The Pete Quiñones Show The 'Robber Barons' Who Tried to Save America w/ Stormy Waters - Complete
Oct 17, 2025
In this discussion, Stormy Waters, a venture capital firm managing partner and historical commentator, dives into the 'robber barons' who once shaped America. She revisits the Business Plot and how threats to democracy were exposed. Stormy also connects elite patronage to public culture, examining figures like Carnegie and Rockefeller. The conversation touches on America First's anti-interventionist stance and Smedley Butler's whistleblowing role, revealing intriguing parallels between history and today's political landscape.
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Industrialists Studied Foreign Fascism
- The Business Plot showed industrialists studied fascist rises abroad and considered similar models for the U.S.
- Stormy Waters argues these elites genuinely feared communist takeover and sought veterans-based solutions.
Butler's Betrayal Stopped A Coup, Changed History
- Smedley Butler's testimony exposed an attempted coup and derailed the plot to install a fascist regime.
- Stormy Waters argues Butler's actions inadvertently enabled FDR's consolidation and sidelined previous elites.
Morgan's Bailout Secured The Dollar
- JP Morgan personally organized a private bailout in 1890 that preserved U.S. credit and the dollar's reliability.
- Stormy Waters credits Morgan's intervention for why the U.S. never called in its currency or defaulted on debt.
