Talk a little bit about this chap Ray Dalio and his machinations to, well, obviously stay in the good graces of the Chinese Communist Party, but sort of avoid some of the appropriate criticism that is received for what seems to be his slavish devotion to doing business with the CCP.

Much to talk about in your domain. Bill, there was a webinar that our committee on the present danger in China held on Thursday of last week. I was very pleased that you were one of those who made a presentation. I’d be interested in your take at large, but also specifically about the topic that you addressed, which was as a former master of the universe, as they say yourself, what are these capitalists on Wall Street thinking when they take steps that underwrite the mortal enemy of this country with their client’s money?

There’s a new strain headed our way. And so I hope you are well positioned with your natural immunities to stave that off. Let me ask you Bill, we’re going to be doing speaking of China, a webinar about the extraordinary, indeed almost I think unprecedented degree to which one country’s financial sector is underwriting the threat posed to that country by another, in this case Wall Street’s use of our pension funds and other index funds, 401k plans, the like, mutual funds, to especially enable all of the various things the Chinese communist party is doing to threaten this country. You are going to be participating in a webinar on this subject, I’m very pleased to say on Thursday of this week from 1:00 to 2:30 Eastern time brought to us by the Committee on the present Danger of China, of which you and I are members. I wanted just to get your thoughts on specifically the topic we’ve asked you to address, which is what an earth are these masters of the universe on Wall Street thinking as they engage in this obviously self destructive behavior.

One of the hardy perennials of our conversations of course is what the Chinese communist party is up to, Bill, that is both exploiting our financial resources, most especially in connection with the financial sector, transferring by some estimates, multiple trillions of dollars in American investors portfolios to the Chinese communist party, even the people’s liberation army, incredibly enough. But there’s another whole slew of American companies that also are anxious to do business with the Chinese, besides Larry Fink at BlackRock and his ilk. And they got a letter from the Chinese communist party embassy here in Washington last week. What do we know about that letter and what was the thrust of it? What do you think it’s implications will be?

Biden is threatening to shut down another American pipeline. With energy costs already skyrocketing, look for a tough winter ahead for ordinary Americans in keeping their houses heated.

Willful destruction or blithering ignorance? Virtually no one in the Biden Administration has any private sector experience. Take your pick, the bad consequences remain the same.

The core ideologues behind Biden’s climate policy are “de-growth” advocates who want the world’s economy to shrink. 

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is cracking down on Chinese companies who refuse to let our PCAOB audit their auditors. A rare case of the Biden Administration getting something right.

China is facing a big problem with the unwinding of its real estate investment markets. Massive debt levels and vast oversupply portend trouble ahead for China. Will this bleed into the U.S. economy, given our interrelationships. 

Joe Biden has nominated a full blown Marxist to be Comptroller of the Currency. She does not believe that the United States should have a private banking system, the industry she would be regulating. 

The Glasgow Climate Summit. Joe Biden now seems to require an 85 car entourage. 

Cutting carbon emissions to zero by 2050. No one signing up will ever do this. What are the real agendas behind this Kabuki Theatre.

Blackrock’s Larry Fink and other major U.S. based financial firms are still aggressively urging U.S. investors to invest in China seemingly oblivious to the threats it poses. What are their ultimate endgames?

Vaccine mandates and passports and their chilling effect on our freedoms and on the world economy. We are now seeing firsthand the phenomena of “madmen in power.” An overstatement?

Hypersonic missile technology, missiles detectable only from space. China now has it and the United States apparently does not. China buys its semiconductors from Taiwan’s Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) to make them. This is a problem.

Testing rockets requires simulations using artificial intelligence capabilities provided by two Silicon Valley companies. In this new Cold War with China, we need to address China’s “military/civil fusion” strategies. 

Where do our technology companies owe their allegiance? The answers are complex and if you care about the United States’ national security, the answers should worry you.

J.P. Morgan’s Jamie Dimon calls it “life in the fast lane.”

Global supply chains continue to falter. A major explanation: government virus related interventions in the economy during the past two years. 

The permafrost is melting in Siberia. Something that sounds ominous, may ultimately portend great opportunity. 

China’s continuing efforts to steal essential military technology from the United States. Our current Defense Department leadership seems incapable of protecting key technologies.

America needs to rethink what “war” really is in the 21^st Century. The Chinese believe in total warfare: culture, economic, kinetic, technology, etc and America needs to respond accordingly.

Has the United States fallen behind China in its artificial intelligence capabilities? One former Defense official says yes.

The Evergrande meltdown and the likelihood that China will pull out all the stops to try to “manage” its inevitable bankruptcy. China is massively over-invested in real estate and how it attempts to rebalance its economy is a must watch.

The Biden Administration is planning to retain the China tariffs that Trump put in place. Look for a muddle through with no big changes ahead. Nothing is more fraught than government’s trying to intervene in the economy. 

Biden keeps pushing “renewable” energy which will only make America more dependent on China which mines and manufactures most all the key components. 

The World Bank’s “Doing Business” ratings have been manipulated by China to improve it ratings, putting it ahead of Switzerland. A key World Bank official had her hand in the affair. 

Bill talks with Frank about:

John Thornton’s, former senior executive at Goldman Sachs, recent six week pilgrimage through China. What it signals.

The Chinese plan to leverage Joe Biden’s and John Kerry’s obsession with “climate change” to the hilt. 

The power shortage in China and its efforts to clear the air of smog in Beijing before the 2022 Olympics. 

Investing in China continues to be a risky and low return business for investors. Why does Blackrock keep pushing it?

The meltdown of real estate property developer Evergrande continues to unfold. What does it portend?

C-Suites in America are now almost fully “woke.” The CEO of CVS is now personally conducting Critical Race Theory training for 10’s of thousands of its staff.