Seeking truth together
What would happen if we took it upon ourselves to show not tell? What if we politely ask for a link to the data supporting a person’s point of view? What if we held ourselves to higher standards of [empirical] evidence? Why don’t we take a lesson from the skeptics and turn the Show Me State motto into a mantra for empiricism?
It’s possible that another country (e.g. China, Russia) or group of countries (e.g. European Union) could seek to seize Greenland to develop its resources and use its land for its own strategic advantage. The United States may be seeking to beat its rivals, including the European Union, to this potential outcome. But, what if they don’t need to?
Canada’s land area holds a vast amount of untapped natural resources and affords plenty of area for population growth and economic expansion as global temperatures continue to trend upward. Canada’s long border and location between the U.S. mainland and Alaska suggests the United States would be divided from its largest state without its largest geographic ally. The absence of a U.S.-Canadian alliance would turn the World’s longest and most peaceful border into a geopolitical and defense nightmare while separating the United States from strategic partnerships and diverse resources in Canada and the arctic.
The Trump Administration has seized multiple oil tankers and President Trump has stated that Venezuela will soon cede 30-50 million barrels of oil to the United States. The U.S. was the world’s top producer of oil in 2022 and 2023. Venezuela was not even listed in the top ten. So, does the Trump Administration need Venezuela’s Oil: Probably, Maybe, or Probably Not?
In the late night of January 2nd and early morning hours of January 3rd, the U.S. Military successfully abducted Nicolas Maduro from his residence in Caracas, Venezuela. Maduro has now been extradited to New York to stand trial for various criminal charges being brought against him in that State. The former Vice President of Venezuela, Delcy Rodriguez, has now been sworn in as President of Venezuela while President Trump has suggested that a second wave of military strikes could take place if the Venezuelan Government fails to comply with the Trump Administration’s demands. Trump has suggested that U.S. companies will soon gain access to and jurisdiction over Venezuelan oil resources which will then be leveraged for the benefit of both the United States and Venezuela. So, is the Trump Administration in control of Venezuela and its vast oil reserves?
There’s a lot at stake in the Trump & Zelenskyy White House Meeting 2.0, but I’m keeping my expectations low. Here’s why…
President Trump’s April 2, 2025 tariff announcement imposes a 10% tax on imported goods, leading to increased prices for U.S. consumers and potential losses of $3,800 per household. While tariffs raise federal revenue, they may also encourage domestic production if U.S. goods can compete with cheaper foreign options. Protests against tariffs are expected as consumers react to rising costs.
Trump, Musk, and DOGE are rapidly downsizing government. But are these billionaires looking out for the interests of the American people or gutting government to enrich themselves?
Some of the pervasive systemic problems with this nation’s bureaucracy include the dispersion of distance, Parkinson’s Law (Parkinson, 1980), The Peter Principle (Peter et al., 1969) prospective budgets (Finkler et al., 2017), penalties for under-spending your funding, and other top-down interventionist tendencies that are prevalent in many large organizations.
The author expresses frustration with the U.S. Executive Branch’s actions, including the suspension of vital foreign aid and funding, and concerns about billionaires like Elon Musk influencing government. He calls for the Legislative and Judicial Branches to act against these issues if the Executive Branch fails to correct them. The author suggests people should petition for impeachment if conflicts of interest and corruption persist.
Deliberating Truth 