Welcome! The Capitalist Reality Check provides a common sense economic perspective on salient current events with a focus on identifying effective and efficiency ideas and solutions.   In order to distribute anything, it first must be created. Anything that can only be done a finite amount of times or discourages the source from producing or allowing access is futile and not worth doing, which is why our economic needs are best served in sustainable growth and opportunity models.  The vision of a shared common economy is ridiculous and petulant. Over time, people generally do not share well unless there is a self regulating feature in a system. People will naturally skew anything to fit their interest. Whether it is moneywise or the ability to corner influence or grift from common lots.    People love to want a family style meal until the check arrives. Then everyone will recount how much food and drinks they actually had compared to other people. Then someone h...

  Welcome! The Christopher Peter Review is the Capitalist Reality Check providing a common sense economic perspective on salient current events with a focus on identifying effective and efficiency ideas and solutions.   In a democracy, the government at any level is supposed to be governing at the will of the people. Especially one built on a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. So elected officials should be sensitive to the needs and views of the public.  But the public is not always well versed on the intricacies of every critical issue and needs to rely on the integrity of those in power. People are generally not an expert across all fields and subjects. Usually a jack of all trades is a master of none and a specialist has a number of blind spots.  Even those we empower are not a broad expert on every issue, but the good ones are willing to learn and hear a variety of expert opinions and use judgment that aligns with the views of the ...

  Welcome! The Christopher Peter Review is the Capitalist Reality Check providing a common sense economic perspective on salient current events.   As a person of color, I support the need for diversity. In the most diverse nation and economy in the world, diversity is an asset. Demographics should never be a reason to be denied economic opportunity nor should it be the qualifying factor either. I believe we can put merit first and still achieve diversity at the same time. They are not mutually exclusive.    Our vices can be a source of entertainment. For many people, there is a natural level of moderation around vices. Whether it is food not considered good for you, drinks, or even gambling, there is a need to manage these. Everyone is different and has different vices that may be harder for them to manage.   As a fan of the Sixers, I appreciate the change in culture that has come with the change in leadership. Like many other fans, the constant cycle ...

  Welcome! I am strong believer in the importance of leadership. Not only from the person at the top of the organizational chart, but also throughout the organization. Each member of the leadership team as well as every member of the organization accepting their role in maintaining the organizational culture and achieving the overall organizational objectives. The ability for organizations to achieve sustainable success is to be able to trust in their core principles in good times and bad to weather any storm and ride through waves of prosperity. When you lose that leadership culture, you overreact to every moment and are not able to sustain.  The biggest challenge when there is a lack of leadership is what fills that gap. Many times, there are bad actors that are trying to exploit division, indecisiveness, and chaotic moments to gain power. And we are seeing that firsthand right now. Effective leadership and strong values can fight off extremism. Weakness invites it.  Wh...

  Welcome! I hope everyone had a wonderful, safe, and inspiring celebration of the 250th birthday of the greatest nation to ever exist in the history of the world. The brightest beacon of freedom, the greatest source of good, and the city on the shining hill. The United States of America is the greatest nation on the planet.  There are some people who are not celebrating because they are emotionally stunted because of a political outcome that they disagree with. Or they are obsessing over past indiscretions that happen well before they were born. If you truly believe in democracy, you should be able to love your nation and appreciate the good, despite wanting to oppose policies that you disagree with. If you struggle to come to terms with things that do not go your way, you may need to address the lack of coping. Many people do not want to be judged by the worst moment. Be seen in the light of their past mistakes. Well, that works for everyone else as well. Too many people hav...

  Welcome! I believe all Americans should be patriotic regardless of your politics. And all Americans should be able to proudly support our national teams and cheer for success. That should be natural and common sense. As we see many guests visiting our communities due to the World Cup, they seem to be amazed and appreciative our economic offerings and society. That should put a perspective for those harboring negative feelings because a political result did not go as you preferred.  Based on the results prior to the World Cup, I was pleasantly surprised to see our national soccer team perform as well as it did in the group stage. I was a bit worried going into the tournament, but we look much better than in the past tournament appearances. Hopefully, we get at least another win and then set the foundation to build on from there. Go Team USA!! THE LABOR PROPOSAL:   Anytime you are dealing with issues that involve the compensation of people, there will be strong emotions a...

  Welcome! To some degree, we may have lost a balance between validating our emotions with accepting reality. We place a greater importance on how we feel about something, especially the initial feeling before the full scope is known, than when we fully understand the why, how, and what. And the problem with that is rewriting the mental narrative to defend the initial reaction.  Personally, I always want to see the full picture before shaping an opinion and then challenge that initial opinion with critical thinking and questioning gaps. I do not want to let emotions block what lessons that could be realized from  situations.  In the topics for this week's podcast episode, I focused on the lessons and impactful takeaways more than feeling or emotional reaction.  CRC SOCIAL:   There are some things that you are not able to appreciate what it could be ahead of time. Until it happens and then you realize the event exceeded your every expectation. That is what s...

  Welcome! There are many good examples of the type of people that we should grow up to be. People in our lives that show us or exemplify how one can succeed and be a great human being at the same time. We should appreciate these individuals and cherish the lessons that are made available to us. It is possible to enjoy career success and have good values at the same time.  A major problem with our society today is that people lack real role models that they can trust. People that inspire them to be better than their situation. Rather people all too often try to offer comfort in complacency and alternative narratives for shortcomings. Those who push us to be better tomorrow than we are today are the ones that we need to listen to. Even if it is difficult.  CRC SOCIAL:   Things can be going good for the gander, but not so well for the individual geese. Therefore, there will be departures from the flock. People leave companies all the time when their individual careers ...

  Welcome! There is nothing like road trips throughout the United States.  No matter where you go in the United States, there always seems to characteristics that make us the same. Minor regional difference, but major similarities that connect us. But those regional differences can make those communities unique and those experiences in them special.  For those who regard some regions of our great nation as flyover states, I hope they expand their minds and experience the interesting communities that exist. And meet some of their residents. There are good and bad in any area. But, when you experience America you will see there is so much in common to our core.  Sometimes, we believe that methods are the best simply because of the revenue generated, but some things done in high cost areas may have a big price tag with low quality. Learning how other areas do things can give insight and ideas that drive innovation and improve quality.  And so many good eats that ar...

Welcome! Today we remember all those brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice to defend our freedom, our homeland, and our way of life. We mourn their loss while cherishing their memory. The paid a price that America can never repay. But we can make sure that their sacrifice was not made in vein by embracing our American values, being compassionate to one another, and set aside divisiveness over politics.  I believe that people need to venture out around our great nation and that will help alleviate some of the tensions that exists. If you do, the first thing you realize is that we are all not that different. At our core, we all just want opportunity, kindness, and basic respect. Not a big or unreasonable ask by any means.  The great thing is learning from the differences in lifestyles and community structures. It is common to elevate what we are used to as the ultimate standard of normalcy. When you truly experience other cultures and ways of life, there is underly...

  Welcome! I speak a great deal about our perspectives and challenging our views because I believe it is important to understand our reality. It is human nature to see things in a manner that is favorable to our positions, interests, and needs. And ignore the inconvenient truths that exists. We need to be able to have a different reflections on challenging moments, events and situations to ensure that we are better in the future. To many times, we take comfort in finding a way to deflect responsibility. And then the patterns continue.  If we truly want to maximize our opportunities, outcomes, and realize our potential, then we need to be able to see the truth, accept the truth, and change if needed.  CRC SOCIAL:   Two events can be equal in outcome, but not received the same perception. When looking at the context in which those events happened and the situational factors that created the outcomes, there could be a completely different opinion on both, despite each e...

   Welcome! There is a need to set aside political rigidity for economic reality. The need for the right policy for the best outcomes for society is what is usually needed. Rather than one's ability to appear obedient in their ideological flock.  The federal government should not have bailed Spirit Airlines out, but they probably should have allowed them to proceed with the proposed merger with JetBlue.  Those people championing the blockage are failing to see that they actually caused the worst case scenario. The market concentration, loss of an affordable provider, and even greater employment loss than if the combination was permitted.  Now, hindsight is 20/20, but it was a bit predictable that of the two, Spirit Airlines would be the entity that would not survive. JetBlue has experienced its financial issues, but has solid services and could have expanded its offerings with the growth afforded with the acquisition of Spirit. A lost opportunity to allow a low ...

Welcome! There is nothing like starting off your day with that cup of coffee to power you through your morning. Sometimes, the energy you believe a cup of coffee from your favorite coffee shop has is enough to motivate you to push past the obstacles and challenges you know await you. And the value it provides is much greater than just the price you paid for it.  I agree with the notion that things are much healthier and better for you if made from home. But, the reality is that many times, people simply just need to grab something on the way to work, to the gym, to their family events, or on the road. That cup could be that treat that reaffirms your hard work and achievement. While there are number of great home choices for coffee, the ability to grab it and go without the cleanup and remembering to set it up the night before can be helpful.  Everyone has their preferred coffee chain. And they lean into the marketing of those brands. Starbucks appeals to their quality and conn...

Welcome! Rules are essential for maintaining order within an organization, society, or community. However, excessive rules can be troublesome, especially if they are contradictory, unfairly applied, overly subjective, or poorly understood by those expected to follow them. In the grand scheme of things, rules are generally reactive; an undesirable behavior occurs, and a rule is created to prevent it from happening again. To deter reoccurrences, rules must prescribe some form of punishment. If a violation occurs, the offender pays a penalty. Ideally, this penalty compels the offender to rethink their choices while serving as a deterrent for others. Effectively, a rule should address the process or behavior leading to an outcome, rather than the outcome itself. For example, if you want to eradicate cheating, punishing students simply for having identical test answers may penalize non-cheating behavior. If students study together, they are naturally more likely to share the same patterns o...

  Welcome! All business operate to grow, seek profitability, and expand market share. Whether it is a brand name producer of market leading products. Or an alternative offering consumers, who are more cost conscious, a more budget friendly option. Either way, they still need to operate an efficient and effective operation.   Naturally, I am a cost conscious person as I look to maximize my perceived value attained. Sometimes, the savings achieved are not worth the gap in realized quality of the transactions or the inconsistency with the service provider. Generally, you do get what you pay for. But sometimes you can save some money. Other times the savings are offset by the unexpected. In the following, we discuss value brands and whether they truly provide consumers benefits. Or if consumers should stick with the brand names.  FEATURED PODCAST:

  Welcome! Fast food may not be considered good for your health, but some times it is good for filling a need. Especially for people while traveling, either for work, pleasure, or just adventuring where you do not have the ability to meal prep or in need of a quick snack. In those moments, the sight of those golden arches can be very impactful.  There are few brands where people connect with and are willing to continue the generational memories to a certain extent. No other fast food chain has that market awareness like McDonalds. There is a reason why most people are always drawn back to the brand. Even the most health conscious person will want to have a cheat meal every now and then.  For a corporation that is really into real estate and supply chain, the brand awareness and marketing helps make it a dominant market leader that other brands ride the coattails of. In this brand discussion, we discuss why everyone loves the McDonalds brand.  FEATURED PODCAST:

  Welcome! In my experience, the best way to handle any sort of adversity is to deal with the situation with maximum understanding. I believe the more you know about something, the less anxiety you have over the unexpected. Especially if you are able to experience reasonable information, which can be difficult with competing agendas of those supporting and benefiting from the change or those opposing and benefitting from being able to limit or stop the change.  There is a gluttony of information about artificial intelligence telling us that we all will be unemployed and replaced by robots. Or other sources making us feel like we are behind those who may have a more in-depth knowledge of artificial intelligence than we currently may have. There is a natural risk if you are not aware of technological changes that could impact your livelihood. But, if you are still employed, there is obviously still some time for you to mitigate any future risk.  Certain fields may be optima...