How Washington Built a War Machine and Got Rich Off It (Bodyguard of Lies)

Chris Markowski, the Watchdog of Wall Street, discusses the myths and realities of financial media, the true state of inflation, and the implications of AI investments. He critiques the current taxation policies and foreign policy decisions, reflecting on the historical context of military spending and its consequences. The conversation also touches on the importance of free speech and the challenges posed by censorship in modern media.

Chris Markowski, the Watchdog on Wall Street, discusses the pervasive myths and realities of the financial world, emphasizing the importance of financial literacy and personal responsibility. He critiques the current state of private equity and alternative investments, warns about the dangers of government intervention in capitalism, and highlights the challenges faced by younger generations in the housing market. Markowski uses the Sisyphus analogy to illustrate the ongoing struggle against financial misinformation and scams, urging listeners to be vigilant and informed in their financial decisions.

 Chris Markowski reflects on the legacy of Jonathan Clements, a mentor and financial columnist who championed financial independence and exposed Wall Street's misleading practices. The conversation delves into the importance of financial literacy, the challenges faced by Generation X regarding retirement, and the pervasive myths propagated by the financial industry. Markowski emphasizes the need for self-reliance and critical thinking in personal finance, urging listeners to be wary of scams and to prioritize genuine wealth-building strategies.

LISTEN and SUBSCRIBE on:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/watchdog-on-wall-street-with-chris-markowski/id570687608 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2PtgPvJvqc2gkpGIkNMR5i WATCH and SUBSCRIBE on:https://www.youtube.com/@WatchdogOnWallstreet/featured  Like the cursed king Sisyphus, condemned to push a boulder uphill only to watch it roll back down, the fight against private equity schemes feels endless. Week after week, slick firms push risky investments into retirement accounts—masking credit troubles, hiding covenants, and leveraging borrowed money to keep the illusion alive. Despite decades of warnings, too many ignore the dangers until it’s too late. This episode lays bare how private equity’s tricks mirror Sisyphus’ curse—and why investors risk getting crushed under the same rock again and again.

LISTEN and SUBSCRIBE on:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/watchdog-on-wall-street-with-chris-markowski/id570687608 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2PtgPvJvqc2gkpGIkNMR5i WATCH and SUBSCRIBE on:https://www.youtube.com/@WatchdogOnWallstreet/featured  The White House just floated a $100,000 H-1B visa fee and a $1 million “gold card” for wealthy immigrants—and no one, not even Trump’s team, seems to know what it really means. In this episode:Why Silicon Valley is in full-blown panic over the proposalHow Lutnick fumbled the rollout, confusing even Trump’s own baseThe real problem with H-1Bs: do they depress wages or fill gaps Americans can’t?Why our broken schools and low literacy rates feed this crisisThe line between fair immigration policy and creating a migrant underclassImmigration doesn’t have to be chaos—but DC’s mixed messages are making it worse.

LISTEN and SUBSCRIBE on:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/watchdog-on-wall-street-with-chris-markowski/id570687608 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2PtgPvJvqc2gkpGIkNMR5i WATCH and SUBSCRIBE on:https://www.youtube.com/@WatchdogOnWallstreet/featured  Trump took the world stage at Turtle Bay and didn’t hold back. In this episode:Why he says the UN creates more problems than it solvesThe “greatest con job ever” of climate change spendingHow the UN is funding mass migration instead of stopping itWhy European leaders ignore their voters at their own perilThe part of Trump’s delivery that still turns people off—zero humilityLove him or hate him, Trump’s UN speech shows why he dominates the stage…and why some think he needs a new shtick.

LISTEN and SUBSCRIBE on:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/watchdog-on-wall-street-with-chris-markowski/id570687608 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2PtgPvJvqc2gkpGIkNMR5i WATCH and SUBSCRIBE on:https://www.youtube.com/@WatchdogOnWallstreet/featured  From Obamacare to Trump’s steel deals, Washington has steadily blurred the line between referee and player. When government takes stakes in private companies, shields them from failure, or dictates how industries operate, capitalism’s core principle—creative destruction—dies. Like Dorian Gray hiding his rot behind a flawless portrait, corporations propped up by public-private partnerships live on unnaturally, while the free market withers. This episode unpacks how both parties have undermined true capitalism in the name of power, politics, and control.

LISTEN and SUBSCRIBE on:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/watchdog-on-wall-street-with-chris-markowski/id570687608 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2PtgPvJvqc2gkpGIkNMR5i WATCH and SUBSCRIBE on:https://www.youtube.com/@WatchdogOnWallstreet/featured  Jimmy Kimmel praised free speech defenders—but left out one thing: admitting he was wrong. In this episode:Why censorship has become a two-way street, with both parties guilty of playing the gameHow Trump, Biden, and the media all weaponized cancellation when it was convenientWhy real conservatives can’t call themselves free speech defenders while cheering on silencing their enemiesFree speech means defending it even when it’s ugly, offensive, or unpopular. That’s the hard truth nobody in power wants to face.

LISTEN and SUBSCRIBE on:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/watchdog-on-wall-street-with-chris-markowski/id570687608 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2PtgPvJvqc2gkpGIkNMR5i WATCH and SUBSCRIBE on:https://www.youtube.com/@WatchdogOnWallstreet/featured  I stayed up all night watching Bodyguard of Lies — and you should, too. In this episode:The jaw-dropping receipts the doc uncovers: fraud, cash stuffed in VCRs, bridges blown up for repeat contractsHow $2 trillion and thousands of American lives bought a permanent war-contractor economy around DCWhy both parties (yes, Bush through Biden) share blame for the arrogance and the cover-upsReal examples of mission creep, wasted “nation-building,” and the corrupt incentives that keep wars goingWhat this means for America: gutting waste, rethinking foreign policy, and redirecting money back homeIf you care about where our tax dollars — and our kids’ lives — are going, this is essential viewing.

LISTEN and SUBSCRIBE on:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/watchdog-on-wall-street-with-chris-markowski/id570687608 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2PtgPvJvqc2gkpGIkNMR5i WATCH and SUBSCRIBE on:https://www.youtube.com/@WatchdogOnWallstreet/featured  The Trump administration is exploring a controversial move: reopening Bagram Air Base and reestablishing ties with the Taliban, all under the banner of countering China and boosting U.S. influence. But critics warn it looks like reinvasion, demanding tens of thousands of troops and billions more in wasted dollars. From Taliban resistance to the ghosts of past failures, this piece questions whether America is doomed to repeat the same costly mistakes in Afghanistan—trading debt, lives, and credibility for a strategy that’s never worked.