Business & Finance

For most of my career, I believed deeply in the American Dream, because I lived it. I entered the investment world during an era when innovation was exploding, entrepreneurship was celebrated, and ordinary Americans could invest early in great ideas. Today, that system is breaking down, and the consequences are far bigger than Wall Street. They are reshaping our culture, our politics, and our children’s future.

If we want real economic justice, we must confront an uncomfortable truth: the shrinking stock market is locking everyday Americans out of opportunity.

Stream Economic War Room with Kevin Freeman on the Real Life Network.

The Golden Era of Opportunity

When I graduated from college and entered investment management, there were over 6,000 publicly traded companies. The Dow hovered around 1,100. Entrepreneurs launched new ideas constantly, and everyday investors could participate in their success.

Innovation wasn’t restricted to elites. From early tech pioneers to small manufacturers, public markets allowed average Americans to build wealth simply by working hard and investing wisely. That system worked, and it fueled the greatest middle class expansion in history.

The Shocking Decline of Public Companies

Despite massive economic growth, the number of publicly traded companies has been cut in half over the past three decades. Our population has grown by 50%. GDP has increased eightfold. Yet investment opportunities have collapsed.

The iconic Wilshire 5000, once designed to track roughly 5,000 public companies, now includes closer to 3,400, and that number keeps shrinking. This is not a coincidence. It’s a warning sign.

Financialization and the Rise of Private Equity

Today, there are more ETFs and mutual funds than individual stocks. That means more money is being made from managing investments than from building companies.

At the same time, private equity has exploded. Companies stay private longer, funded by massive pools of capital available only to the ultra-wealthy. By the time a company goes public, much of the growth, and profit, has already been captured.

Uber is a prime example. Private investors made billions before the public ever had access. When everyday Americans finally invested, many suffered steep losses. This isn’t protecting the little guy. It’s excluding him.

Regulation: Well-Intended, Deeply Damaging

Since the 1980s, the regulatory burden of going public has skyrocketed. Laws like Sarbanes-Oxley and Dodd-Frank dramatically increased compliance costs, audits, disclosures, and legal exposure. In the 1980s, hundreds of companies went public each year. Today, fewer than 100 do.

On average, being a public company now costs over $1 million more per year than staying private, and for some firms, far more. Entrepreneurs respond rationally: they avoid public markets altogether. The result? Ordinary Americans are shut out of early-stage growth.

The Cantillon Effect and the Wealth Gap

When money is created, it doesn’t flow evenly through the economy. Those closest to the source, banks, financial institutions, and the wealthy, benefit first. Everyone else pays later through inflation.

Since leaving the gold standard in 1971, the dollar has lost roughly 90% of its purchasing power. Meanwhile, the wealthiest Americans have seen their assets rise alongside money creation. This is why young people feel the system is rigged. And when opportunity disappears, socialism starts to sound appealing.

Why Socialism Isn’t the Answer

Across history, from Lenin to Mao to Chavez, socialism has always ended the same way: less freedom, less wealth, and more misery.

What young Americans are reacting to isn’t capitalism, it’s crony capitalism. A system where only elites can win breeds resentment and despair. True free-market capitalism creates opportunity, innovation, and generosity. And we can restore it.

A Path Forward: Real Economic Justice

We need solutions that expand opportunity, not restrict it. That includes:

• Making it easier for companies to go public earlier
• Reducing excessive regulation while maintaining transparency
• Protecting intellectual property from foreign theft
• Giving Americans access to sound money that holds its value

Through initiatives like state-level gold and silver legal tender laws, we are already restoring financial freedom in multiple states. These reforms protect purchasing power and give families real choices.

Restoring the American Dream

Imagine a system where everyday Americans can invest early in the next great innovation. Where money holds its value. Where entrepreneurs thrive, and workers share in the upside. That’s not nostalgia. It’s achievable.

Economic justice doesn’t come from redistribution. It comes from opportunity, ownership, and freedom. America has done this before. And with the right reforms, we can do it again.

Kevin Freeman is host of Economic War Room and Pirate Money Radio. Stream Economic War Room with Kevin Freeman on the Real Life Network.

Related Articles

• Good As Gold: Why Honest Money Matters by Kevin Freeman
• Pirate Money Radio: Biblical Economics with Bob McEwen by Kevin Freeman
• Economic Justice, Real Money, and America’s Future by Kevin Freeman

America is standing at a financial crossroads. With nearly $38 trillion in national debt, endless money creation, and growing economic instability, the consequences are no longer theoretical, they’re personal. On Economic War Room with Kevin Freeman, I sat down with renowned economist Dr. Judy Shelton, author of Good as Gold, to confront the hard truths about our monetary system and explore real solutions rooted in history, faith, and free markets. This conversation goes beyond politics or theory. It’s about restoring honest money, protecting families, and advancing christian financial planning grounded in biblical principles.

Stream Economic War Room with Kevin Freeman on the Real Life Network.

The Debt Crisis No One Can Ignore

America’s debt isn’t slowing down, it’s accelerating. When I wrote Pirate Money just two years ago, we were near $32 trillion. Today, we’re approaching $38 trillion, and the Federal Reserve continues creating money with a keystroke.

Why This Matters to Everyday Americans

Inflation isn’t an accident. It’s the direct result of a system designed to finance government spending rather than productive work. As Dr. Shelton explained, money is supposed to be:

• A unit of account
• A means of exchange
• A store of value

When money fails at these three jobs, families lose purchasing power, savings are quietly confiscated, and long-term planning becomes impossible.

When Central Banking Replaces Honest Weights

Biblical Economics Meets Modern Reality

Dr. Shelton made a powerful point that resonates deeply with a biblical worldview:

“Honest weights and measures are biblical.”

Scripture warns against false balances, and yet modern monetary policy deliberately erodes the value of the dollar year after year. Even a so-called “modest” 2% inflation means a 20% loss of value in a decade. That’s not stability. That’s debasement. This is why christian financial planning must account for monetary integrity. You cannot steward resources faithfully when the measuring stick itself keeps changing.

The Federal Reserve and the Illusion of Control

Unlimited Money, Unlimited Consequences

Federal Reserve officials openly admit they can create unlimited money. As Dr. Shelton explained, this happens when the Fed buys Treasury debt and credits bank accounts instantly without any new production or value created. The result?

• More money chasing the same goods
• Higher prices
• A growing wealth gap
• Increased dependence on government

History shows where this leads, from Weimar Germany to Zimbabwe. Superpowers are not immune from collapse.

Gold, the Constitution, and Economic Freedom

Why Gold Still Matters

Gold isn’t nostalgia. It’s discipline. Dr. Shelton reminded us that the Founders embedded sound money into the Constitution for a reason. Article I treats money the same way it treats weights and measures, because both must be objective, stable, and trustworthy.

That’s why gold-backed systems:

• Limit government abuse
• Protect individual liberty
• Restore trust in money

Even former Fed Chairs like Alan Greenspan and Paul Volcker acknowledged gold’s role as an anchor against fiscal irresponsibility.

‍Treasury Trust Bonds: A Market-Based Solution

Funding Government Without Mandates

One of the most compelling ideas from Good as Gold is Treasury Trust Bonds, government bonds redeemable in either dollars or gold.

Why this matters:

• Investors choose sound money voluntarily
• Markets, not mandates, discipline government
• Confidence replaces coercion

This complements the state-level sound money movement we’ve advanced in Texas, Florida, Arkansas, and beyond, representing over $5 trillion in combined GDP.

Faith, Freedom, and the Path Forward

Economic Integrity Is a Moral Issue

Economic freedom isn’t just about prosperity, it’s about responsibility. When money is honest, people can plan, save, give, and build generationally. That’s why the mission of Economic War Room with Kevin Freeman is clear:

What the marketplace sees as business, our enemies see as a battlefield.

Sound money is not fringe. It’s foundational.

Stream Economic War Room with Kevin Freeman on the Real Life Network. 

If the government can print money, why does it still need to borrow? That simple question recently exposed just how broken modern economic thinking has become, and why Americans urgently need biblical truth and common sense when it comes to money.

On this episode of Pirate Money Radio with Kevin Freeman, I’m joined by one of the clearest economic thinkers I know: former six-term Congressman Bob McEwen. Together, we unpack the difference between free markets and socialism, explain why inflation quietly steals from families, and show how Christian finances must be grounded in truth, standards, and personal responsibility.

Stream Pirate Money Radio on the Real Life Network. 

The Problem with Modern Monetary Thinking

One of the most revealing moments in recent economic history came when a top government economist openly admitted confusion about how money works. If money can simply be created, why does debt even matter?

That question exposes the fatal flaw of modern monetary theory: it removes standards.

Bob McEwen explains economics the way farmers, small business owners, and families instinctively understand it, you must produce before you consume. Wealth is not printed. It is created through voluntary exchange, hard work, and service to others.

When the government abandons that principle, confusion replaces clarity—and inflation replaces prosperity.

Free Markets vs. Socialism: Two Very Different Outcomes

Bob McEwen breaks economics down to its simplest truth:
There are only two ways to get money from someone else.

Free Enterprise

• You offer something valuable
• The exchange is voluntary
• Both parties are better off
• Wealth is created

Socialism

• Money is taken through force or policy
• No value is created
• Incentives are destroyed
• Poverty follows

Socialists know how to redistribute wealth, but they don’t know how to create it. History proves this every time. From Detroit to Venezuela, the pattern never changes: the bigger the government, the fewer the choices, and the poorer the people.

Freedom and prosperity always travel together.

Why Printing Money Is a Form of Theft

Inflation doesn’t announce itself with a gun, but the result is the same.When government prints money without restraint, every dollar you hold buys less. That’s not theory. That’s math.

Bob explains money as a representation of past work, a claim on value you’ve already created. When that measuring stick is manipulated, savings are destroyed, wages fall behind, and families lose purchasing power.

That’s why civilizations have always relied on standards, especially gold, as an honest measure of value. Gold doesn’t change. Politicians do.

Truth, Standards, and Biblical Foundations

One of the most powerful moments in this conversation is when Bob connects economics directly to faith. Truth requires a standard. Without it, everything becomes opinion—and opinions don’t protect liberty. America’s founders understood this. They grounded law, money, and markets in biblical principles: individual responsibility, private property, honest weights and measures, and equality before God.

That’s why this conversation isn’t just about economics—it’s about spiritual foundations. When truth is removed, error flourishes. When standards disappear, corruption fills the void.

First, Second, and Third-Party Payers: Why Government Always Wastes Money

Bob McEwen delivers what may be the clearest explanation ever given on why government programs always cost more and deliver less.

First-Party Payer

• You pay
• You consume
• You care about price and quality

Second-Party Payer

• You control only one variable
• Inefficiency begins

Third-Party Payer

• You don’t pay
• You don’t consume
• You don’t care about price or quality

Every government program operates as a third-party payer system. That’s why waste is inevitable, and why bigger government always leads to bigger problems. As Abraham Lincoln warned, government should do only what individuals cannot do better themselves.

Christian Finances Require Biblical Principles

Christian finances must be rooted in stewardship, honesty, and truth, not political promises. Scripture teaches that money reflects character. Faithfulness with “unrighteous mammon” matters. When believers understand economics biblically, they’re equipped to give generously, invest wisely, and resist systems that quietly steal from future generations.

Sound money supports strong families, thriving communities, and enduring liberty.

Final Thoughts: Why Pirate Money Radio Matters

This episode of Pirate Money Radio with Kevin Freeman isn’t about politics—it’s about reality.

Bob McEwen reminds us that economic laws work the same way moral laws do. You can ignore them for a while, but eventually, the consequences arrive.

America’s future depends on whether we return to truth, standards, and biblical wisdom. That starts with understanding money, not as something government creates, but as something people earn.

Stream Pirate Money Radio on the Real Life Network. 

Watch Pirate Money Radio and stay grounded in truth by streaming on Real Life Network.

If you talk to young Americans today, you hear a common refrain: “The American Dream feels out of reach.” Housing is unaffordable, debt is crushing, and many wonder if hard work will ever truly pay off. On Pirate Money Radio, we’ve been unpacking why that feeling exists—and more importantly, what can be done about it through biblical tithing, Christian budgeting, and principled Christian financial planning.

In a recent conversation, I was joined by my friend and colleague Mike Carter to connect the dots between real money, economic justice, faith, and the future of our nation. What we discussed isn’t theoretical. It’s already shaping elections, families, and the direction America will take in the coming decades.

The Growing Cry for Economic Justice and Christian Financial Planning

Economic justice is not a slogan invented by politicians—it’s a biblical principle rooted in Scripture, stewardship, biblical tithing, and sound Christian financial planning. Scripture speaks clearly about fair weights and measures, and history proves what happens when societies abandon them.

Today, many Americans—especially Gen Z—feel locked out:

• Student debt delays adulthood
• Housing prices push first-time buyers toward age 40
• Inflation erodes savings faster than people can earn

As Mike Carter put it, young people are working harder than ever, yet feel like they’re running on a treadmill that never moves forward. That frustration explains why socialist ideas suddenly sound appealing to voters who see no upward mobility.

The Turning Point: Leaving Sound Money Behind

One of the most important turning points in modern American history happened quietly in 1971, when the United States abandoned the gold standard. From that moment on, money became disconnected from anything tangible.

The results have been devastating:

• Exploding national debt
• Persistent inflation
• A widening wealth gap

When Congress can spend without restraint and the Federal Reserve can print at will, the system rewards those closest to the money spigot while punishing average families. This is known as the Cantillon Effect, and it explains why asset holders thrive while wages lag behind.

Mike emphasized that this isn’t just an economic issue—it’s a moral one. Unjust money produces unjust outcomes.

Gen Z, Socialism, and the Search for Hope

We’re seeing something unprecedented: young voters turning out in massive numbers for socialist candidates. Not because socialism works—but because they’re desperate for answers.

Mike and I discussed how policies like rent control and collectivism promise short-term relief but deliver long-term devastation. History—from Venezuela to North Korea—confirms this truth.

When people lose hope in building a future for themselves, they begin voting for government dependency instead of freedom. That’s not compassion—it’s a recipe for bondage.

Family, Faith, and Demographic Destiny

One of the most sobering consequences of economic injustice is its impact on family formation.

• Average age of first marriage is now nearing 30
• First-time homebuyers average around age 40
• Birth rates have fallen below replacement levels

Mike Carter brought a powerful perspective from his years in housing: when people can’t afford homes, they delay marriage. When marriage is delayed, children are delayed—or never born at all.

This isn’t just about economics. It’s about the survival of a culture.

As the late Charlie Kirk so boldly said: “People should get married young and have more kids than they can afford.” That statement cuts against conventional financial wisdom—but it reflects a deeper truth. Families are built on faith, not spreadsheets.

ARC: A Biblical Vision for Economic Justice

Out of these conversations emerged a practical framework we call ARC:

Affordability

Sound money and fair systems make life affordable again—housing, food, and family.

Reward

Free markets reward hard work, innovation, and responsibility—unlike socialism, which punishes effort.

Kindness

The church—not the government—was designed to lift people up through generosity, mentorship, and community.

Mike emphasized that ARC isn’t just a philosophy. It’s a call to action—especially for believers who want to help the next generation thrive.

Why Real Money Still Matters for Christian Budgeting

At Pirate Money Radio, we talk often about gold and silver as real money. Not as speculation—but as honest measures of value.

For families trying to practice Christian budgeting and long-term stewardship, money that holds its value is essential:

• Savings are protected
• Long-term planning becomes possible
• Families regain confidence in the future

Mike shared how more listeners are taking their first steps into gold and silver—not out of fear, but out of prudence.

Choosing Liberty Over Collectivism

History gives us a clear choice:

• Rugged individualism under God, which built America
• Or the false warmth of collectivism, which has failed everywhere it’s been tried

True economic justice doesn’t come from government control. It comes from faith, family, freedom, and honest money.

America still has time to choose wisely—but the window is closing.

Watch Pirate Money Radio and stay grounded in truth by streaming on Real Life Network.

America is facing a crisis few are willing to confront honestly. It isn’t just political. It isn’t just cultural. It’s demographic—and it’s deeply economic. In this special Economic War Room series, we’ve been walking through what Scripture, history, and data all make clear: when families collapse, nations follow.

If you want to protect your family, preserve liberty, and practice biblical stewardship in uncertain times, this conversation matters. This is where Christian financial planning and Christian budgeting intersect with national survival.

Watch Economic War Room with Kevin Freeman and stay grounded in truth by streaming on Real Life Network.

The Four Horsemen and America’s Six Trials by Fire

The Bible tells us plainly that a house divided against itself cannot stand. America, like the “strong man” in Mark 3, has served as a protector of liberty worldwide. But today, coordinated forces are working to weaken, divide, and ultimately dismantle that strength.

In Economic War Room, I’ve used the imagery of the Four Horsemen to describe these threats:

• The Red Horse: Communism, led by the Chinese Communist Party
• The Green Horse: Sharia-based Islamist supremacy
• The Blue Horse: Globalist despotism under institutions like the UN and WEF
• The Yellow Horse: Cowardice, apathy, and greed within our own nation

These forces do not act alone. Together, they fuel six interconnected “trials by fire” that threaten America’s future.

Trial Five: Demographics Is Destiny

Demographics are not political opinions, they are mathematical realities. When a society’s birth rate falls below the replacement level of 2.1 children per woman, that society ages, weakens, and eventually declines. America is now at 1.6.

That means fewer workers, fewer families, fewer churches, and fewer citizens capable of sustaining freedom. Social programs strain, debt explodes, and the wealth gap widens even further. A dying population is easy prey for totalitarian control. This is why demographics matter so deeply to the Economic War Room.

Inflation: The Silent Enemy of Families

Why aren’t young Americans getting married and having children? The number one reason cited today is simple: they believe they can’t afford it. That belief didn’t arise by accident.

Since the U.S. abandoned the gold standard in 1971, the dollar has lost roughly 90% of its purchasing power. Inflation has forced dual-income households, delayed marriage, pushed homeownership out of reach, and made children feel like a financial liability instead of a blessing. Christian budgeting becomes nearly impossible when money itself is dishonest.

Marriage Delay and the Fertility Collapse

For generations, women married in their early twenties. Today, the average age is nearly 29, and rising. Fertility peaks earlier than most people realize, and delayed marriage inevitably means fewer children. This isn’t about blaming individuals. It’s about recognizing a system that punishes families while rewarding debt, speculation, and financialization.

When money is broken, families break.

The Spiritual Roots of the Crisis

This is not merely an economic problem—it’s a spiritual one. As biblical worldview declines, so does obedience to God’s first command to humanity: be fruitful and multiply. Divorce skyrocketed alongside inflation. Abortions rose as children became “too expensive.” Cultural confusion replaced clarity about marriage and family.

Jesus warned us in Luke 16:11 that if we are unfaithful with unrighteous mammon, we will not be trusted with true riches. We are living out that warning in real time.

Central Bank Digital Currency and Control

A shrinking population combined with massive debt invites tyranny.

Central Bank Digital Currency isn’t about convenience—it’s about control. Programmable money allows elites to preserve wealth while restricting the freedoms of everyone else. It is a predictable response to demographic decline and financial collapse.

This is why Christian financial planning must now include protecting purchasing power—not just chasing returns.

Real Solutions: Faith, Families, and Honest Money

The good news is this: demographic collapse is not inevitable.

Solutions exist:

• Restore affordability by protecting purchasing power
• Reward families, not penalize them
• Return to biblical principles in marriage, money, and stewardship
• Teach Christian budgeting that emphasizes saving, giving, and long-term thinking

Transactional gold and honest money systems—what I’ve written about as Pirate Money—can help restore economic justice for young families and give them hope again.

The Role of the Church

John Wesley’s timeless wisdom still applies:

1. Earn all you can ethically
2. Save and invest all you can wisely
3. Give all you can generously

If churches embraced these principles, we could help the next generation marry earlier, build stability, and raise families with confidence instead of fear.

Awareness Is Preparation

Demographics may be destiny—but destiny can be changed. At the Economic War Room, we exist because our enemies see the marketplace as a battlefield. We must do the same—wisely, prayerfully, and courageously.

Watch Economic War Room with Kevin Freeman and stay grounded in truth by streaming on Real Life Network.