finance
Money talks; reviewing the global economy, government spending, taxes, and economic policy that affect our social and political future.
Why It's Time to Formally Audit America's Gold
In 2013, Germany asked the United States to return 300 metric tons of German gold. Germany had stored the gold in New York during the Cold War, to keep it safe in the event of a Russian attack. The U.S. Federal Reserve informed Germany that the gold wasn't available. The Americans told the Germans that they could have their gold back seven years later, in 2020. The Federal Reserve blamed the delay on logistical challenges and verification requirements.
By Elliott J. Schuchardt3 days ago in The Swamp
THE CURRENT AND FUTURE STATE OF THE U.S. ARMY’S C-UAS CAPABILITIES
Anyone who follows world news and online media has seen videos over the last three to four years of mounted and dismounted soldiers being killed or wounded by various drones. In 2022, The Russia-Ukraine Conflict became the first place for widespread use of drone warfare. Then the Israel-Hezbollah Conflict showed the world that these technologies and tactics are not isolated to one war but are now the norm for modern combat. Most recently, the heightened tensions between the United States and Iran have proven that even the U.S. Military is vulnerable to simple and sophisticated drones.[1] This presents the question, does the United States Army currently have the capabilities to combat hostile drones and are our protection and defensive innovations reactive or proactive to what we are seeing across the globe in these current events?
By Sam Shroyer4 days ago in The Swamp
Fukuyama's “End of History”: A Liberal Triumph or an Unfinished Debate?
Author's note: I originally published this article several years ago. Returning to Fukuyama's argument in October 2026, I wanted to reconsider its philosophical foundations, the relationship between economic and political freedom, and whether the contradictions of contemporary societies challenge the possibility of a final historical destination.
By Sergios Saropoulos15 days ago in The Swamp
Understanding Trickle-Down Economics: A Critical Perspective
The Promise of Prosperity There is something interesting about the way economic policies are presented to the public. Governments frequently promise that particular reforms will create prosperity, encourage investment and eventually improve the living standards of society. Yet behind these familiar promises lie questions that are rarely examined with the same enthusiasm. Who is expected to benefit first? Who must wait for the benefits to arrive? And what happens when an economy grows without producing a comparable improvement in the lives of those whose labour sustains it?
By Sergios Saropoulos15 days ago in The Swamp
When a Society Stops Replacing Itself: The Consequences of Declining Birthrates and the Path Toward Recovery. AI-Generated.
Introduction: The Consequences of a Changing Population In Part One, we examined the changes that reshaped American family formation across more than sixty years. From the expansion of contraception and changing marriage laws to rising living expenses, declining religious participation, increasing chronic illness, digital socialization, changing relationships between men and women, and the growing complexity of raising children, numerous developments have contributed to the conditions surrounding modern reproduction.
By Peter Thwing - Host of the FST Podcast23 days ago in The Swamp
The Declining Birthrate: How Six Decades of Change Reshaped Marriage, Family, and Reproduction. AI-Generated.
Introduction: Understanding How We Got Here For much of American history, marriage and raising children represented an expected progression into adulthood. Young men and women generally married earlier, began having children earlier, and formed families within communities where religious institutions, extended relatives, neighbors, and established social expectations reinforced family life. The Baby Boom, extending from approximately 1946 through 1964, represented the culmination of a period in which relatively early marriage and larger families were common features of American society.
By Peter Thwing - Host of the FST Podcast23 days ago in The Swamp
The Case for a New Plaza Accord
By Elliott J. Schuchardt For decades, American policymakers and economists have treated a strong U.S. dollar as an unassailable metric of national economic health. The prevailing orthodoxy asserts that a powerful currency reflects a robust economy, suppresses domestic inflation, and cements the United States at the center of global finance. However, this perspective overlooks a structural distortion that has slowly hollowed out our industrial core. The U.S. dollar is profoundly overvalued, and this artificial appreciation acts as a permanent tax on domestic manufacturing, exports, and long-term economic stability. To restore competitiveness, revitalize local production, and correct massive global trade imbalances, the United States must actively pursue a strategy to devalue its currency.
By Elliott J. Schuchardt27 days ago in The Swamp
