Llewellyn H. Rockwell Jr.'s Blog, page 237

Jeffrey Sachs’ View of US Trustworthiness

Sachs, professor at Columbia University, has advised presidents and heads of NGOs over a long career. He remains extremely well connected at the highest political and intelligence levels.

Rather than Israel being an extension of US policy in the region, Sachs declares that Benjamin Netanyahu is steering American policy with Israel’s wars in Gaza, Lebanon and even had a hand in earlier wars such as Iraq. He also argues that western countries, led by the US, and not Vladimir Putin, are ultimately ...

HHS Formally Debars EcoHealth Alliance, President Peter Daszak Fired.

On January 17, 2025—just three days before President Trump is to be sworn in—Congress issued a press release with the following statement:

Today, after an eight-month investigation, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) cut off all funding and formally debarred EcoHealth Alliance Inc. (EcoHealth) and its former President, Dr. Peter Daszak, for five years based on evidence uncovered by the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic.

As far as I can tell, the New York Times d...

Can Trump Make a Difference?

I have done my best to alert MAGA Americans to the difficulty of regaining control of the US government. For decades the US government and its policies have been controlled by the organized interest groups that fund political campaigns.  Regardless of the candidates voters elect, the legislation enacted and the federal government’s policies are the work of lobby groups. Among the powerful lobbies are the Israel Lobby, the military/security complex, Big Pharma, Wall Street, and agri-business.

Ame...

Achieving Peace in a Warmonger’s World

Peace on earth is a wish that gets extra emphasis this time of year. We’re told to pray for it, wish for it, keep it forever in our minds. So why don’t we have it?

The short answer is money. War is profitable to some. It’s profitable enough that profiteers in private industries influence government, which stays home and orders others to do the fighting. War costs money. Where does the government get it? Visible taxes (income, corporate, and payroll) cover about two-thirds of government revenue. ...

Biden’s Commutations Remind Us of the Horror of the Drug War

Just before he leaves office, President Biden is commuting the prison sentences of 2,500 people who have been convicted of non-violent drug offenses. Biden stated, “This action is an important step toward righting historic wrongs, correcting sentencing disparities, and providing deserving individuals the opportunity to return to their families and communities after spending far too much time behind bars.”

Biden’s last-minute drug-war commutations raise several questions.

First, why did he wait u...

Is Placing a Wager in a Casino an ‘Investment’?

Producing quality goods that aren’t addictive or obsoleted in a few years–there’s no money in that, fool. Get real. You want to get rich, “invest” in a bet in the casino.

Is placing a bet in a casino an “investment”? Absolutely! An “investment” is now defined as a wager, often leveraged, at a gaming table in the casino. Anything that offers a gain is an “investment.”

This is of course at odds with the classic understanding of “investing in new productive assets” that is core to classical capital...

The ‘Monkey Wrench’ Sabotage of America Begs for an Authoritarian Response

Accidents and crime happen, all the time in fact, and generally the American public barely takes notice of the number of such events that occur on a monthly basis. The reason for this is because the vast majority of incidents don’t lead to economic and infrastructure damage on a large scale.  A disaster has to be pretty extensive to get the attention of the public and usually that attention doesn’t last long because most people are still able to go on with their day without much inconvenience.

B...

All the Data Confirms Stagflation

On Wednesday, Peter marked his return to the Peter Schiff Show studio. He tackles the most recent batch of 2025 economic data, highlights inflation signals in commodity prices, and comments on President Biden’s legacy as his term comes to a close. Donald Trump is set to take the reins on Monday, and Peter also analyzes the latest from the president-elect.

To start the show, Peter praises Trump for what appears to be a behind-closed-doors negotiation of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Desp...

The U.S. Establishment’s Intense Commitment to Exterminating Palestinians

In today’s U.S., people are actually not allowed to avoid punishment if they publicly express the opinion that America’s continuing to donate the weapons and satellite intelligence that Israeli troops are using to exterminate the Gazans is unacceptable to them.

On January 16th, Caitlin Johnstone aptly headlined “None Of These War Criminals Will Face Justice While The US Empire Exists”, and opened with:

Two journalists were ejected from a State Department press conference on Thursday for asking i...

From Ozzie & Harriet to the Kardashians

Recently, I discovered that Pluto TV has all the episodes of The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. You have Pluto if you have a smart TV. So that’s become my new nightly routine, watching them until the warmth and nostalgia eventually breaks down my chronic insomnia. It was a remarkably well done show, starring really talented people.

Ozzie Nelson was a former popular big band leader, as well as a star athlete. He played several instruments, including the banjo. Harriet was the primary vocalist f...