Edifice of Trust Podcast

The Edifice of Trust is a podcast that provides discussion and analysis of today’s current events from the perspective of America’s Founding Principles. Based on Enlightenment philosophy as espoused by John Locke and economic freedom as described by Adam Smith, the host, Victor Bolles, provides listeners a path toward understanding current events from these timeless principles. Many Americans believe that the country is moving in the wrong direction, the podcast tries to point out a new course that everyone can support.

Compromise - A Dirty Word 02/10/2026

Compromise - A Dirty Word Senator Chuck Schumer has announced that the Democrats will shut down the government if their demands aren’t met. President Trump vilifies and tries to punish anyone who puts their conscience ahead of absolute loyalty to the MAGA agenda. The word compromise is alien to these two radical factions. But compromise is essential for a working democracy. In this commentary we investigate why compromise is so important. /episode/index/show/edificeoftrust/id/40060455

No Safe Haven 01/30/2026

No Safe Haven Does the rising price of gold signal a looming financial crisis? The price of gold is just one of the forbidding economic signals we are confronting. In this commentary we look at a range of warnings and what we should do about them. /episode/index/show/edificeoftrust/id/39938330

In Search of Order 01/26/2026

In Search of Order CNBC’s Squawk Box crew will probably not have to make their annual pilgrimage to Davos next year. The American-led rules-based world order that the World Economic Forum had tried to reshape to match the good intentions of the global elite is dead. President Trump’s speech at Davos was its eulogy. In this commentary we will try to peer into what is coming next. /episode/index/show/edificeoftrust/id/39877250

Unconstrained 01/20/2026

Unconstrained President Trump’s actions at home and abroad appear to be unconstrained by custom, decency or any rule of law. Hoover Institute fellow Thomas Sowell pointed out in his book, A Conflict of Visions, how an unconstrained vision can ignore the trade-offs the real world imposes on human activities leading to sometimes disastrous unintended consequences. In this commentary we look at how President Trump has adopted a vision normally associated with leftist ideology. /episode/index/show/edificeoftrust/id/39791185

Donroe in Action 01/12/2026

Donroe in Action President Trump is wasting no time to put into action the principles expounded in the recently published National Security Strategy (NSS 2025). It is a strategy based on American power and American interests but not on American values. In this commentary we look at alternatives to a great power multipolar world but these alternatives must await the departure of Donald Trump. /episode/index/show/edificeoftrust/id/39697735

Adios Maduro. Bienvenidos a Quien? 01/05/2026

Adios Maduro. Bienvenidos a Quien? Maduro is now gone but many of the factors that precipitated his capture and arrest are still in place. The socialist government is still in charge. The Venezuelan armed forces are more or less intact. Far left “colectivos” still control the streets of Caracas. Cartels and drug runners still have a lots of product for the American market. In this commentary we look at the current situation and discuss what to look for in the coming weeks and months. /episode/index/show/edificeoftrust/id/39613520

Urgent Priorities in a New World Order 12/30/2025

Urgent Priorities in a New World Order As we enter the year 2026, we must confront the reality that we are living in a new world order. The old American led rules-based world order that was able to avoid great power conflict and provide economic growth and improved living standards across the globe is gone. In this commentary we look at how this new world order changes America’s priorities. /episode/index/show/edificeoftrust/id/39565090

Trumpified Security 12/19/2025

Trumpified Security I promise this will be the last commentary on Trump’s National Security Strategy. Much of the controversy about NSS 2025 has been about the Trump administration’s attitude toward Europe accusing the countries of Europe of losing their traditional cultures amid waves of mass migration. In addition, their lagging economies and heavy expenditures on social welfare have caused them to underfund their own defenses and made them reliant on America to come to their rescue if needed. NSS 2025 basically says, Europe, you are now on your own. In this commentary we look to Trump’s solution for Europe and how it parallels what he is doing here in America. /episode/index/show/edificeoftrust/id/39461205

I Hate It when Trump's Right 12/11/2025

I Hate It when Trump's Right The Trump administration’s recently published National Security Strategy of the United States has been praised by the right and condemned by the left. But mostly for the wrong reasons. NSS 2025 is a rejection of the ideals and principals on which America was founded, the ideals and principals that made America exceptional. In this commentary we look at how this document seeks to reinstate policies that the American Revolution opposed. /episode/index/show/edificeoftrust/id/39372700

Look in the Mirror 12/05/2025

Look in the Mirror Our political leaders try to blame others for all the problems we face. Illegal immigrants, greedy corporations, drug cartels, white men, you name it. They want us to believe that we are victims not responsible for the difficulties that afflict us. But like the Michael Jackson song, Man in the Mirror, if we want to make the world a better place, the first thing we must do is change ourselves. In this commentary we look at why change is up to us. /episode/index/show/edificeoftrust/id/39280475

Conflation Nation 11/25/2025

Conflation Nation President Trump conflates his interests and desires with those of the country and accuses any who opposes him of sedition or treason. He accuses Marjorie Taylor Greene of being a traitor for pushing the release of the Epstein materials even though this was clearly the will of the people. A 35% approval rating means that he does not represent the will of the people but is actually opposing it. In this commentary, we look at how autocratic leaders conflate their will and the peoples’ will. /episode/index/show/edificeoftrust/id/39157825

Let's Think about the Future 11/17/2025

Let's Think about the Future /episode/index/show/edificeoftrust/id/39053560

Mamdani Derangement Syndrome 11/11/2025

Mamdani Derangement Syndrome Our leftist friends suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome cannot get anyone to agree with their rejection of Trump’s policies because their arguments are based on emotion and not logic. Only others equally afflicted by this syndrome can sympathize. But now our friends on the right are suffering from a similar syndrome, Mamdani Derangement Syndrome. In this commentary we look at how our MAGA friends will also find it difficult to get anyone to understand their antipathy to Mamdani’s socialist policies. /episode/index/show/edificeoftrust/id/38985035

Unfinished Revolution 10/31/2025

Unfinished Revolution An article in the most recent issue of the Atlantic Magazine casts doubt on the validity of an originalist interpretation of the US Constitution citing the hopelessly archaic and undemocratic beliefs of many of the Founders. But the progressive reforms recommended by the author would only facilitate the concentration of power in the Executive Branch that President Trump is currently attempting. In this commentary we look at how only an originalist interpretation of the constitution can prevent this concentration of power. /episode/index/show/edificeoftrust/id/38851995

Affordability Agenda 10/27/2025

Affordability Agenda Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani is running for mayor of New York City on what he calls an affordability agenda. He apparently does not realize that it is capitalism that makes things affordable. Socialism just makes things scarce. In this commentary we look at why Mr. Mamdani’s affordability agenda is doomed to failure (and some other matters). /episode/index/show/edificeoftrust/id/38780330

Explain This 10/17/2025

Explain This The situation in the Middle East is changing quickly. The euphoria of a ceasefire and exchange of hostages has deteriorated into the reality of public executions on the streets of Gaza. But the war against Israel is only one front of the larger war against the West. In this commentary we look at the threats to the peaceful Middle East we hoped would follow this ceasefire. /episode/index/show/edificeoftrust/id/38622215

Darkness before Dawn 10/03/2025

Darkness before Dawn Remember the old saying, “it is always darkest before the dawn?” This maxim is intended as a message of hope. No matter how bad things are there is always the hope of a better future, and we are currently living in pretty dark times. But this future dawn doesn’t just happen. We have to make it happen. In this commentary we look at some things we can do to help bring on the dawn. /episode/index/show/edificeoftrust/id/38446685

Hairbrained 09/25/2025

Hairbrained As a politician Donald Trump has always been controversial and many of his campaign promises were outlandish and impracticable. In his first term his close advisors and cabinet members were able to dissuade him from following through on some of the more outrageous ideas. In his second term he has been unchecked by his cabinet and advisors so his ideas have been immediately implemented no matter how harebrained or impulsive. But is this onslaught of outlandish ideas the product of a “stable genius” as he claims or of an unstable genius as we fear? In this commentary we ask some questions about the president’s mental health. /episode/index/show/edificeoftrust/id/38345650

Vertical War in America 09/18/2025

Vertical War in America The horizontal nature of American society (as described by Gordon S. Wood in his book The Radicalism of the American Revolution) is a key factor in what makes our country exceptional. But over time that exceptional social structure, which empowers millions of citizens, has been eroded as more and more power becomes concentrated in Washington. In this commentary we look at how our current divisiveness, that recently claimed Charlie Kirk as a casualty, is a struggle between the right and the left to control all that power. /episode/index/show/edificeoftrust/id/38265540

Unaffordable Abundance 08/27/2025

Unaffordable Abundance Realizing that having no message other than resistance to President Trump will not gain them enough seats to wrest either the House or the Senate from the Republicans, Democrats are seeking a new message to attract voters. One idea gaining popularity is the Abundance Movement that is based on the book Abundance written by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson. In this commentary we look at the pros and cons of some of the authors ideas. /episode/index/show/edificeoftrust/id/37971315

Faux Outrage 08/11/2025

Faux Outrage Democrats across the country are outraged that Texas Governor Abbott wants to redraw the Congressional district map in order to favor Republicans a concept called gerrymandering (although many Democratic states are more gerrymandered than Texas). Both Republicans and Democrats gerrymander even though they also denounce the process. In this commentary we discuss how to get rid of gerrymandering if politicians are sincere about eliminating this blight on our democracy. /episode/index/show/edificeoftrust/id/37749920

A Living Document 08/06/2025

A Living Document A Living Document is the Death of Democracy. The viability and credibility of America’s public institutions are threatened by executive overreach, underperformance by Congress, a Federal Reserve tasked beyond its capabilities, political parties controlled by extremists and a Supreme Court in disrepute. Most of these institutions suffer from mission creep but the Supreme Court is being pilloried for trying to maintain constitutional order. In this commentary we investigate attacks on the Court that are actually attacks on the Constitution. /episode/index/show/edificeoftrust/id/37702350

Homo Duplex 07/30/2025

Homo Duplex The dueling ideologies of the left and right are, in reality, the expression of two aspects of our human nature, an independent individual within a larger society where the needs of the group are in conflict with the needs of the individual. How can we create a good society if our conflicts are buried deep in our human nature? In this commentary, we look at ways to make progress in building a good society. /episode/index/show/edificeoftrust/id/37600290

Three Kevins 07/14/2025

Three Kevins Rumors are flying around Washington about the imminent (and perhaps untimely) departure of Fed Chairman Jerome Powell along with speculation about possible replacements for this critical role. In this commentary we look at some of the implications of this change in leadership at this institution forced to take on outsized responsibilities for the US (and world) economy. /episode/index/show/edificeoftrust/id/37398560

The Difference between Capitalism and Socialism 07/02/2025

The Difference between Capitalism and Socialism The difference between capitalism and socialism is easy to explain, capitalism creates wealth and socialism distributes wealth. The important thing to keep in mind is the difference between creators and distributors. In this commentary we will look at some of those differences. /episode/index/show/edificeoftrust/id/37245280

Who Needs Allies? 06/25/2025

Who Needs Allies? As president Trump flies off to join other world leaders at the NATO meeting in the Netherlands, it is a good time to analyze the nature of that alliance and the necessity of other alliances as well. In this commentary we will address the question of whether we need allies or not and, if we do needs allies, how do we rebuild our network of alliances that President Trump is in the process of destroying? /episode/index/show/edificeoftrust/id/37149405

In the Eye of the Storm 06/17/2025

In the Eye of the Storm Amidst all the chaos swirling around us, all is calm in the eye of the storm. President Trump is at the center of this storm of activity announcing new policies and issuing executive orders while he remains calm and confident. In this commentary we discuss why maybe you shouldn’t be so calm and confident. /episode/index/show/edificeoftrust/id/37031545

You Are Not Entitled to Anything 06/11/2025

You Are Not Entitled to Anything What kind of Post-Trump world do we want to live in? The MAGA-Republicans and progressive left Democrats are in a bitter fight for the vote of American citizens, one side offering tax cuts galore for wealthy citizens and favored industries (funded by massive and unsustainable increases in the public debt), the other side offering an avalanche of benefits for favored identities and favored industries (funded by massive and unsustainable increases in the public debt). In this commentary, we look at what we really need to do to navigate in a Post-Trump world. /episode/index/show/edificeoftrust/id/36943580

The First Step toward a Post-Trump World 05/31/2025

The First Step toward a Post-Trump World There are many barriers to our goal of rejuvenating America in a post-Trump world. The first step in this rejuvenation effort is getting a government that works so that we have a solid foundation which can support our efforts. The US congress can’t pass a budget, can’t manage our finances and can’t get important policies approved with a bipartisan consensus. In order to get a government that works we must reform Congress. In this commentary we discuss some of the important reforms needed to set Congress on the right track. Link to the Letter to Elected Officials can be found here: Link to source material: /episode/index/show/edificeoftrust/id/36801630

The Royal Treatment 05/23/2025

The Royal Treatment Last week President Trump travelled to the M idle East with 60 CEOs in tow to be feted with parades and receptions galore and gifted a 747 airplane to replace his aging Air Force one. But amongst all the hoopla President Trump made a major foreign policy speech denouncing “interventionalists” who tried to impose Western values on Middle Eastern potentates to no avail. His speech asserted his position as a foreign policy realist. In this commentary we look at why his foreign policy may not be as realist as he thinks. /episode/index/show/edificeoftrust/id/36687925

Edifice of Trust Podcast

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