The Stephen Mansfield Podcast

While spending the past few days in Arizona, Stephen met a number of people who recently moved to the Copper State from California, Washington, and other blue states. Rapidly increasing crime rates, sky-high taxation, a shrinking law enforcement presence, and left-leaning policies have driven these families out of their hometowns. Join Stephen in this episode as he considers America’s present dilemma and her future.

Inflation is essentially government theft. Let’s talk about it. Inflation occurs when government expands the money supply. The greater the supply, the less scarce – and therefore valuable – something becomes. In our economy, the federal government can expand the money supply through policy. We currently have an inflation rate around 5.9%. In this episode, Stephen discusses what this can mean for everyday wage-earners and investors. Be wise, and keep your eye on the inflation rate.

Borrowed Future: How Student Loans are Killing the American Dream is a new documentary from Ramsey Solutions that uncovers the dark side of the student loan industry and exposes how the system is built to work against students. Stephen recently had the opportunity to watch this film, which is available on Google Play, Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video beginning October 14. Tune in for his review of this must-watch documentary! There is a predatory lending industry and flawed ratings system in our country that is resulting in many 18 year-olds starting their lives with more debt than their parents have now. Learn more. Image via https://borrowedfuture.com/.

Travis asks, “What is Christian statesmanship?” In this episode, Stephen shares several Biblically-based answers to the question through addressing foundational Christian theology and reflecting on great leaders and events from history. Discover why Christian statesmanship matters and why it should be understood by people of all backgrounds. This episode originally aired on July 10, 2019.

Did you know that three companies control 95% of all credit cards? Or that three companies also control 80% of all mobile telecoms? Stephen is pro-business and fully supportive of free markets, but he is also fully opposed to monopolies. Dive into this episode to learn more about the dangers of monopolies, the advantages of free markets, and the role that the founding fathers intended the government to play in managing these threats. This episode originally aired on April 3, 2019.

Here is a truth of leadership: if you don’t fix it, somebody else is going to. And they’re probably going to fix it in a clumsy and heavy-fisted way. The AMA failed to address our healthcare issues, and so we got Obamacare. Several administrations failed to address trade issues, and so we got the Trump approach. Police your industry, or it will get policed for you. This episode originally aired on March 13, 2019.

We often think of America as a force of good in the world. Our nation provides foreign aid and spreads democracy. Certainly, America does much good. Yet there is a dark side of American influence abroad. In this episode, Stephen examines the dual America: the noble, generous, value-driven America of Ellis Island, and the America that obtusely puts a fist in the face of those she aims to serve. (Take, for example, the US Embassy in Kabul flying the LGBTQ flag in the middle of a highly conservative Muslim society that is radically opposed to gay issues.) Tune in and ponder these two Americas.

Through Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization the Supreme Court will have to determine if it is going to overturn or uphold Roe v. Wade, the 1973 ruling that legalized abortion throughout America. In this episode, Stephen discusses The Texas Heartbeat Act and the political genius of this legislation, which was crafted so that private citizens might bring a civil case to court. We are poised for a turning on the issue of abortion in America. What will happen next?

According to US Department of Labor, 11.5M workers quit their jobs in April, May and June. This has been confirmed by a recent survey of 30,000 workers. What’s happening? People are looking honestly at their job dissatisfaction. COVID-19 caused 74% of people to rethink their work life. Now, many are looking for better bosses. Employees seek employers they can trust, employers who will protect their interests. People are realizing that work doesn’t have to be toxic or terrifying. There are good companies who want business to be a place of social good and personal uplift. Let’s talk about what this may mean for you and our nation. Mentioned in this podcast: The Great Resignation Is Here, and It's Real (via Inc.)

Many in our current class of Congress are proponents of socialism. They point at our warped version of capitalism and say, “Capitalism doesn’t work! We must throw it out and do something different!” Of course, the system we have today is not a free market economy with a fair playing field. (Warren Buffett’s secretary pays a higher tax rate than he does.) Those of us who believe in a traditional, free market American system need to be prepared to debate and defend the position. This episode originally aired on February 27, 2019.