss everything going on in the world. We started with Trump’s recent visit to China and the implications for the Middle East, summer supply chain disruptions, and the various problems facing the US here at home. It was a fun conversation that will definitely give listeners a couple things to think about. You can find Brandon...

Yesterday I had Mike Ariza back on the podcast, and we were joined by California Assemblyman Stan Ellis. We got an update on California’s coming oil crisis, and the problems that are fast approaching with no imports on the way. It might provide Trump with an opportunity to come in and fix things, but they believe it would be a temporary fix. If you want a breakdown of what is happening and what is...

Yesterday I had Colonel Towner-Watkins back on the podcast for part 3 of our series on the OSS and the CIA. We talked in detail about Operation Paperclip, which is one of the most interesting operations in the post World War II period. She covered a list of the notable scientists that were moved out of Germany, where they ended up, and the programs they were working on. This is an area I have been...

Yesterday I had Dylan Marrello ( Raging Bull Investments ) back on the podcast. We talked about a bunch of different things, and listeners will either come away with food for thought on the path of the US and markets or some new investment ideas to dig into. We talked about several individual ideas, but my favorite part was the philosophical discussion about the actual purpose of financial markets...

Yesterday I had both halves of Gold Goats n’ Guns on the podcast, and it was a great follow up to our one on one conversations in April. Tom Luongo and Dexter White returned to discuss the situation in the Middle East with Schrodinger’s Strait, the messaging problems that the Trump administration has here at home, and how Trump’s meeting with Xi in China could play out. This was a great conversati...

Yesterday I have Vince Lanci back on the podcast for an update on precious metals, but we also took a detour into current events, geopolitics, and the future of the US. We talked about why copper is leading metals higher, why Europe is the odd man out, and how Chaos Americana is shaking up the geopolitical chessboard. You can find Vince on Twitter and his work at GoldFix . Podcast Summary * Why si...

Yesterday I had Colonel Towner-Watkins back on the pod for Part 2 of our series on the OSS and the CIA. This week we talked about the post WWII CIA operations in China. Today’s situation with Taiwan can trace its roots back to these operations with Formosa and Chiang Kai-Shek’s conflict with Mao and mainland China. We also talked about Unit 731 and how the drug trade is always operating in the bac...

Yesterday I had Joaquin Flores on the podcast for the first time. Our conversation bounced all over the place, but he connected some of the dots between what is going on the Middle East and the ripple effects we could see in Europe and China in coming months. If you’re interested in the countries and topics to keep an eye on into the summer, you will enjoy this one. You can find Joaquin on Telegra...

Yesterday I had Tim Duggan of The Oil Report on the podcast for the first time. We talked about what is going on the Middle East, and how the disruptions that are now baked into the cake will lead to higher oil prices for longer. We also covered the ripple effects that we will see in Asia and Europe, and the political issues in Ireland that could be exacerbated by supply chain disruptions. It was...

Yesterday I had Colonel Towner Watkins back on the podcast for the first part of our series on the OSS and the CIA. This episode should lay the foundation for the rest of the series where we get into more detail on the specific operations and other historical details. We covered the international syndicate and the involvement of secret societies and royal families, the different covert funding mec...

Yesterday I had Peter R. Quiñones back on the podcast, and we got into a bunch of different topics regarding the future of the US. We covered immigration, the NGO complex, the GOP Samson option and the midterms, and the trend towards authoritarianism. If you’re frustrated about the state of the US and some of the recent events, this one’s for you. You can find Pete on Twitter , and his Substack is...

Yesterday morning I had retired Brigadier General Blaine Holt on the podcast for the first time. I’m still getting used to Zoom, so this one was audio only. We talked about the competition for routes and resources among the elite factions, the incoming supply chain problems, and why the Trump administration needs some big wins in the next couple months. You can find Blaine at Dangerous Intellectua...

Yesterday I had Dave Masten, the CTO of Sagittarius Logistics, on the podcast for the first time. It was a fascinating conversation about the future of the space race and the progress of the US. We talked about the fleet logistics that are required for orbital data centers, the supply chain issues for the aerospace ecosystem, and the SpaceX IPO. We also talked about the long term future for space...

Yesterday afternoon I had George Baxter on the podcast for the first time to talk about a very interesting opportunity, Turning Point Brands $TPB . George is the portfolio manager at Sabrepoint Capital Management in Dallas, and his fund is a large shareholder of TPB (I own a couple shares, so we are both biased). We got into the background for the stock, Tucker Carlson’s involvement with the ALP J...

This morning I had Mike Ariza on the podcast for the first time. Mike has spent time in the Navy and he worked at the Chevron $CVX refinery in Richmond, California before spending time at Valero’s $VLO Benicia refinery as the Senior Control Board Supervisor. We talked about the recent shutdowns of multiple refineries, and why California is three to four weeks away from experiencing shortages on to...

Yesterday I had J. Burden on the podcast for the first time. He’s one of my favorite podcasts to listen to, and he’s always has great guests on. We went back and forth on everything from the economic environment, the lack of jobs and discrimination, and the rapidly changing political environment that we are living in. If you enjoy a good conversation about what younger generations think about the...

On Thursday afternoon I had Ronald Dodson on the podcast for the first time. He runs a hedge fund in Texas, but also publishes on The American Mind for the Claremont Institute , Responsible Statecraft , and American Reformer . We talked about America’s recent adventures in the Middle East, what it means for markets, the problems Trump is facing with messaging and the midterms, and the increasing b...

Yesterday I had E.M. Burlingame on the podcast to get his perspective on what is going on in the Middle East. We talked about why he thinks there is a method to the madness in Iran, why the level of the S&P is a matter of national security, and the other chaos nodes around the world. We also covered the long term future for the US and the problems that we need to address with the economy, the popu...

Yesterday I had Colonel Towner-Watkins on the podcast for the first time. She’s an expert on the history of the intelligence agencies and the international syndicate that has been shaping world events in the Post World War II era. We got into the recent events in the Middle East, how they are connected to the different factions that have been operating internationally for decades, and the illicit...

Yesterday I had Melody Wright back on the podcast to talk about real estate, societal changes, and the media environment, among other things. We also took a couple detours into topics like AI and offshoring, the generational divide, and demographics. It was a fun conversation where we got into current events and talked about the slow moving Titanic that is the real estate market, but we also talke...

On Friday afternoon I had Rudy Havenstein and Robert from Infranomics on the podcast. We talked about recent events in the Middle East and the disruptions that are coming, the political situation and midterms, and why the Fed is stuck between a rock and a hard place. I thought the most interesting part of the conversation was the back and forth on the political system. I wasn’t able to convince Ru...

Yesterday I had John Polomny back on the podcast to talk about where he sees opportunities in financial markets and how recent events in the Middle East play a part in where those opportunities are. We also talked about some of the changes the US needs to make, why they will be difficult if not impossible, and several other topics. You can find John’s Substack below, but you can also find him on T...

Yesterday I had Dexter White on the podcast as the perfect follow up to Tom Luongo on Monday. This was before the ceasefire, so we will see how that plays out and how markets react. We talked about the Strait of Hormuz and other international choke points, some of the nuances of AI and the media environment, and the national security importance of the great power competition with China. For anyone...

Yesterday I had Tom Luongo back on the podcast to talk about all of the chaos going on in the world. Instead of getting tied up in day to day events, I wanted to pull on the threads of the big picture in our conversation. He thinks that we are near the end of a cycle that has been building for centuries, a fourth turning of a fourth turning if you will. Right now, we are seeing the return of power...