The Lonely Realist is a bridge across the partisan gap, raising questions and making pointed observations about politics, economics, international relations and the markets. Its goal is to raise awareness and inspire thought on controversial issues that impact America and Americans, highlighting issues that should be, but rarely are, the focus of bipartisan discussion.


In seeking to promote dialogue, The Lonely Realist is not an advocate of conclusions or remedies. To the extent perceived biases leak into these pages, as they sometimes do, please ignore them. They are inadvertent missteps. 

  • “Perplexed’s ‘unprecedented challenges’ actually are ‘unprecedented opportunities.’” – The Lonely Realist Last week’s letter from Perplexed presents a stark assessment of the “unprecedented challenges” facing humanity. TLR also sees “unprecedented opportunities.” The most significant “unprecedented challenge” in Perplexed’s letter is the Doomsday Clock, which purports...

  • “Don’t judge today’s political parties by their historical names.”  TLR recently received the following missive: Dear TLR: I’m a Reagan Republican, a dyed-in-the-wool conservative who’s proud of the Republican Party’s accomplishments over the last 175 years. Like Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Bill Buckley and Ronald...

  • “Corruption starts at the top.” – The Lonely Realist Washington, D.C. was built on a swamp…, which is not the reason why its denizens are called “swamp-dwellers.” Washington owes that epithet to its elected legislators, the corrupt unethical dishonest members of Congress who are “in...

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More by TLR

Axis of the Sanctioned, a Part 2 Postscript*

Axis of the Sanctioned, a Part 2 Postscript It was almost as if President Trump had read the January 2nd TLR, “Axis of the Sanctioned, Part 2,” and taken its message to heart. That night he made the decision to temporarily suspend America’s pacifist/do-nothing foreign

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Mid-Year Musings

“Uncertainties abound.” – The Lonely Realist The Economy After the Presidential debate on June 27th, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were seen as the lamest of lame ducks…, and the stock markets promptly leaped with the expectation of a second Trump Administration. Donald Trump has

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Expiring Canaries*

Expiring Canaries The June 24th TLR quoted several prominent hedge fund managers who in June asserted that gold was entering a new bull market when it broke through the $1400/oz. price level. That June 24th TLR, “The Canary in the Gold Mine,” suggested that if

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William (Bill) Natbony is The Lonely Realist, its author and originator. The opinions expressed in TLR are solely Bill’s opinions, have not been edited or reviewed, and do not reflect the views or opinions or any other person.