Emboldening Our Adversaries

Published March 9, 2022

Episode 42 of The Far Middle is dedicated to the extraordinary Jackie Robinson and includes four insights you might not know about the groundbreaking second baseman.

Nick reflects on a few myths that are about to deliver societal jolts, including the fallacy that climate change policies will improve America’s geopolitical standing and weaken our adversaries. “Guess what, just the opposite is occurring,” says Nick. Another myth addressed is the idea that excluding fossil fuel investments and doubling down on so-called ESG-worthy investments will deliver superior portfolio returns versus one that is not screening under such arbitrary criteria. Nick goes on to offer his thoughts on Canada’s trucker protests, the 2022 Winter Olympics, recent comments from Climate Czar John Kerry, historic policy moves by FERC that will chill infrastructure investment, and more. Nick concludes with wishing a happy birthday to the late Robert Conrad.

Shifting Leverage

Published March 2, 2022

Episode 41 of The Far Middle is dedicated to 12-time All-Star Tom Seaver. In looking back at “Tom Terrific’s” career, Nick notes his career stats, including an earned run average below 3.00. “The only thing lower than Tom Seaver’s career ERA seems these days to be office occupancy rates in big cities,” says Nick as he examines the causes and consequences of people not returning to in-person work. Next, Nick discusses the concept of “the resource curse” and how environmentalism and climate change policies have succeeded in reversing the resource curse. Nick highlights how leverage has shifted back to Iran’s favor; and, he doesn’t see a resource curse today, but rather a lack of energy independence curse for Western nations. “When you look at resources, and when look at carbon, does it matter where the carbon dioxide comes from?” asks Nick before explaining environmentalism and government’s obsession with ideology over science and facts. Nick continues with a discussion on society’s blind eye toward how products are manufactured, followed by a look at one of the latest meaningless corporate “net zero” announcements, and closes with birthday wishes to novelist John Steinbeck.

Eighteen Inches of Daylight

Published February 23, 2022

Episode 40 of The Far Middle (available below, on Apple, Spotify and Amazon) is dedicated to Gale Sayers, the “Kansas Comet.” Nick recalls the legendary rusher’s famous quote, “Give me 18 inches of daylight. That’s all I need.” And he compares that to the use-to-be work ethic of the American worker, “just give me a job, that’s all I need.”

Nick examines America’s declining workforce participation and how that will have far-ranging economic impacts. Nick goes on to discuss: his attempt at tackling James Joyce’s Ulysses; Winston Churchill’s sage observations on the elite class (and the relationship to the themes discussed in Precipice); and, the elite class’ suppression of the Great Barrington Declaration. Nick concludes with an insight on how the NFL playoffs apparently cured the league’s Covid cases and closes with a few Super Bowl reflections.