Exploring the Promising Horizons of 2026

Foreign. Ladies and gentlemen, hello and happy New year. The year 2026. This is episode 106 of the secular Foxhole podcast. Today is just Martin and I.We have various topics we want to cover and we hope all our listeners have. Are having. And we'll have a great 2026 ahead of them. Yeah. And hopefully it's better than 2025. Yes, in many ways.But I, Martin, I do want to talk about. I have some good things.I jotted these down and actually, in our conversation with each other, but I haven't, I don't have it actually formally written in front of me. But I just, again, I want to keep plugging the Roots of Progress Institute with Jason Crawford at the head.He has announced that he has finished his book.

Great.

And that's. The MIT press should have it published in 2027. But that is great news. And that institute, if you will, is flourishing.And if I had money to spare, I would donate to them every month as well. But that's in the future, hopefully. Yeah, but so that's, that's great news and good news and other things are going on.I think there we have here in the United States, we, I just thought it was, boom, supersonic, but apparently there's two or three other companies that are building supersonic aircraft, and that's. So there's healthy competition in that field.And I, I'm very anxious or eager to see that come to fruition in the next five to 10 years, because who would not want to go from, let's say, from New York to Copenhagen.

Copenhagen or Greenland.

Yeah, we'll talk about that. Or to. How quickly will you do that, let's say.Well, New York to London would be less than three hours, I think, or so instead of, you know, six or seven hours.

Yeah.

And then I think, I think they.

Said, do you get. Not yet. Like, but do you, do you feel that, you know, speed.

Well, I don't know, but find out, let's put it that way. But I'm probably way too old to attempt that by the time they do come.

It's fascinating.

But so I'm, and I'm happy about those things. There's. So there's, again, there's positive currents overall in the culture, even though.And politics always is like two decades behind the culture, if you will, just. Although they have their, you know, what I call spasms of clarity, you know, every once in a while nonetheless.But what else is happening that I think is good news? I like the recent release of a book called Two Aristotle and Ayn Rand and the authors James Lennox and Greg Salmieri compare those two great titans.And as we know Misrand is in the Aristotelian tradition and they, they talk about the differences and similarities. And I think if I will go ahead and boldly say the improvements that Ms. Rand made or corrections that were made by her to his original ideas.But he is the giant that the world stands on in my personal opinion.

And I will comment there. When did it, when did it published?

I got the paperback yesterday so. And the Kindle version comes out on the 12th.

Yeah. Will it be an Audible version also audio version?

That I'm not sure of.

But it probably because I like hardcovers and so on and taking notes.But also economically wise and space wise I like to have it listen to podcast, listen to podcasts and listen to books and I have an audible account and you have given me great book tips in the past. So I have plenty of credits there still and I want to use that. So thanks. That's a great.And talking about that what I reflected when I listened to a conversation in interview with Jaron Brook on Free Cities podcast and he talked about now we have a hopefully a prosperous new year and how we plan and how we have achieve our values. Values.And that Rand had come up with this hierarchy of values and he mentioned that during the podcast and that was the host where he took that as a takeaway from the podcast. But it's easy. I think they met at like some Liberty of Freedom conference or about how could you move to so called a freer place in the world.

Okay.

Because Free Cities Podcast talking about different projects. Okay.

So that's the name of the show Free Cities Podcast.

Yeah, Free Cities Podcast. But then you have your values in order. So for example, as you said we talk now it's the nice seasons here, winter in New England and in Sweden.But if you hate snow and cold weather, I mean even if it's New Hampshire, for example, I think is interesting place to be and I've studied there.

Oh sure, sure.

But if the highest value of you is to have sun, maybe you will get that in the spring and summer and autumn, but during the winter it could be harsh. Right. And they had for example, you take example where in North Sea or whatever they had the sea steadying.But if you don't want to be on a platform and getting seasick, maybe you should be some other place. So that was really to so called integrated and connected with your own daily life.And then of course it is if you could achieve that also, I mean he gave interesting examples there but it's interesting to see how could cities be more free and more areas. And now I'm jumping here back and forth.Hopefully Venezuela will be more free but it is up to the citizens there and the individuals and the opposition, the real opposition that one of the representative got the Nobel Peace Prize. I had my issues about the Nobel Peace Prize in the past but this was a good choice.And there I will, I did a commentary on my podcast ego net cost and live streaming. So it will be an edit. I will edit it and do an episode there.And then I talked about and referenced to Robert Tracynski running for Congress and he did a great analysis of what's going on. And now the news today is that Trump so called needs Greenland. And then of course it's a you know, sec Security thing and defense and so on.But you can't grab another country for if you so called wish you have to talk about it.

And you would think yes, I think.

And then yeah, actually what's going on?

My wife and I had an interesting discussion about that actually this morning.I had unfortunately I, I don't remember the title of the book but there was a general American general who wrote a book about something called spheres of influence. In other words. Yeah, this, and that's, this goes back in history and it's. It.I think Trump is reenacting that and not a very, very slipshod manner but nonetheless it would be Asia which would China I guess would control in quotes and the United States and the Americas, North America, South America, so on and so forth. And then you'd have Europe so those three spheres.And then although you would have trade none of, none of the others should go to isolate to infiltrate or invade. So in a sense, okay, he's getting, he has alleged he's captured Maduro. Now whether or not.

Yeah.

The legal system is going to prosecute him, we don't know yet. So but it's like I read, I think I read you and I read the same thing about from Robert Fracinski.I've read similar things from another commentator that this is basically the Godfather episode where okay, there's the no Nobel Prize winning woman who, who actually won the election. Yep. Well you would think since you're deposing Maduro you would say you know, okay, come in and take over.

Yeah.

Because you rightfully won the election there.But no, he's, he's got, Trump's got Maduro's crony as vice president so to speak installed now because she has the keen grasp of the oil industry there, quote. So I mean, it's just, you know, what can, what kind of loot can you, you know, throw to me? You know, you know, you know, favor here, favor there.Hey, you know, hey, hey. Yeah, that kind of thing.

Yeah, it is. But then another mess. But hopefully now, after it's 46 years, what's going on in Iran really.And they taking care of it themselves, but they need the moral support. And I go back to Cox and Forkham's series of cartoons. Yeah, still valid. So they will take care of it.Of course, it will be probably some other actors there, but you know, Israel would look at it, how it's going and it's probably more involved there, but they will do it. And then it's good that Rias Pahlavi was on there. He's so called a king or a prince or whatever you call it. And we are not royalists.But he says he want to have a secular society and he don't want to have a power, but he could be a moral support and he has lots of experience and so on. So that's the way to do it. And if that will now come to fruition. Fruition, thanks.Then Iran, that is with Hezbollah controlling Lebanon, that could be a peaceful place, then you will have a positive influence. Swear of influence. So I am positive. I'm a realist and I'm an objectivist and our show is not a political show or geopolitical.But it's interesting how this play out. Do you have any other positive news here or other things that you're thinking about?

Well, again, I want to endorse the people of Iran and I want them to, to know that even though our voice is small here in the United States, we, we steadfastly stand with the people of Iran against the, the Ayatollahs and, and hope that they achieve a victory and to pose that theocracy and do it as swiftly and as peacefully as possible. So that's my two cents on that. And what else do I have? Let me see if I do have a quick note that again, I'm going to check on what I wrote to you.Let's see here. I mentioned the books. I mentioned the Progress Roots of Progress Institute. No, that's it.Again, we had 8 inches of snow about 10 days ago and that's still on the ground.

Yeah.

And then we had just the last yesterday and today we've had just some dusting. And so that's the winter though. Here in the northeastern US and as far as future podcasts, I do hopefully have some things lined up.I reached out to professor, he has co authored one book and written another so hopefully that that will come to fruition. But that's all I know and when.

We have because I think we will as I like calendars and I like name days but you don't celebrate that in United States of America. But it's that you have your first name like Martin has a name day. It's interesting how it came about. It was in beginning it was lots of saints.So it was like the church. They wanted to have names of saints into the calendar. So people will so called baptized them according to that I think. But now it changed.So it's a very nice tradition that you have in Scandinavian countries, in Greece, in Hungary and in some other places.And then when you buy a calendar it's name female and male name in the calendar so you could buy like a small gift or present to your colleague at work or family and friends and neighbors, whatever. So I think that's a neat thing.So then we have this talk about this new year and isn't it Thomas Paine, isn't that some celebration in the near future here?

We'll have to check on that. But yeah.

Again as you take over the statue. Yeah.

As you know I've, I've had some issues. Family issues.

I know.

And that's. My mind has been preoccupied with that for the last eight months.

Yeah.

And we're, we're, we're slowly making progress. But.

Good to hear.

Thank you. But. So I'm not, not up to date on relevant facts as far as American history. Although this will be America's 250th year. Yeah. Is it coming this summer?And that is, that's an enormous, wonderful achievement.

It is. It's still going strong and young in compared to others. But it's rich history there. And then talking about that we have then of course February 2nd.

That's correct.

Let's see what we could do with that. Rand's birthday and also see how it's going with bitcoin where it's standing at that moment. So we could send some and boost the grounds with 221905.

That's true.

And that's where you have this economic aspect of the of. So we will talk more about that. You know, separation of state and economy and other things.

Yes, I now that you mentioned that, I want to mention an economist who's under the radar. His name is Martin Armstrong. Just Type his. Google his name and you'll see his. You'll. You'll get his.You know you'll get his bonif bona fides if you will. Yeah and I. I recommend you more and more people read his daily notes. Sorry I got a bad throat here. Hold on a second.So and but anyway Martin Armstrong is his name and Google him and start following him. That's if you want solid futuristic.

So thanks for that tips. We'll talk more about that because that's really important.

Did you want to plug some of your own shows?

Yeah, I think I said that Egonet cast my first podcast so and I would also. I also have had some challenges and but then I talk about that on my podcast.The latest one there is Pluck the day about well being and achieving your values and so on.So so that's a podcast that I will soon do some new episodes what I see in coming to personal development and my as I said well being health and wellness and mine. So it's really interesting and also some business opportunities involved in that area.

Great great.

So yeah I think that's for now and when we could come back talking about the Yuletide and gifts and presents and the new year again. As I said.

Yeah I want to. Let me. I want to So I also want to thank you for reminding me of Yuletide. I've been using that more and more the last couple of months.So that is the actual name for it.

Actual name there. And do you have a fireplace in your.

Yes, we do. Yes we do.

Yeah. So then you could put the U log. That's the whole where it was coming from the big tree thing called a log. A U log.

That's right. You're right. You're right. All right Martin, that's it for me. I do have to run. Yep.Same so and so thank you again and just let me know when you get this published. I'll try to send you some links.

Great.

In the next day or so. Yeah great. That'll help hope and then we'll let it call it a wrap. Yeah.

And the call to action is to go to the secular foxhole.Right dot live and check out there click on the donate button support button to to get if you want to get in contact first of more foremost with Blair that taking care of this and also that could be like a so called resolution or how to say declaration blog. Now I'm pulling your leg a bit your great blog post for a year. Right. Oh well I have to because it's a great page there, pod page to use.

I do like it. Yes.

In order to get discovered, so to speak, or maybe, you know, some attention. So you're doing that. Great. And that's how we met to, you know, the circle with the blogger, the blog role. And now you could have a pod role.So you could with a new modern podcast application, you could add our podcast, the Secretary Voxel, as a recommendation so others could find it.

Yeah, that's true.

And we could do that also if you have a podcast that you think align with, you know, our podcast, we could add that as a recommendation with TrueFans FM and put that in place. So great, Blair, very good.

All right, Martin, thank you so much.

Thank you. Talk to you soon again. Bye for now. All right, bye.