Llewellyn H. Rockwell Jr.'s Blog, page 20

Are They Lying to Us About Inflation?

The government lies about almost literally everything, except perhaps what time it is – and probably it would lie about that, too, if it served the government’s purposes. So why do most of us believe that inflation – the waning buying power of the money we’re forced to use by the government – is what it says it is?

Here’s what I know and so can attest to:

When I was a high school kid back in the ’80s, I worked part-time at McDonald’s. The minimum wage back them was $3.35, which meant that an eig...

What Really Happened in Alaska

Alaska was not only about Ukraine. Alaska was mostly about the world’s top two nuclear powers attempting to rebuild trust and apply the brakes on an out-of-control train in a mad high-speed rail dash towards nuclear confrontation.

There were no assurances, given the volatile character of US President Donald Trump, who conceived the high-visibility meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. But a new paradigm may be in the works nonetheless. Russia has essentially been de facto recogniz...

Will ‘Peace’ In Ukraine Also Bring a New Détente?

Some observers in the lead-up to last week’s meeting between President Donald Trump and President Vladimir Putin in Anchorage Alaska hoped that a dialogue might be established where the broader issue of creating a new European security model that would reduce tensions and make it unlikely that a conflict like Russia-Ukraine would be repeated. Both Trump and Putin came away from the three-hour plus meeting with positive remarks though little of substance, at least in terms of what they were prepa...

Another Reason To Ban Tik-Tok?

According to the July Consumer Price Index (CPI) report, prices rose by 2.7 percent over the past year, and by 3.1 percent when the “volatile” food and housing sectors are removed from the calculation.

Markets rose following the release of the CPI since the increase in price inflation was not as high as expected. This led to an increase in expectations that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates next month.

Of course, the CPI numbers are manipulated to understate the true rate, and effects,...

On Hubris & Pride

Hubris & Pride are often used interchangeably, and though they are related concepts, they aren’t precisely the same.

Hubris derives from the ancient Greek word “hybris” (ὕβρις). In ancient Greek, “hybris” is indeed a form of pride. However, as Aristotle defined it, “hybris” is a transgression—such as a sexual crime— performed by the arrogant that causes a feeling of shame.

For example, in the Iliad, proud Agamemnon takes Chryseis, the daughter of the Trojan priest Chryses, as a prize after the s...

What Happened to No Tax on Social Security Benefits?

During his presidential campaign, Donald Trump made a number of promises related to taxes. He pledged to eliminate taxes on tips, overtime, and Social Security, and make car loan interest tax deductible. After he returned to the White House, Trump continued to say that there will be “no tax on Social Security benefits for seniors.”

In the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) that President Trump signed into law on July 4, for tax years 2025 through 2028, qualified tips up to $25,000 are tax deduct...

Solzhenit-Spin: Solzhenitsyn’s Gulag Was a Deep State British Lie

“Live Not by Lies!” – Alexander Solzhenitsyn

“He largely fabricated everything” – Natalya Reshetovskaya, first wife of Alexander Solzhenitsyn

“His writings are a mixture of some truth and big lies (as any good propagandist Solzhenitsyn followed closely Dr. Goebbels’ teachings)… The author is treated politely (in the Soviet penitentiary), has bread and bunk, warm clothes. He is not forced into hard physical labor, he reads books and has plenty of time to chat, ramble, gossip and spew out all his h...

Restoring Healthy Bowel Movements

This newsletter was created out of a desire to help others, and each day I hear from dozens of readers with thoughtful and pressing questions. For a while I tried my best to answer them, but given the volume and how long writing in-depth articles takes—it’s no longer possible (e.g., I’ve spent the last week learning the nuances of organ donation regulations for an article reviewing the tangible spiritual consequences from non-consensually harvested organs—a surprisingly common issue).

To strike ...

The Putin-Trump Meeting

What do we make of it?

A good result came of it.  Trump moved away from his demand for a ceasefire and said that it was more important to work toward a permanent peace than a ceasefire which is seldom kept.  This would seem to commit Trump to addressing the root cause of the conflict, which is Russia’s insecurity with NATO all over her borders.

Putin said that the meeting marked the transition from confrontation and threats to dialogue.  This prospect alone made the meeting worthwhile.

These are...

The Reason for the Trump-Putin Summit’s Puzzling End

There is much confusion about why the August 15th Trump-Putin ended the way it did. Here is a typical example:

The reason why I was expecting this outcome will be explained here.

On 4 December 2024, when Trump hired General Keith Kellogg to be his negotiator on the Ukraine war, I headlined “Reuters reports Trump is set to continue Biden’s policies on Ukraine.” and opened:

On December 4th, Reuters headlined [misleadingly in its ‘off the table’] “Trump’s plan for Ukraine comes into focus: Territo...