I get a lot of responses to these emails, some nicer than others, especially when I delve into the realm of politics…

As a libertarian, I don’t root for the “left” or the “right” - and that tends to get me some nasty comments from both sides at times. 

Today, though, I’m not going to respond to the mean-spirited ones; instead, I will answer one of the politely asked questions (because manners deserve a spotlight). 

For context, this was in response to last week’s email, “Argentina Exits The WHO.”

Hey Mikkel,

I have a couple of questions regarding this last post. 

In your world, what does the term "woke" mean?

Why do you consider Trump a bold leader?

Thanks for your email—I appreciate it when people ask direct questions instead of making assumptions about where I stand (or being jerks about it).

So, let’s get into it.

What does “woke” mean in my world?

In fairness, the term has been thrown around so much that it’s lost all meaning to some people, so I’ll be clear about how I use it.

At its core, “woke” represents an ideology that prioritizes collectivism over individualism, state control over personal freedom, and ideological purity over open discourse. 

It’s an ideology that masks itself in superfluous concepts like “equality” and “fairness” while attempting to divide people by pushing race and gender issues over substantive policy discussions. 

The "woke" ideology leads directly to the constant bombardment of cancel culture, virtue signalling, the normalization of sexualizing children ("minor attraction," as some of these sick people call it) and the encouragement of transgenderism among minors.

The more pronouns and differences you can claim, the more you should be praised.

Ideas like hard work, dedication, tenacity, and intelligence all magically become racist under the "woke" agenda.

To them, the more victim badges you earn, the higher the accolade.

I see all of this as a cancer on society, and we should be standing up and loudly calling this out as destructive. It is wrong.

Now, onto Trump…

First, let’s set aside personal opinions about Trump’s style. Trump says many things I don’t agree with, and I’ve openly rebuked many of his claims about the Panama Canal, among other things. 

But when it comes to “boldness,” I’m looking purely at actions and outcomes.

As I mentioned in last week’s email, Trump removed the United States from the World Health Organization (WHO), a move that I would consider bold in every respect.

This certainly inspired Javier Milei to follow suit shortly thereafter with Argentina’s exit from the WHO. 

By turning Elon Musk and DOGE loose on the U.S. government, Trump is helping to expose absolutely insane levels of corruption that have been going on for decades via USAID. 

The kind of stuff coming out about this is just wild. 

My recent post on X expressing hope that Trump would end the war in Ukraine—as he has indicated he intends to—garnered mixed reactions, as these things often go. 

For years, we were told Trump would lead us into World War III. Instead, he was the first U.S. president in decades to not start a new war. 

In fact, he brokered historic peace agreements and openly questioned the role of endless military intervention.

And now, with the bloody war in Ukraine dragging into its third year, he’s the only world leader actively discussing an end to the conflict—not just prolonging it with blank checks and vague “as long as it takes” rhetoric.

As a libertarian, my stance is simple: I am anti-war. Period. 

I don’t care who negotiates the peace—what matters is that civilians stop dying, soldiers put down their guns, and people can return to their homes and rebuild their lives.

If Trump can actually bring an end to this war, that’s what bold leadership looks like to me.

Does that mean I think he’s perfect? No. 

Do I agree with him on everything? Of course not. 

For example, Trump's suggestion that the U.S. take over Gaza is wrong on every level - it's downright insane, and I'm completely against it.

But for now, that's just talk, as is frankly the suggestion of an end to the Ukraine war.

But if Trump can step up and end it, I’ll call it like I see it, and I'll certainly see that as an example of bold leadership, regardless of his positions in other areas.

At the end of the day, actions speak louder than words, and I'll always favour any bold action taken in the direction of greater liberty.

I hope that clears things up.

Speak soon,

Mikkel

P.S. If you appreciate the way I look at topics like these, you can rest assured you are going to be in good company at the inaugural Wealth, Freedom, and Passports Conference, now just a month away, on March 14-15 here in Panama City. VIP tickets are sold out, but you can still get a general admission ticket and join us. The whole event wraps up with my 42nd birthday party with tons of food, drinks, and camaraderie to be had by all. Get your tickets at expatmoney.com/conference. I hope to see you there.

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