The Truth Quest Podcast

As I record this episode in late March 2020, the world is living through the Coronavirus crisis. Recently my wife and I were discussing the toilet paper shortage. I explained that the reason there isn't any toilet paper now is because the stores did not raise the price when they saw a surge in demand. She argued that price gouging during a crisis is wrong and immoral. I tried to explain why it is actually a good thing. Full disclosure: She was not convinced. Hopefully you will be after listening. We discuss some basic economic concepts like: What is a price and how do they fluctuate. Then we dive into the topic at hand - price gouging. This is followed by an examination of pandering politicians and price controls and the morality of price gouging. We wrap up the episode discussing the benefits of price gouging and whether or not these arguments hold up when a crisis is regional versus worldwide.

Joe Biden has spent almost 50 years in Washington, D.C. and, prior to that, a handful of years practicing law. He is the personification of a career politician. Personally I find him unimpressive, uninspiring and unaccomplished despite his longevity in D.C. In this episode we will examine his voting record, his ideas, his propensity to be a bully, a compulsive liar and a gaffe machine. We also review the history of corruption among the Biden family and discuss the obvious lapse in his mental health.

Bernie Sanders has been leading the charge toward socialism his entire life. Within a few weeks of this podcast's publication (at the most a few months), Bernie will be a two-time loser of the Democratic Party's nomination to be President. Despite his failure to secure the nomination, he has laid the foundation for more radical candidates in the future. In this episode, we examine the life of Sanders and the foundation on which he has built his movement.

The news cycle for February 2020 was dominated by two things: The Democrat's search for a presidential nominee and the Coronavirus! Listen to this episode for a recap of those and other major stories.

In Episode #87, I introduced you to the concept of secession. We reviewed current and past secession movements and offered three reasons it is necessary AND good - decentralization, self-determination and competition. In this episode, I discuss the fourth reason secession is desirable - the idea that smaller is better. After that, we will discuss how secession is justified and dispel the most common objections to the concept of secession.

The “S” word - secession - seems to be brought up with more and more frequency lately. Most recently we have seen counties in rural Virginia exploring the possibility of seceding from the state and joining West Virginia. We are seeing similar movements in Northern California and rural counties in Oregon. While those are wonderful developments, the larger question regarding secession is the idea of entire states seceding from the United States and essentially establish their own nation. The idea of state secession picks up steam with every passing year as the federal government - the Executive, Legislative and Judicial branches AND the federal bureaucracy - continues to enlarge its power base well beyond its enumerated powers in the Constitution. In this episode, I will introduce you to the concept of secession, discuss some of the current and past secession movements and walk you through three reasons why secession is not only desirable but necessary. In Episode #88 we will discuss how secession is justified and rebut most of the arguments against it.

We cover a lot of ground in this episode: starting with President Trump’s call for a prohibition of late-term abortion in his State of the Union Address. We then move on to discuss the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade opinion. Then we discuss some very instructive verbal jousting on Facebook about abortion and, finally, we address the misnomer known as "Pro-Choice”. Buckle your seat belts and don't be shy letting me know if you think my analysis goes astray. ----------------------------------------- Grab your Truth Quest Merchandise at The Truth Quest Shirt Factory: www.TruthQuestShirtFactory.com With each shirt design there will be an explanation of what to expect from those inquisitive or brave enough to ask you about it. In most cases there are links to podcast episodes that will further deepen your understanding of the importance of each phrase. We hope you take the challenge of wearing these shirts in public and to family gatherings. Don't worry! You will be equipped with the rhetorical tools to engage in conversation and/or debate. Good luck! And thanks for supporting the Truth Quest Podcast! Check out the "WHAT ABOUT THE BABY?" or the "PRO-LIFE" shirts inspired by this episode. http://www.truthquestshirtfactory.com/shop/p/what-about-the-baby-1 http://www.truthquestshirtfactory.com/shop/p/pro-life

What does the spectacle known as the State of the Union Address reveal? In the first part of this episode, we examine President Trump's 2020 State of the Union Address through the eyes of someone who has been off the grid for several decades - an unbiased, casual observer. What did he notice? What were his impressions? What questions did he have? The last part of the episode is an assessment of what the SOTU address reveals about the state of our nation, the state of our federal government and the state of the Constitution.

January 2020 was another eventful month from Trump's impeachment to the Coronavirus, international trade deals and the death of Kobe Bryant.

You are likely familiar with the caricature of capitalism. You know the one -capitalism is some nefarious monster that does nothing but squash the little guy like bugs while the billionaires laugh, smoke cigars and sip the finest cognac. The criticisms of capitalism are well-known. Capitalism is based on greed and selfishness. It is immoral. It exploits workers. It is a zero sum game. Under capitalism, giant corporations have too much power. And capitalism is based on competition rather than cooperation. But have you ever examined these claims in any detail? Have you ever considered the alternatives to capitalism?

Following the killing of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani (as discussed in the previous Episode #81), national Democrats insisted that Trump violated the War Powers Act of 1973 and passed a non-binding resolution in the House condemning the strike. In that episode I spent a lot of time examining America’s penchant for perpetual war. As discussed, the list of American intervention overseas is quite remarkable: Hawaii, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, Grenada, Panama, Yugoslavia, the Korean Peninsula, the Philippines, Vietnam, Chile, Egypt, Kosovo, Somalia, Congo, currently we are involved in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria and Yemen. In this episode, I want to turn our attention away from WHERE the U.S. military has been (or are currently) to focus on the HOW. How is the United States war-making capabilities supposed to be carried out or applied? You may be surprised (or not) to know that the Constitution's dictates around the involvement of our military has largely been ignored for the last 78 years.

Two weeks prior to the original publication of this episode, the United States military killed a man named Qasem Soleimani outside the Baghdad airport. He was a top general in the Iranian army and the possible heir apparent to the top spot in the Iranian government. After digesting the reactions of the media and politicians from both sides of the political spectrum, I realized that something was missing. That something was the big picture; the one that takes into account why the U.S. military was in a position to kill another country's military leader on foreign soil. In order to learn the truth about the killing of Qasem Soleimani, you need to understand the history of the Middle East generally and of Iran and Iraq specifically.

Is it just me or is anyone else bothered when you hear politicians and talking heads refer to America as democracy? The “D-word” is thrown around so often by so many that I don’t think many people bat an eye when they hear it. What is the truth about democracy in America?

Get caught up on all the news from December 2019 in fifteen minutes.

In this episode we examine the phenomenon of celebrities offering their opinions on politics and public policy. Why do so many people seem to care what they think?

As Christmas approaches, I am reading the Book of Luke. As I read the first few chapters, three words kept jumping off the page - “THE GOOD NEWS”. Inherently, I think most Christians know what this means or, at least they think they know what it means. But the more I thought about it, the more I questioned myself. So I thought a deep-dive was in order. 2:30-4:23 -- "good news" scriptures 4:24-8:10 -- "THE GOOD NEWS" scriptures 8:10-9:46 -- Hebrews - Old Testament / New Testament 9:46-11:24 -- "THE GOOD NEWS" and "the gospel" 11:24-13:24 -- What is "THE GOOD NEWS"? 13:24-end -- Conclusion ----------------------------------------- Grab your Truth Quest Merchandise at The Truth Quest Shirt Factory: www.TruthQuestShirtFactory.com With each shirt design there is an explanation of what to expect from those inquisitive or brave enough to ask you about it. In most cases there are links to podcast episodes that will further deepen your understanding of the importance of each phrase. We hope you take the challenge of wearing these shirts in public and to family gatherings. Don't worry! You will be equipped with the rhetorical tools to engage in conversation and/or debate. Good luck! And thanks for supporting the Truth Quest Podcast! Check out the "The World Needs More Jesus" shirt partially inspired by this episode. http://www.truthquestshirtfactory.com/shop/p/the-world-needs-more-jesus

If you pay the slightest bit of attention to the news, nationally or locally, you’ve likely noticed a movement to squash free speech. Sometimes it’s subtle such as a gentle reminder from your spouse not to bring up a particular topic at the family gathering lest you offend Uncle Pete. However, what is happening with more frequency is mass censorship of speech under the guise of calling it “hate speech.” What is the truth about hate speech? ----------------------------------------- Grab your Truth Quest Merchandise at The Truth Quest Shirt Factory: www.TruthQuestShirtFactory.com With each shirt design there will be an explanation of what to expect from those inquisitive or brave enough to ask you about it. In most cases there are links to podcast episodes that will further deepen your understanding of the importance of each phrase. We hope you take the challenge of wearing these shirts in public and to family gatherings. Don't worry! You will be equipped with the rhetorical tools to engage in conversation and/or debate. Good luck! And thanks for supporting the Truth Quest Podcast! Check out the "Disinformation is FREE SPEECH" shirt partially inspired by this episode. http://www.truthquestshirtfactory.com/shop/p/disinformation-is-free-speech

When you hear discussions about the Constitution and the Founding Fathers, you are likely hearing about the majority group who supported the new Constitution called the Federalists. However, there was another group of prophetic founders who opposed the Constitution as written for a variety of reasons who were equally important. They are called the Anti-Federalists. These forgotten founders warned about the inevitable growth in size, scope and power of the federal government - especially the judiciary - all at the expense of the individual states. Evidence of their accurate predictions can be seen virtually everyday in the national news. -------------------------------- Grab your Truth Quest Merchandise at The Truth Quest Shirt Factory: www.TruthQuestShirtFactory.com With each shirt design there will be an explanation of what to expect from those inquisitive or brave enough to ask you about it. In most cases there are links to podcast episodes that will further deepen your understanding of the importance of each phrase. We hope you take the challenge of wearing these shirts in public and to family gatherings. Don't worry! You will be equipped with the rhetorical tools to engage in conversation and/or debate. Good luck! And thanks for supporting the Truth Quest Podcast! Grab your "The Anti-Federalists were Right!" shirt inspired by this episode. https://www.truthquestshirtfactory.com/shop/p/anti-federalists

In case you hibernated through the month of November or boycotted the news, this episode will get you caught up on all the major stories from the month that was November, 2019 in only 12 minutes.

When I first heard the term "Trump Derangement Syndrome", I thought, "This is nothing new! The opposing party of every President has some level of irrationality associated with it." I then came across a study that claims Americans are stressed out due to the political climate. They are losing sleep, ruining relationships and feeling mentally and physically sick. When you combine that study with everything Trump has been put through - the constant media scrutiny (fake news), the baseless Russia collusion investigation, the lop-sided and deceitful impeachment inquiry, the level of vitriol directed at him and the violence directed at his supporters, I have come to the conclusion that this syndrome seems real. Trump just is not playing the game by the customary rules created by the D.C. establishment and they are not happy with the prospect of an outsider changing the rules. Trump Derangement Syndrome is an epidemic among the D.C. establishment. I love the fact that he has deranged them to the point where they have been flushed out with all of their cards laid on the table.

If you ask the average American their impression of Edward Snowden, you are likely to hear him portrayed as a villain; he is a traitor to the country and should be tried for treason. A growing minority, however, view him as a hero for exposing the illegal and unconstitutional mass surveillance program which was implemented shortly after the terrorist attack on September 11. In this episode, we examine the Snowden saga with an eye toward what it teaches us about the Constitution.

Do you know how you can tell it's Fall, bordering on Winter? California is on fire! This annual event seems to fall on the heels of Oktoberfest and, we are being led to believe, that the problem is getting worse! Why? Well, of course, the sole reason for this repetitive event is . . . . climate change! In this episode, we examine the validity of that claim and try to arrive at the truth about the California wildfires.

In this episode we review the month that was . . . October, 2019. From impeachment to the Democrat debates to transgender athletes and action in the Middle East, it was an eventful month.

Impeachment is a constitutional tool whose responsibility is granted solely to the House of Representatives. As outlined in the Constitution, the rules of impeachment are both specific (treason and bribery) and general (high crimes and misdemeanors). Besides the president and vice president, all "civil officers" are subject to impeachment. That means all federal employees whether appointed or hired. Contrary to popular belief, impeachment does not mean removal from office. It is essentially an indictment. The Constitution grants the Senate the responsibility of holding a trial based on the evidence presented by the House. If convicted, the defendant can be removed from office and banned from future service in the federal government. The power of impeachment has been used sparingly with only 19 instances in the nation's history. You may be surprised by what we uncover when we dive into the language from the Constitution about impeachment, read the words of the Founding Fathers on the topic and study the history of its practice. How many Presidents, Supreme Court Justices and federal employees should have been impeached if the Constitution was followed?

The claim of white privilege is very popular these days but the idea itself raises questions. What does it really mean? What can or should be done about it? What is really accomplished by bringing it up? Does the idea improve the conversation about contentious issues or does it lead to its deterioration?