Edifice of Trust Podcast
Victor C. Bolles
November 17, 2025
Distracted by all the various crises that confront us in the twenty-first century, we have little time to think about the future. But if we don’t start thinking about what kind of future we want, we will be doomed to live in a future created by circumstances beyond our control. In this commentary we look at some of the factors we need to address to build a better future.
Quote from the commentary:
The truth is that Americans have always had to struggle through tough times. Life on the frontier was hard. An immigrant’s life in the slums of New York City was hard. Low wages, long hours, discrimination. Why did they do it? Why did they come to America? There was no welfare system. There were no food stamps. There was no free medical care. Why? They came for the opportunity. The pursuit of happiness.
Victor C. Bolles
November 11, 2025
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.
quote from the commentary:
In Mamdani’s social democratic universe, much the blame will also fall on non-Marxist moderate Democrats who will take the place of treasonous RINOs in MAGA universe. The only difference will be the lack of Trump inspired nicknames.
Victor C. Bolles
October 31, 2025
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.
Quote from the commentary:
The legal basis for many of the key elements of his MAGA Movement have yet to be determined. Everything is being dumped onto the Court. Let us hope that (the author) is wrong and that our originalist justices are able to decipher how our Founders would have supported the checks and balances that have preserved our republic for 250 years.
Victor C. Bolles
October 27, 2025
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).
Quote from Joseph Schumpeter:
“Queen Elizabeth owned silk stockings. The capitalist achievement does not typically consist in providing more silk stockings for queens but in bringing them within reach of factory girls.”
Victor C. Bolles
October 17, 2025
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.
Quote from the commentary:
The next phase of the cease fire is critical – disarming Hamas to eliminate the weapons they currently have. This will not be easy. The public execution of opponents by Hamas is proof that have not relinquished the use of deadly force and terror to achieve their goals. Already President Trump is saying that terrorist violence in Gaza must stop or he will, “go in and kill them.”
Victor C. Bolles
October 3, 2025
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.
Quote from the commentary:
“President Trump is in the process of deconstructing the America that our ancestors built, which has lasted 250 years. Government departments and agencies are being wiped out. Power is being concentrated in the White House while the president attempts to ignore or circumvent the checks on concentrated power that our Founders created.”
Victor C. Bolles
September 25, 2025
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.
Quote from the commentary:
Mr. Trump loves this power. An idea pops into his head (often in the middle of the night) which he then promptly posts on Truth Social. Et voila. It’s now government policy. He is the most powerful person on the planet and he wants everyone to know it.
Victor C. Bolles
September 18, 2025
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.
Quote from the commentary
The divisiveness plaguing our country are the riptides and eddies of the struggle to control all that power as extremes on both the left and the right battle for supremacy. Checks and balances created by the Framers are being attacked. Power is being concentrated in the executive branch abetted by a compliant bureaucracy as an inept Congress cedes its enumerated constitutional powers.
Victor C. Bolles
August 27, 2025
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.
Quote from the commentary:
“Given that the authors of Abundance admit that economic growth, building infrastructure and producing energy are essential to the abundant future they envision one would think that the general public and even some Republicans would be supportive of the Abundance Agenda ……. But a lot of the Abundance Agenda is little more than wishful thinking.”
Victor C. Bolles
August 11, 2025
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.
Quote from the commentary:
“So, spare me the drama and faux outrage. Gerrymandering appears to be an unfortunate side effect of democracy but it should be fairly easy to get rid of gerrymandering. With the vast computing power of artificial intelligence, it would be simple for AI to configure compact contiguous districts without regard to the strength of political parties in certain areas. But. There is always a “but” isn’t there?”
Is the death of Democracy
Victor C. Bolles
August 6, 2025
The viability and credibility of America’s public institutions are threatened by executive overreach, Congressional underperformance, 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.
Quote from the Commentary:
“Democrats claim that the US constitution should be a living document. That the Court’s interpretation of the US Constitution should reflect the current culture and modern ways of thinking. One that evolves, changes over time, and adapts to new circumstances, without being formally amended. But a living document is a politicized document reflecting the views and opinions of the party in power. But the Democrats are not alone. Donald Trump also wants to change how the Constitution is interpreted.”
