Llewellyn H. Rockwell Jr.'s Blog, page 68

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...

Open Letter to Israel Foreign Minister Sa’ar

H.E. Gideon Sa’ar
Foreign Minister
Government of Israel
August 9, 2025

Dear Mr. Minister,

I write to you following your speech at the United Nations Security Council on August 5. I attended the session but did not have the chance to speak with you following the session. I want to share my reflections on your speech.

In your speech your failed to recognize why almost the entire world, including many Jews such as myself, are aghast at your government’s behavior. In the view of most of the world, w...

Russia Seeks To Comprehend Fully the Various Constraints on Trump

If Moscow previously relied on treaties and ‘playing normal’, now it relies on unpredictability, interconnected fronts, and a balance of threats.

Another round of negotiations between Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and the Russian leadership? A meeting between Witkoff and President Putin is now imminent. At the same time, General Keith Kellogg has been in Kiev. This comes as Trump’s so-called ‘ultimatum’ is set to expire – although Trump himself casts doubt whether the sanctions that may follow mig...

Why the Drug War?

The ostensible purpose of the U.S. war on drugs is to prevent Americans from getting their hands on illicit drugs and ingesting them. Think about that for a moment: The entire drug-war apparatus and the massive militarized drug-war police state exist for the purpose of preventing Americans from possessing and ingesting unapproved substances that they wish to possess and ingest.

I consider that amazing.

Let’s divide American drug consumers into two broad categories: those who are addicted to drug...