The Far Middle episode 91 is dedicated to a triumvirate of sports greats—Mario Lemieux, Michael Jordan, and Nolan Ryan—and their 1991 achievements. These three individuals represented greatness, which is a recurring theme in episode 91, starting with human ingenuity and innovation.

Nick looks back to the start of the Industrial Revolution to present day, examining a range of metrics over that time period. These include life expectancy, infant mortality rates, income per capita, and global population. These indicators have all trended in a positive direction over the last ~200 years. While advancements in medicine and agriculture have contributed to society’s progress, the single biggest contributor is mankind’s harnessing the power of the carbon atom through energy, says Nick.

He notes that nations such as the U.S. and those in western Europe that have embraced republican democracy, free markets and capitalism, individual rights, and fossil fuels have seen these metrics yield even greater gains.

Given society’s track record of innovation over the past 200 years, buttressed by the carbon atom, Nick questions the motivation of global elites at the recent United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) who want to apply reparations theory based on fossil fuel consumption.

Nick argues the whole idea of reparations tied to energy use or carbon utilization smacks of trying to pull down success and demoralizes innovators, instead we should be establishing pathways and policies to pull up the areas that might be lagging to improve their quality of life.

Nick returns to domestic energy policy to examine the story behind a recent headline that read, “Georgia Gets Big Solar Investment.” Nick says a more fitting headline, albeit longer, would’ve been, “Over Half a Billion Dollars a Year Appropriated from the Middle Class to Offshore Conglomerate Corporation Under the Protected Graft of U.S. Climate Policy.”

Nick moves from the Peach State to the Golden State to discuss California natural gas prices next, then returns to the global stage with commentary on the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland. “This past year has provided clear evidence that ‘Davos Man’ and ‘Davos Woman’ may represent the single biggest risk to humanity in the near term,” says Nick. “Sometimes I get the feeling that if we canceled the annual Davos escapade it would be an instant upgrade for the condition of humanity.”

In closing, Nick returns to 1991 to highlight several of the great alternative rock albums that came out that year. Give a listen to hear Nick’s favorite.

The Far Middle episode 90 is dedicated to the 1989-90 UNLV Runnin’ Rebels basketball team and Coach Jerry Tarkanian, aka “Tark the Shark.” Nick describes the 1990 NCAA Tournament Champs as disruptive and innovative thanks to a combination of super-talented players, coaching, and buttressed by the Amoeba defense.

Nick continues the themes of disruption and innovation throughout episode 90, beginning with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s late 2022 comments on the Uyghur Policy Act. Nick says her speech was quite good, but her words don’t mesh with Congress’ energy and environmental policy actions over the past several years. Those actions have worsened the planet’s environmental health, strengthened the oppressor’s hand, weakened Western democracies, and are crushing the freedom of the individual. The words from former Speaker Pelosi were great, but unfortunately, her and Congress’ policy actions speak much louder.

Nick then rewinds the clock to a May 1941 radio address by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, drawing similarities to FDR’s comments on Germany to the threat we face today from China. “It’s like a voice from the past is warning us about the dangers of the present,” says Nick. He notes he’s not FDR’s biggest fan, as you can read about in Precipice, but commends the former president’s ability to inspire.

Next, Nick addresses the confluence of influences and forces that have come together to indoctrinate our next generation into believing climate change is the country and the world’s most pressing problem. The information campaigns that have led to these beliefs are the same that has led to two major mid-Atlantic natural gas pipelines being delayed/canceled by their developers—projects that would have reduced carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 400 million tons.

While the U.S. strangles natural gas infrastructure investment, China welcomes it with open arms—to the tune of $2 trillion. And those trillions in state investment are attracting private investment from banks, investors, and private equity. Nick moves from China to the Eurozone, continuing to discuss dollars and illogical sense, as Eurozone government spending is now more than half of the region’s economic output.

Nick concludes by noting that February 11, a few days after this episode’s release, marks the day Nelson Mandela was released in 1990 from prison after serving 27 brutal years of incarceration. Nick closes with three inspirational quotes from Mandela. And in Far Middle connection-serendipity, February 11 (2015) also marks the anniversary of Jerry Tarkanian’s passing.

The Far Middle episode 89 is proudly dedicated to perhaps the greatest professional football player that most people never heard of: Gino Marchetti. A player for the ages, Nick looks back on Gino’s great career that spanned fighting in the Battle of the Bulge, dominating the gridiron, and growing a restaurant chain to more than 300 locations.

Nick begins this episode’s connections by noting that individuals like Gino are rare today, much like the political moderate, whether that’s a moderate Republican or moderate Democrat. Nick proceeds to revisit his recent commentary, “America Needs a Third Party.” A third party would put pressure on the two-party cartel that exists today, resulting in the inevitable moderation of the Democratic and Republican parties.

“I’m not a politician and don’t desire to be one, but I do want to be able to choose the very best of options when it comes to selecting our political leaders,” says Nick. “That’s what the founding fathers envisioned, and I think that’s what America deserves.”

Evidence that Americans are rejecting extreme positions can be found in domestic population moves this past year. Nick discusses census data showing Americans are rushing to the exists from states like California, New York, Illinois, Massachusetts, and New Jersey. These states, coincidentally led by some of the most Leftist leaders you’ll find, are seeing an exodus as residents look for something more moderate and more normal.

Nick moves from extreme ideology in the U.S. to similar ideology in Europe. That ideology, along with climate change policy, has led to skyrocketing electricity prices and situations where the cost of charging an electric vehicle is more expensive than fueling a gasoline-powered vehicle. Meanwhile in Europe a larger problem looms.

European governments are in the process of or preparing to flood the market with new bonds and debt issuances, explains Nick. He criticizes these governments for borrowing more to shield consumers, attempting to mask the economic consequences of the policies these governments are responsible for.

Nick closes by recounting a recent Bob Dylan interview where Dylan discussed how he spent his time during the lockdown of the pandemic—including restoring his 56 Chevy, painting, reading, and perhaps opium if laying around. While Nick is a Dylan fan, he counters that if we all take the Dylan lockdown approach the world is going to come to a grinding halt. And that government actions that aim to take us there are not the path forward. The sooner that we realize that the better.

The Far Middle episode 88 honors defensive great Alan Page, the anchor of the Minnesota Vikings’ famous “Purple People Eaters” defensive line. Nick reflects on Page’s unique life story, “a story that oozes excellence through every chapter.” For more on the Purple People Eaters, check out where the Vikings’ defense ranks on Nick’s list of “The Ten Greatest NFL Defenses in the Super Bowl Era.”

Nick begins this episode’s connections by noting Page is a prominent catholic, and most prominent Catholics look to the Pope for guidance and leadership. Nick says unfortunately the Vatican is at it again with its calls to Catholics to stop investing in companies or industries that the Church views as immoral.

Nick contrasts the Vatican’s views on renewable energy investments with their view on investing in natural gas companies, as well as agricultural firms that use genetic science. “The Vatican’s recommendations are the exact opposite that science and logic dictate, it’s unbelievable that an institution that exists to provide moral guidance can have its moral compass be so fundamentally broken,” says Nick.

The Vatican is adrift in a sea of distraction, much like the United Nations and its ocean of accords and treatises. Nick proceeds to examine the latest UN accord signed by nearly 200 nations, who’ve agreed to conserve 30 percent of their land, inland waterways, and coastal and ocean areas. Moreover, he looks at where the land conservation funding will come from, and the impact of such an accord on the poor and developing world. Nick then discusses environmentalism and climate change being used to justify the transfer of wealth from the developed world to the developing world, or from one unfavored class to the favored class.

Nick summarizes that collectively the Vatican’s “faith-consistent investing,” UN accords, and forced value appropriation like the EU’s “solidarity contributions” all translate to lowering quality of life and should be exposed for their flaws.

In closing, Nick celebrates the late, great Eddie Van Halen in conjunction with his birthday. Nick lists the best guitar-driven works by Eddie on each Van Halen album, from Eruption to Outta Space.

The Far Middle episode 87 is dedicated to Sidney Crosby, who “epitomizes greatness on the ice,” says Nick as he highlights the best all-around player the NHL has ever seen, as well as Crosby’s leadership and his winning record. While Crosby, alongside Alexander Ovechkin in Washington, continues to accumulate points, another accumulation is also happening in Washington, and that’s the country’s federal debt load.

There’s a crazy, scary trifecta facing our country’s fiscal health and government finances, explains Nick. That trifecta is a federal debt of $31 trillion and quickly growing, paired with continuous budget deficits and raging inflation. As interest rates are raised to fight inflation, the cost of servicing debt increases, thereby increasing debt, resulting in a serious math problem that doesn’t compute.

Nick then points out where we’re seeing this trifecta come to light, adding concern is the fact tax revenues are near all-time highs. Should tax revenues decline, our fiscal situation will only worsen. Nick goes on to explain that government spends endless amounts of money not just to help the poor, or to right a wrong, but to now also to save the planet. This leads to a look at GM who expects its EVs will be profitable in 2025, thanks to recently enacted federal subsidies. As billions of tax dollars go from the middle class to multi-billion-dollar corporations, Nick says, sarcastically, that’s a price worth paying because it’s going to tackle climate change and save the planet.

Nick next passes the puck from GM to FTX and Sam Bankman-Fried. Nick looks at how the crypto sham company duped investors for billions, doing so in part by ESG manipulation and virtue signaling. Nick juxtaposes GM and FTX to Vanguard, who has quit the Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative, as well as the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero. Vanguard’s decision is a refreshing affirmation that Milton Friedman’s teachings are alive and well.

Transitioning overseas, Nick comments on French President Emmanuel Macron who says he has backed a strategy of “absolute defense of Ukraine.” However, Nick calls out France’s energy policies, which have not done anything over the past decade to help Ukraine. While France’s words ring hollow, sometimes words matter greatly and to the benefit of all mankind, which leads to this episode’s conclusion: a reflection on Martin Luther King, Jr.—a master of the written and spoken word.