Examining the Geopolitical Implications of Greenland and Arctic Resources

Foreign.

Good afternoon. Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. This is the Secular foxhole podcast number 107. And here I am with Martin again doing.Doing a solo show for us, if you will.

Yeah.

That'S a duo show. Yes. Sorry about that.

No problem.

No guests, in other words. Yeah. Although I do have one lined up for March, if he can. If he will accept the terms, so to speak.

Right. Yes.

A day of recording. Yeah. And let's see. But we just have a few things that we want to discuss overall.And the first thing I want to do is I want to blow America's horn in the. In the Olympics Today, the U.S. men's curling team defeated Sweden.

Oh, I haven't watched that yet, but I know that the Swedish team have won pretty good things. And curling.

Defending gold medal team in this particular Olympics, but the upstart Americans defeated them eight to five.

Wow.

It's.

It's really interesting sport, Carly.

You know, I. It's my favorite winter sport, believe it or not.

Have you tested it yourself?

There is a local curling club here in the northeast in Connecticut. So. But they. They always say, well, we're filled up. We can't, you know, accepting more our people. Yeah.

So.

But I want to, both in my wife and I, I enjoy watching that at every Olympics. And of course, the figure skating and so on and so forth. Other things. They're just, again, we appreciate people achieving great things. Yes. And that.And, and that's. The Olympics are certainly a valuable venue for watching people do that. And so that's. That's a great thing.

That, That's. That's good because, I mean, I didn't you. About how you felt of the super bowl, because I didn't know. I haven't watched it for this year.And you know, New England Patriots are our favorite team. Right.

Well, I certainly adopted them when I moved here. Yeah.

And of course, I couldn't watch it online. I didn't have a channel back in the day. You could, for example, watch it on. On Twitter and so on.

But, oh, everything's going pay per view now pretty much. I mean, the NFL, you know, so it's. Although it's here in the United States, it's still available on regular network channels, so to speak. I mean, I.For that particular game, I didn't think New England had a chance because CL was too strong. And it turns out, sadly, I was right. But I still. I love Mike Vrabel.I've always admired him because he's, you know, he's an Ohio kid and I'm an Ohio kid. So I mean I was born in Pittsburgh but I only lived there two years and I grew up in Ohio, so I consider myself. Ohio is my home for what it's worth.And, but, but anyway, I, I fully expect New England to have, you know, great seasons ahead of them with. Especially with him as coach and Drake May and a few others doing their, doing their best. Yeah, I remember Seattle was a very formidable.

Yeah, we should applaud them. And I, I remember when I in. In Troy, Ohio had my, you know, New England Patriots when I won with. When is it game? Was it 36 or something? Yeah.Or was it. Yeah, I still have that. It's, it's around. It's more than 20 years now I think, right?

Oh yeah, yeah.

And it's still hanging in there. So.

Yeah. A few sweatshirts and T shirts for the Patriots around the house somewhere.

That's good life, good things. And yeah.

And you know, so. But a couple of quick small things.

Yep.

Got an email the other day from the Ayn Rand Institute announcing they're going to unveil their new website soon. They didn't say when, but that's some assuming in the next couple of weeks. So that's something to look forward to from them.And I've, I've always appreciated the work that they do which and I've been regular monthly contributed to them for what, 15, 20 years maybe.

Good. Good for you.Yeah, I've done it in the past and I remember when, you know, received a letter, real letter from them and also handed a check to Jaren Brook at the conference that my employer had did this gift matching, I think it was three times or something like that. Yeah, yeah, that was a great, great thing. And that was, you know, talking about separation.Church and state and business and economy and business economy and state separation. But you could do that at the workplace. But you could send donations and a company is doing this matching gift. I think it's.Oh yeah, there's a lot of nice things because they're often at workplace. Yeah. So yeah, that's a good thing. And talking about our interlude here or how you call it interruption, talk about web pages or websites.We have a website that you are taking care of by paying it and it's powered by pod page.

Right. That's a great, great, great look.

We hope that could lead to, you know, future guests interest, search engine optimization and whatnot. But it is a cost for that page.And we also have Captivate for hosting and you now using this AI assistant and some other Things and this service, what we are recording all the do is also costing money. So I was thinking of, I listened to thanks to truefence FM that I like is a new modern podcast application.So I listened there and then I listened to a show called the Newman, Mike Newman show. And he talked about Mike, he's talking with Dr. Tim and they were like a Seinfeldish like style.They hadn't prepared so much they said and then they did all kind of different directions but it was very enjoyable conversation. They talked about diff different trips in Europe but also in Asia and whatnot. And then at the end he said this is a value for value podcast.This is our in a way hobby and interest. But it takes time, energy and money to do it.So if you value what you listen to and you hear, we are welcome to have these fiat fund coupons that they call that fiat money dollars like PayPal that we have got by listeners and guests. So thank you very much for that. And also the support page on Captivate, that's a link to Stripe so it's secure and safe and so on.Then you could also stream satoshis or send a boostogram or super comment with this called satoshis. That's a part of bitcoin. So if you take one bitcoin and divide it 100 million times, you get one satoshi.So it's like a couple of cents on ur in Swedish crowns. So I sent 1776, like 1776, the year of the foundation of America to the Mike Newman show. And that's around like 1 $2.

So okay, I'm not familiar with that. So I'll start checking that show out.

Yeah, so. So if we, before we record, I said so if we, we don't know exactly how many are listened to us because that you can't get.But you, you get it right with downloads and you. In the future we will be able to get it in different ways.But my guess is guesstimate is that we roughly and this will not sound impressive for some, but maybe we have like 50 thinking individuals like a base or something like that. We could roughly say that because we can see the statistics. It could be more, it could be less.But if every listener out there think it's a value and has means to do it like but they could do it in different ways, could suggest it to a friend. They could help us with maybe some of the work we are doing in this process. I mean we have talked about and so on that cost money.Artwork, maybe in the future and so on. But if everyone would give like 1 $2 every time, we will cover our cost for every month, it would be wonderful. But don't feel any pressure.

But no, it's not. No, we're not asking, you know, so.

People should think that it's a value. Individuals out there should. It's a value and I think it is. Especially when we have guests on.And then with this value for value and new modern podcast application and podcasting 2.0 features called so called namespace tags when we could give a split to the guest.We have for example managed to do that for Andy Bernstein I think and some someone else, I don't, I don't remember right now, but we have a couple of ones that we're done. But we want to do that with all our guests voluntarily of course, but it's like 30 guests and if you could share their grace here and do that.So again, go to truefence fm, sign up, it's free and start listening to our podcast where you could favor it.And in the future you could also then have a monthly payment or donation with fiat coupons or fiat currency if you are more comfortable with that to joke. I mean we have to pay the bills with fiat currencies.

That's true.

But we are for a gold standard. We are for real money like Bitcoin and. Yeah. So thanks for that. So please continue, Blair.

No worries. Yeah.

The commercial break is over.

All right, thank you.I do want to mention I've been caught up the last week or so in the Arctic Arc Tic and Greenland and Northern Canada and the Northwest Territories I think is what they're called. And there's been a great deal, of course, the blustering Trump screaming about how we're going to get Greenland.And while I think that is a legitimate transaction, if you will, because of.

The rare earth, voluntarily. Yes. But if you, if you try to grab it and attack an ally, it's Denmark. So that's a violation of plant of things.

Right. But the rare earth minerals there and.

Yeah, but then you have to pay for them. It's not, you know. Yeah.

As I understand it though, Denmark has basically kept that in that, in that although meager population of less than 60,000, they basically put the boot on their neck is a welfare state.So if we can open up the, if the United States goes in there and opens up opportunities for those people, that's, I would hope that they consider that a benefit.But anyway, this, there's a couple of videos I'm going to Link have sent Martin the links to about the history of the Arctic and some of the things Canada tried to do and has is doing.And there's a, although Trump did do something positive with between Alaska and Alberta, there is a railway being built there for, for crude oil and I'm not going to apologize for that.So that hopefully that gets finished this year or next year and that will bring millions of barrels of crude from Alaska and Alberta and down into the lower 48, so to speak, and through Canada for that matter. And that's a good, I think that's a good thing.

And now we could have a bit of discussion, debate and discourse. I think I'm all for it.I mean if you trade voluntarily and of course America should buy oil from friendly states, not from, you know, Arab world, so on. And so that's the thing. So please do that. But have a voluntary exchange and agreement and trade.Of course you could trace every time you trace in the history where do you start? Right. Who colonized who and whatnot. I mean of course it's in Greenland.I don't, we talked about your highest value that Jaron Brook was on a show and talked about that on the three cities that I really enjoyed. And if it will be a, you know, paradise there. It's still very cold and harsh. So people living in Greenland, the living condition there.And it's a tough way of living there but as you said, it's lots of great minerals, rare earth oil and whatnot. So. But I wonder how is it with Alaska but America, you know, they didn't have that from the beginning, right? No, they, so, so how, how does that go?I mean explore it even more.

Every year the people of Alaska get a, A, how do I put. Not a rebate. It's sort of a, like here's a check from yeah. Oil producing companies for every Alaskan, you know, adult for so and so.You know, so they, they, they pay these, they give these dividends, if you will, to every Alaskan.

Yeah.

So that's been going on for a long time. I think it's still, I think it still is. So that's certainly a benefit or a boon.

Yeah.

What else? I had something in mind. Of course it slipped.

Yeah. That's okay.

But anyway, so that Alaska was purchased from Russia back in, oh I don't know, late 1800s, early 1900s. Again, I'll have to, I forget the.

Date but you know, America could do with green. And also if they want to do it, I mean you can't force it if they Give the right price, why not?But then the American citizens with the Congress could say, could we afford that in today's economy? In America, you could talk about the domestic things and international. Is this a good thing? But you have to have a discussion of it, right?In Congress and other places. So, but yeah, so thanks for that. It's really interesting development.

Well, yes, I think that, anyway, there's another topic as well about the Greenland thing. It's called the Golden Dome, which Trump is trying to get through Congress, if you will.It's an extension of Reagan's Star wars initially way back from the 80s where he, you know, he's thinking about, okay, Greenland is, it's the shortest distance, if you will, between China and Russia. If these missiles start coming at us, then Greenland is the ideal spot where, hey, we can either take them down.

That I would say could be. I'm not a military expert.

No, no, neither am I.

But that's what they did in Iceland, you know, have lots of American, how to say presence on Iceland for a reason. So they were really checking this radio signals and so on. So this is really, I could buy that. I mean, the location, the geopolitical location.Yeah, it's so, but, yeah, interesting.

So, but the only, again, the only other things I, I, I had is I also sent Martin a cool link which I've known about for, I don't know, a year or two. Yeah, there's a great YouTube as, I mean, there's millions of videos and what have you.And there's this gentleman, young man who's an extremely gifted guitarist. He did a breakdown or a deep dive, if you will, on Prince's solo, George Harrison's song While My Guitar Gently Weeps and he breaks down.Everything about that particular performance, which is a master work of. Prince was in a league of his own. And that's putting it mildly as far as his guitar work.But so that's worth, that link will be in the show notes for everyone to enjoy because that is well worth watching. And then, and then the other two links I have.One is a very short link about the Arctic and one is a three and a half hour long spiel about the history of Canada and on the Arctic and this, that and the next thing. But what else did I have? Oh, I know today's the day after Valentine's Day, but you know, Rand's day, if you will, was February 2nd.And we always said Martin and I owe in our own way to Ms. Rand for everything that she did for us, for myself.But I know Martin would echo these things that she certainly changed and saved my life and much better, you know, where I was headed, turned my life around and, you know, made it much better. So I again, I tip my hat to her and will never apologize for the liking and loving what her, you know, her novels and her nonfiction.But otherwise, those are the things I wanted to discuss today and we hope to have. I will go ahead and announce it in March. Dr. James Lennox will be on the show to discuss his latest book, Aristotle on Inquiry.But we have to get that date set up for the recording and hopefully so he said March. So I will get back with him here in a week or two to nail that down.

But then I will take ending here a couple of links also. And when you talked about Rans Day, I hope that in next year I could send a Rans Day boost.

Booster gram.

Yeah, Booster gram of 221905 satoshis. But as you know, bitcoin, since the first time I did it, bitcoin tripled or something like that.Now it's down again, but it's still doubled from the first time I did it. It's around I think I'm guessing now hundred dollars or something like that. Something like the first time it was like $50 and then it was 150.So but I will include the link to something called Currency World so you could search for and plug in the number 221905 satoshis and see what's that in fiat currency like US dollars or Swedish crowns, whatever. So that's something to talk about more.And then I will talk say a little bit include a tweet from Bosch Foster about Iran and he has done Khatun there called illustration called I ran so I ran away. So that's mentioned bipartisan appeasement by presidents for almost now 40 years. The original Katooni did it was 30 years.And now it's thing will Donald Trump be included in that or will he do the right thing? The right thing is not to negotiate with the mullahs and the dictators, religious clerics about nuclear. It's to topple them and get rid of them.Right. And support the civilians in Iran.I mean the other day on Valentine's Day, it was in Germany that is I think a stronghold for expats and Iranians that have fled Iran or moved away from Iran. In Germany, I think it was was it hundred thousand.It was plenty of people in demonstration even here in Gutenberg, Sweden have been and I think in America also.

I hope so.

So it's really important that they get this moral support and the hope and the glimmering of hope that it will be changed.And I think I'm not an expert in this field and if we could, if you have you listeners out there, any suggestion of a guest, it would be interesting to talk about that. I think as you know, we are not royalists or for the kings and queens and whatnot. But Rias Appalavi belonged to the king or shah back in the day.But he has publicly said I want to have a secular society, I don't want to be a king, but I could be the intermediate. Because they have lots of followings and lots of support and he's a cool.

Guy, so to speak, seems to be certain.

Yeah. So if he can. Because there are different factions or how to say factions, factions out there.For example, one is called Muayadin, the People's army or something like that. In Iran they were against Shah and they were also then against mullahs. But they are a mix of like religious feminists and communists and they get.They have some kind of headquarter in some someplace in Europe and.

But those Friday night parties are pretty raucous.

Yeah, they have been on like a terrorist list back in the day. Now I think it's lifted. But there are one group there and there are others. So it's important to see. Of course it's up again to the civilians.They are left. I mean we don't know how many they have murdered Now I heard 40,000.

People were slaughtered in the streets.

But when they are freed, hopefully soon when going to election then they decide. But it could be of course with help with USA and Israel and others to get this in order, in place. But yeah, it will follow that.But I thought that was a really good tweet by Bosch Fostin and this cartoon and I think it should be spread out and spreading a good word and they could have that sign in demonstrations and at the end, positive thing is Raymond Niles wrote an article on his substack about the positive things of immigration and what he learned by going from a small town in Arizona over to if I'm right to Mexico and had a Mexican dish and food and enjoyed his time and thought, had thinking and thoughts about that compared to today's situation and debate, so called the climate debate, you know, call it in Swedish, Debat Klimat. How do you say that in English? It's very harsh. It's every immigrants are, you know, whatever. And that's not true.So it's important to learn from his history. And again, I think Harry Binswing has good point there and he's written a good article about immigration so we could.

Well, we can put that in our links too as well.

Read Raymond Knights and he has been a guest on our show together with a colleague there about what was he called? Substeading. Underground Cities.

Yes, Underground Cities was It was the 50th episode number 50.

So maybe we could invite him again and his colleague come back and talk.

About that particular article. Yes, and so I'll look into that but I can hear some ruckus downstairs so I better check on things.But thank you again, Martin for your time and I know it's late over there so hopefully you'll have time to get this episode out soon. And so that's a wrap for me.

Yep. Thank you very much. Take care.

You're welcome.

Thank you. Bye.