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.
“Three quarters of the factors on which action in war is based are wrapped in a fog of greater or lesser uncertainty.” – Carl von Clausewitz “Beware the ‘fog of war.’” – The Lonely RealistLoading the Elevenlabs Text to Speech AudioNative Player... When asked in...
“Hope for the best, but plan for the worst.” – The Lonely RealistLoading the Elevenlabs Text to Speech AudioNative Player... Today’s TLR continues to analyze the potential economic fallout from the Iran War by assessing the consequences of two “what if” possibilities: What if (1)...
“History doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes.” – attributed to Mark TwainLoading the Elevenlabs Text to Speech AudioNative Player... TLR earlier this month addressed three possible outcomes for the Iran War. The first is the one sought by America and its allies: America and Israel...
“Wars are messy, their consequences unpredictable.” – The Lonely Realist “The implications of developments in the Middle East for the US economy are uncertain.” – Jerome Powell (March 18, 2026) Loading the Elevenlabs Text to Speech AudioNative Player... History teaches that wars are disruptive. They...
The Bedford Incident, a 1962 novel and 1965 movie, is a parable of great-power risk, required reading/viewing for 21st Century political leaders.Loading the Elevenlabs Text to Speech AudioNative Player… The Bedford Incident presents the fictional story of an intense game of cat-and-mouse between American and
“The enormous amount of debt and money creation over the past 13 years has changed the nature, and also reduced the value, of debt and ‘money’.” – The Lonely RealistLoading the Elevenlabs Text to Speech AudioNative Player… As TLR wrote in July 2019, America’s trade
“Voters expect change…, and change they will get.” – The Lonely RealistLoading the Elevenlabs Text to Speech AudioNative Player… There are any number of ways in which the incoming Trump Administration will disrupt the status quo. Presidential Power. Domestically, Donald Trump will transform Federalism Federal
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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.
