![]()
Independent analyst and Gold, Goats, and Guns host Tom Luongo joins the show to explain why he's left orthodox libertarianism behind and adopted a framework built around the City of London, the Federal Reserve, and Donald Trump's geopolitical strategy. The conversation ranges from Jerome Powell's rate hikes to Iran's nuclear ambitions, the Strait of Hormuz, Bitcoin's murky origins, and why Tom thinks most libertarian commentary misses the real centers of power entirely. Tom traces his intellectual break from the Ron Paul/Mises Institute wing of libertarianism back to the post-COVID Fed tightening cycle, arguing that the "coup" against Trump and Powell in 2020–21 mirrors a much older pattern of financial power rooted in London rather than Washington. He recounts a heated confrontation at the Mises Institute where he was cut off mid-speech for suggesting the movement update its models, and uses that story to argue libertarians are prone to the same "purity spiraling" as Bitcoin maximalists or gold bugs. From there, the discussion turns to Trump's Iran policy — framing it as less about Israel and more about dismantling chokepoints, energy dominance, and the offshore dollar system tied to the British Empire's financial remnants. Tom also lays out a theory connecting Bitcoin's DARPA origins to a broader strategy of building a new economic order outside the old London-centered system, and closes by tying Trump's moves in Venezuela and the Middle East to a long-term plan to leave the world harder to drag back into the old status quo. Show Sponsor: Jason Gagne’s Good2GoBody 90-day beginner fitness program - https://good2go.podia.com/?coupon=LIONSJOHN Chapters 0:00 – Intro & episode setup 1:47 – Introducing Tom Luongo 3:10 – John's evolution away from libertarian orthodoxy 5:13 – Tom's break: Powell, the Fed, and the 2021 "coup" 10:27 – Naming the enemy: the British Empire, Davos, and the "High Table" 15:16 – The blind spot: why libertarians never blame London 16:36 – Confrontation at the Mises Institute 19:36 – The Last Jedi test: challenging orthodoxy 23:37 – Kevin Warsh and the death of the Phillips Curve 27:30 – Hamiltonian economics vs. Austrian purity: Russia & China 32:00 – Purity spirals and the algorithm trap 35:02 – Trump, Iran, and the nuclear "forever war" 39:55 – Chokepoints, energy dominance, and London's financial architecture 46:07 – Netanyahu, Zionism, and the brain-hemisphere theory 54:34 – Reassessing gatekeepers: from King World News to Dave Smith 65:22 – Bitcoin, DARPA, and the new financial order 70:19 – Trump's endgame: Venezuela, oil, and troop drawdowns 78:46 – Closing thoughts Links Tom Luongo: tomluongo.me Twitter/X: @TFL1728 Patreon: patreon.com/goldghostandguns Schedule a 15 minute Gut Health Audit with John: https://calendar.app.google/B9fcGdSFjC5caTVu5 SUPPORT LIONS OF LIBERTY: Help keep this podcast going! We rely on listener support to continue bringing you content on freedom, political reform, and personal empowerment. Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/lionsofliberty Support us on Locals: https://lionsofliberty.locals.com/ Subscribe, rate, and review wherever you listen – it makes a huge difference! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Become a supporter of this podcast:
https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heartland-newsfeed-radio-network--2904397/support.
