The Jason Stapleton Program

Yeah, it's crazy election season, and a new poll shows that Harambe, the gorilla shot dead at the Cincinnati Zoo, received 5% of the vote in a three-way matchup against Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. With some polls showing the Johnson/Weld ticket polling at 8-10%, the campaign finally has some good news they can spin. Perhaps the headline should read, "Johnson/Weld lead Harambe by 5 Points!" EXTRA! EXTRA! Read all about it. Mr. Bean and Wild Bill have a commanding lead over a dead monkey. Meanwhile, in the world of what matters, this diabolical duo has failed to make a dent in the campaigns of two of the most unlikable candidates in American history. This, despite a lot of big talk and even an attempt to show Johnson gaining momentum by promoting the polling results from a single district. Libertarians were never going to win this election, but we had a chance of laying the groundwork for years to come. Then we elected two of the most un-inspiring, un-libertarian candidates we could find. Johnson compounded his problems by propping up Weld as his co-president rather than his Vice President. It gives the appearance that neither man could stand as president on his own but together, they just might make one good candidate. People are looking for third options. The LP didn't give them one. It's a shame really. I don't know if we'll get another chance like this in my lifetime. Jason

After two nights of the Democratic convention, you might be convinced that the economy is on a firm footing, that our government has done a bang-up job navigating the recession, and we're poised for a great comeback. Joe Biden said as much when he claimed from the pulpit "...I can say, with absolute conviction that I am more optimistic about our chances today than when I was elected as a 29-year-old kid to the Senate." Joe? Let' me drop a little knowledge on you. It turns out the economy is collapsing as we speak. Despite all the central bank interventions and nanny state do-gooders doing their best to "fix" our economic problems, we've made almost no forward progress. GDP numbers released today show our economy grew by only 1.2 percent. Not the 2.4 percent expected. Home ownership has dropped to the lowest level in 50 years as young millennials, shackled with mountains of college debt have put off purchasing homes. Previous data has also been revised down highlighting the continued government attempt to paint our economic turd a shade brighter. I have no words to express my frustration at being subjected, again and again, to poorly written speeches delivered by hack politicians who themselves don't have the first clue about what's happening in our economy and even less chance of fixing anything. When will the mindless hoards wake up to reality and start demanding accountability and smaller government? I'm afraid I don't have the answer. Jason

Day three of the Democratic convention ended with President Obama giving his endorsement of Hillary for President. I'd love to comment on his speech but I didn't bother watching it. That should give you some idea of how much I respect what he has to say. Trump also made some pretty ridiculous comments about the minimum wage we're going to discuss.

We're going to start with some discussion about the DNC last night. It's apparent the progressives are using a "divide and conquer" approach to victory this year. Divide you by race, class, gender, sexual identity or otherwise and then ensure you they are the only group that can protect your (enter your group) from the oppression it is under. From there we shift gears to something you're not going to hear any mainstream news outlet covering. For the past year or so I've been warning you about the danger posed by governments outlawing currency. I know many of you consider it to be one of my more kooky theories. But we're starting to see signs of serious fracturing in the banking industry brought on by negative interest rate policy or NIRP. Today we're going to look at two possible scenarios on how the endgame might play out and I'm going to tell you how I would protect my assets if given the chance. It's a chance our government will never allow, but it's a simple solution that would protect our money from inflation and economic collapse. Listen, Share, Subscribe! Jason

Having been out yesterday, I didn't get a chance to comment on the email scandal that broke just before the RNC in Philidelphia. The emails show a clear attempt by the DNC to hurt Bernie Sanders and his bid for the nomination. Debbie Wasserman Schultz was forced out and immediately hired by the Hillary campaign. She was a good little soldier and what better place for a liar and cheat to find work than inside the Hillary camp. This, of course, outraged Sanders supports who now have clear evidence that their movement was undermined by the very party they trust. Now, you have speaker after speaker coming on stage to talk about unity and Sanders supporters are having none of it. What do you expect? The Democratic Party just proved they are untrustworthy, and now they're standing in front of all the delegates and essentially telling them, "Pay no attention to our transgressions. It's time to move on and forget about who we really are." That takes us to last night. With 61 speakers there was no shortage of bad speeches. If I had to break down the night's themes, they would read as follows. 1. The game is rigged against you 2. Tolerance alone isn't enough. 3. You can’t do it on your own 4. Trump is an evil racist who makes fun of the handicap. What I hate most about progressives is their constant insistence that you can't make it on your own. That it takes a village, and since it takes all of us working together for any one person to succeed it means no person is ever responsible for their situation. It's always someone else's fault. With friends like these who needs enemies?

We're going to talk a little about Trump's speech last night, long and tedious as it was, but the real story today revolves around the police and their continued abuse of their power. I've got two stories in the stack where police used deadly force against men who were unarmed and not resisting. We'll also throw in some discussion about the stock market and why we continue to see higher highs even when net outflows have reached nearly 80 billion. Enjoy, Jason

I'm not quite sure what all the fuss is about but last night Ted Cruz gave what I thought was a very well delivered speech about liberty and the American idea. At the end of the speech he told everyone NOT to stay home in November but get out and vote your conscience. For that, he was nearly booed off the stage. It's no so much what he said but what he didn't say. Trump supporters consider his words to be a slight against Trump, and they thought he ought to have endorsed Trump in his speech. Later that day he had it out with members of the Texas caucus where he told them he was still very upset with the way Trump treated his wife and father. I can't much blame him. If Trump had said those things about my wife, I'd be slow to forgive as well. From there I'll talk about the Fox News fight over allegations Roger Ailes sexually harassed women at the network. It sounds like gossip, and I'll admit if you listen to the rest of the media talk about it, that's what it is, but the real story is the other hosts at Fox like O'Reilly and Hannity who have clauses in their contracts that allow them to walk if Ailes is getting the ax. Finally, we'll have a talk about monopoly, one of my favorite subjects to debunk. It's a great show today. Don't forget to share.

Student loan debt has doubled in the last eight years and with the economy not doing very well, Obamacare in the toilet, racial tension at new highs it's no wonder the White House is trying to clean up its legacy. A recent study released by said White House attempts to show how all this new student debt is a good thing for our economy. I call Shinanigans. Debt can be a good thing if you're able to see clearly how that debt (investment) yields a return. Unfortunately, the verdict is out on college. But more importantly, the study ignores how government meddling inflates the real costs of college. I'm fired up today, be prepared. Jason

With all the attention on nitpicking the Republican convention, there isn't much news worth discussing. Turkey just fired nearly all it's teachers proving no politician will let a good crisis go to waste. The stock market is also in the stack today. With the DOW hitting all-time highs everyone should be excited, but a closer look at the data tells a different story. I'll talk about all of that and for you gossip, girls, I'll give you some of my thoughts on the convention shinanigans including the fallout from Mrs. Trump's speech. Jason

I will admit, I am as absorbed in this political season as anyone. How could I not be? It's a freak show of American celebrities and felons. Libertarians have thrown their hat into the ring this year with a pot smoking mountain climber and his 80-year-old mentor. It's the worst kind of reality TV, the kind that affects your life. But beyond the politics and the recent string of shootings, there's a new problem brewing. It's been festering for quite some time but last week it came to a boil when an international arbitration court invalidated Chinese territorial claims in the South China Sea. China has refused to recognize the court's ruling and have now stepped up patrols. In response, the U.S. has increased its presence. Why might you ask? I'm not sure myself. We have almost no interest in the waters off southern China, but that hasn't stopped us from engaging in a game of chicken with the Chinese over who's going to back down first. It's a major international incident waiting to happen, and I'm going to explain the whole mess to you today on the show so listen and share! Jason

Nearly 100 dead including 10 children, 25 on life support and 27 in critical condition. Such are the facts in one of the deadliest acts of on French soil since world war II. I wish I could provide some words of hope, but I fear I'm going to come short today. What I can do is try to explain the specifics about this event. ISIS may be relishing in the chaos, but it does not appear this event was in any way associated with ISIS or any other radical group. Instead, it would seem this was merely another deeply disturbed man, recently fired from his job and rejected by the world. From there we'll talk about a recent win for privacy as Microsoft wins on appeal a case to protect email information stored on servers overseas. It's a temporary setback for the progressives, and we should appreciate the millions spent by Microsoft to protect is users information. Then we'll close out the show with a discussion about DUI checkpoints and new roadside drug testing. This issue is one of the things that got me interested in libertarianism. A short show today since I'm under the weather. Enjoy and have a great weekend!

A recent bill just passed in North Carolina that denies public access to police body cam footage. The government says it's trying to protect both the officers and those who come in contact with the police. Opponents of the bill say the footage belongs to the people and should be a matter of public record. A knee jerk reaction from libertarians might be to demand the footage be released. I mean, you paid for the camera, the uniform it sits on, the officer who carries it and the squad car that drove him to the incident. How can anyone claim it is not a matter of public record? But what would it mean to make all footage public record? What if the police are called to a domestic disturbance at your house? Should your noisy neighbor be allowed access to the footage because it's a matter of public record? Should the individual lose all privacy rights every time they come in contact with the police? It brings up some very tough questions, ones I'm going to try and explain in today's show. We're also going to look at the role of the state when it comes to protecting life, liberty, and property. From there we'll take a look at the latest Obamacare co-op closure bringing the number of failed insurance providers to 15. Not to worry everyone. It only cost you 1.7 billion dollars in taxpayer losses. Shameful. Enjoy the show, don't forget to share!

Our politicians have no shame. I'm convinced they'll tell us whatever we want to hear. The latest in the long list of lies was Hillary's speech today in Illinois. Durin the speech Darren and I were almost in tears as Hillary chastized Trump as a man who would never respect the separation of powers. She, however, would, and that's why you should elect her. I thought, "How can someone like Hillary review that speech and ever consider giving it in public?" Doesn't she have a shred of integrity? The answer, of course, is no. And that's why Hillary has been so successful for so long in American Politics. From there we talk a little about the anointing of the new British PM Theresa May and then it's on to a discussion about who should be allowed to vote. It's a good show day. Listen and share!

Thanks to the spectacular reporting of award-winning journalist Sharyl Attkisson we have yet another case of government waste and gross incompetence. Hundreds of millions of dollars, your tax dollars, wasted while politicians complain about servicement without rifles. I love Sharyl. She's one of the few remaining journalists in America and her show, Full Measure, is always a breath of fresh air when searching for a great story. Today, I'll explain how the U.S. military, spent 600 million dollars on 20 Italian cargo plains that ended up being ill suited for the hot, dusty conditions of Afghanistan. It's just another example of a government crying about a lack of funding while wasting more money than you could count in a single lifetime. From there we'll move to Cuba and Venesuala. The situations in these countries continue to unravel as socialist policies create crippling economic conditions. The stories I'm going to share will shock you. Not just because of the bloody nature of the tale but because you'll see just how close we are to following in their footsteps. Great show today, Listen and Share!

You will hear this debate framed in many different ways. As a gun problem, as a poverty problem, as a policing problem, as a racial problem. But these are all superficial rationalizations.They are expressions of a deeper subconscious fear. What we are living through today is a society that fears a breakdown in the rule of law and is beginning to lose respect for life and liberty. Think about what we're experiencing now. Corruption at all levels of government. At the local level, civil asset forfeiture. A practice that allows the government to seize your property without any evidence of a crime. Our police are becoming more militant by the day with polished shoes and pressed blue uniforms having been replaced with military boots and OD green fatigues. We might be willing to overlook these changes if the police still carried a mindset of service rather than enforcement. What we find is the police are now more as a nuisance than a service. And when it comes time to use all that heavy hardware to protect private businesses and property from the violent hoard of protesters, where are they? They're hiding, afraid of doing their job for fear of inciting more violence. And yet their answer to restrict our second amendment right to defend ourselves? At the federal level we're told we must purchase insurance products against our will or be subject to an extra "tax," we're lied to about the use of secret government programs only to find out they spy on us daily in direct violation of the constitutions 4th amendment. We face countless agencies from the BLM to the FCC that operate with impunity and carry with them the authority to write laws and enforce penalties. We see our politicians willfully violate the law yet receive no punishment. Shall I go on? So I ask again, what do you do when a nation loses its faith in the rule of law, and it's respect for life and property? Why would we suffer under such injustice? Thomas Jefferson had an answer when he wrote the following, " All Experience hath shewn, that Mankind are more disposed to suffer, while Evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the Forms to which they are accustomed. In other words, It's easier to go along to get along. (As long as the injustice is not too intrusive.) He also gave his response to what we should do when faced with circumstances not unlike today. We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their CREATOR, with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed, that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these Ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its Foundation on such Principles, and organizing its Powers in such Form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. He goes on... Prudence, indeed, will dictate, that Governments long established, should not be changed for light and transient Causes; But when a long Train of Abuses and Usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object, evinces a Design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their Right, it is their Duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future Security. Ladies and gentlemen I don't want you to misunderstand me. I am not calling for revolution. What I am telling you is, as long as we are willing to suffer under an increasingly lawless despotism for the sake of convenience we will see our condition become more and more unbearable. What you see in the wake of these most recent shootings, is a group of people who are tired of "a long train of abuses and usurpations." but who lack a basic respect for life and property. Their anger may be justified, but their efforts are doomed to failure because their actions are not morally justifiable. We will not resolve injustice by burning cities to the ground. We cannot throw off a corrupt government by looting our neighbors or gain the support of our fellow man by infringing on his right to travel unmolested. As long as these practices continue, as long as the right to life, liberty and property are violated by those claiming to stand on principle; we will remain divided, and a people divided are easy to control and enslave. As long as we allow the media, agenda-driven activists, and our government to divide us along social, economic or racial lines we are doomed. What is necessary is that we stand with one voice and demand a return to the rule of law and a respect for the life, liberty and property of every American. If we do this, no man, no army and no government will dare stand against us.