It’s The Fourth Of July! Why Am I Sad?

Quoth the Raven · QTR’s Fringe Finance · July 04, 2026 at 11:33 · ⏱ 15 min read  | Read on Substack ↗
Summary
The article argues that America has abandoned its founding principles of liberty and private property, with government spending ($6.4T, 36% of GDP), regulatory overreach (178,277 CFR pages), and Federal Reserve money printing destroying economic freedom. It calls for a return to classical liberal ideals but offers no market-relevant analysis or actionable trade ideas.
  • Total government spending was $6.4 trillion, over 36% of GDP.
  • Federal budget deficit last fiscal year was $438 billion.
  • Gross federal debt expected to exceed $19 trillion by year-end, 106% of GDP.
  • Money supply increased $880 billion (8%) over the past year via Fed monetary inflation.
  • 2013 Code of Federal Regulations had 178,277 pages regulating everything from battery chargers to corn dogs.
  • 38% of workers in 2008 needed a government license or certification to do their job, versus 5% in the 1950s.
  • Author quotes Francis Wayland and Ludwig von Mises on private property as the foundation of civilization.
  • Criticizes Elizabeth Warren's 11 tenets of progressivism as a call for more government intervention and destruction of private property.
Read time 15 min
Length 15,283 chars
Category finance
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