Pioneer launches “Spartan Strong News” page

By Dr. William Holland

For Capital Region Independent Media

Those who identify with following Jesus are usually satisfied with being comfortable and cozy in their religious styles. Let’s just say that suffering for God is not on their bucket list.

When we take a peek at the last 6,000 years, we learn that countless numbers of people who loved the Lord literally gave their lives for Him. It’s only within our modern secluded religious environment that we assume persecutions and deaths no longer happen.

By no means of the imagination is this true. According to Open Doors World Watch List, in 2022 many Christians were imprisoned and killed for their faith, and countless churches were attacked and closed. Last year, 360 million Christians, or 1 in 7 believers around the world, experienced horrific persecution for their faith.

With over 6,000 martyrs in 2022, this means an average of 16 believers were murdered every day just for following Jesus.

When we accept Christ into our lives, many are focused on Him being a Savior instead of Him being their Lord, as the latter involves not only living for Him but possibly dying for Him.

In the New Testament, Jesus talks about temptations and decisions, but basically, the two main choices are good and evil. In Matthew 7:13-14, Jesus describes what we all face every day: “Enter in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leads to destruction, and many will choose this: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leads unto life, and few there be that find it.”

It’s true, there are only two choices: God’s way, and our way. The narrow path is good but difficult because it involves surrendering our will to God.

What does this mean? It means we no longer serve our desires because we have made a covenant promise to obey God and only do what He says. Obedience is what the Christian life is about and His grace invites us to live in the awareness of His presence.

The wide highway is evil, but it’s so easy as the great majority will gladly give all control to their flesh and allow their carnality to lead them. The masses ignore their conscience and resist anything that has to do with listening to God or the Bible.

But wait, there are grave consequences attached to this philosophy of living, remember? This popular road is more than a blasphemous rock song, it’s a torturous eternal destination far removed from the hope of a second chance.

There’s not a lot being said nowadays about an everlasting punishment for those who do not love and serve God. The modern ideas about religion argue that this sounds too extreme, and it’s just too negative to think about. Hmmm…but aren’t these the same people who watch paranormal programs and personal testimonies about demons and hell for hours and believe it?

When divine truth is rejected it’s a sure sign of Holy Spirit conviction and the rebellious will always avoid feeling guilty for living in sin. Our old, depraved nature loves to do whatever feels good and is very defiant against anyone, including God, that tries to interfere. Yes, the Christian life is difficult and filled with sacrifices and accountability, but wouldn’t a lifetime of obedience to God here on earth be worth an eternity of living with Him in heaven? Being a follower of Yahweh requires a concerted effort on our part as well as an infinite supply of His mercy.

We realize this analogy about the two paths causes some to question the fairness of God. I often hear if He really wants to save everyone, why doesn’t He just let everyone go to heaven? You knew someone was going to say that, didn’t you?

When people hear the word “narrow,” they tend to associate it with a predestined selection as it sounds as though God has rated us all on some scale of acceptability and only allows a few favorites to experience His glory. However, a few verses earlier, Jesus clarifies this within the context, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”

God made it clear: the path to eternal life is open and available to all who want to follow Him.

Learn more about the Christian life at billyhollandministries.com.a

By Bill Schmick

For Capital Region Independent Media

January 20th is just around the corner. It is Day One in the tariff wars that our next president is intent on launching. The corporate world is trying to dissuade him from that course of action, with no success. 

It is an economic fact that the cost of tariffs is passed on to the consumer. If tariffs are high enough, some imported products simply cease to be available, which can cause supply chain interruptions. At some point, buyers balk at paying higher prices. When that happens, tariff costs hit business profit margins directly. Everyone loses.

In the last column, I explained why President-elect Donald Trump is adamant that tariffs are the only way to turn around the trade imbalances that have plagued our country as far back as the aftermath of World War II. In his first term, Trump’s tariff policies were partially successful but not without a cost. Some countries hit back with their tariffs. Our farmers were hurt so badly that Trump was forced to authorize multibillion dollars in direct aid to keep many farmers afloat. Yet, the MAGA math indicates that whatever harm is done will be worth it in the long run.

However, an important element in this equation is being ignored by Trump and many economists. We will use Germany as just one example. As the powerhouse of Europe, Germany has been enjoying large trade surpluses with the U.S. for many years. Back in the heyday of mercantilism (16th-18th centuries), a country would take these trade surpluses and convert them into piles of silver and gold that would sit in their monarch’s coffers for years. That is not the case today. 

Germany, as well as China, Japan, and most European nations have much higher savings and investment rates than we do in the U.S. Why should that matter? Because instead of hoarding their cash profits on trade (the modern-day equivalent of precious metals), they have been taking their current account trade surpluses and recycling those capital flows back into the U.S. and other countries. Those flows find their way into building new plants and equipment in the U.S., creating jobs, investing in our technology, and purchasing our stocks and bonds. 

This flow of funds allows the American consumer to continue to save less and spend more. The risk is that by raising tariffs, we reverse this process. These offending nations would see their current account trade surplus go down as their exports to the U.S. slowed. That means they would have less capital to invest back in America.

I see other differences between the Trump approach and the mercantilists of old. Back in those days of colonial expansion, currencies did not represent the value they do today. Only gold and silver were considered stores of wealth. Today, nations can do more than just raise tariffs in response to a burgeoning tariff war. 

Since Trump has already telegraphed his intent to levy tariffs on America’s trading partners, exporters have already acted by using their currency to lessen the impact on their trade balance. How? By reducing the value of their currencies against the dollar.

If Mexico, for example, is hit with a 10% tariff on exports and allows its currency to depreciate versus the dollar by 10%, the price to importers remains the same. No harm is done, and it is business as usual. This is why the U.S. dollar has been strengthening against just about every currency all year.

Another area where Trump departs from the mercantilist model is government control. He believes in the heavy hand of government as far as trade is concerned, but he is in the opposite camp where rules, regulations and taxes by the same government are concerned. Unlike the nations of old, he does not believe that wealth is finite, nor should it be measured by the amount of gold, silver, or even crypto that a nation holds.

That puts him at odds with the core belief that supported mercantilism. As for acquiring colonies, his policy appears to be both nationalist and anti-imperialistic. Trump has shown himself to be against foreign entanglements and has no interest in acquiring territory (unlike China, Iran, Russia, and other quasi-mercantilist societies). He does not see it as America’s role to right every wrong or spend money or American lives on people and causes which he believes have nothing to do with our interests.

That does not mean he plans to withdraw America from the global scene as many might fear. The U.S. is just too big an entity to accomplish that. Instead, because of his mercantilist leanings, if other nations want us to intervene then they must be prepared to pay for that privilege. He has made that point with Taiwan, and with the countries that comprise NATO, and will do so at every opportunity, in my opinion. 

Many voters see our new president as a strong leader. They applaud his desire to wield more power and authority than others have done in his office. Given the present populist era in which distrust of government and our economic system are at historical highs, this is not surprising.

Although he has a soft spot for pomp and circumstance and may envy autocratic leaders, he seems less interested in power for power’s sake. Time and again, the mercantilist in him appears to support one conclusion: if there is an advantage to be had (whether in finance, economics, or policy) by simply cutting a deal, that is what he will do.  

Bill Schmick is the founding partner of Onota Partners, Inc., in the Berkshires. Bill’s forecasts and opinions are purely his own and do not necessarily represent the views of Onota Partners, Inc. (OPI). None of his commentary is or should be considered investment advice. Anyone seeking individualized investment advice should contact a qualified investment adviser. None of the information presented in this article is intended to be and should not be construed as an endorsement of OPI, Inc. or a solicitation to become a client of OPI. The reader should not assume that any strategies, or specific investments discussed are employed, bought, sold or held by OPI. Direct your inquiries to Bill at 1-413-347-2401 or email him at bill@schmicksretiredinvestor.com. for more of Bill’s insights. Investments in securities are not insured, protected or guaranteed and may result in loss of income and/or principal. This communication may include opinions and forward-looking statements, and we can give no assurance that such beliefs and expectations will prove to be correct.