Mike Williams and his daughter Solana review Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of The Odyssey, discussing its stunning visuals, questionable editing, uneven writing, and departures from Homer’s themes. They compare the film’s portrayal of Odysseus to the original epic and critique choices that undermine the hero’s clarity and ingenuity.

They also connect the story to capitalism, arguing that Homer’s Odysseus exemplifies entrepreneurial virtues—individual judgment, persistence, and problem-solving—and that audiences’ choices in the marketplace determine which art succeeds and what cultural values are promoted.

In this episode, Mitch and Mike discuss Mitch's article, “Of Gods and Sand,” and the timeless danger of mistaking political power for moral authority. From ancient pharaohs to modern strongmen, history is littered with rulers who wanted not merely obedience, but adoration. The American Founders rejected that premise. They were Enlightenment thinkers who built a system around reason, individual rights, checks and balances, and the idea that no man—not a king, not a president, not a “savior”—stands above the law.

We connect Mitch’s article to Trump’s deeply anti-American instinct for personal glorification, and why that impulse is not merely a political problem, but a philosophical one. America was not founded on submission to God-kings. It was founded on the sovereignty of the individual. And that same principle is the moral and political foundation of capitalism: free people, using reason, producing, trading, building, and pursuing their own happiness without permission from a ruler.

You’ve seen “In God We Trust.” But have you ever heard what America’s first coin actually said? Hint: it wasn’t about belief. The founders weren’t preaching what you should believe - it was about action. In this episode, we explore Benjamin Franklin's 1787 Fugio coin and uncover its message “Mind Your Business” and what it reveals about freedom, responsibility, and the roots of capitalism.

We contrast that founding-era philosophy with later shifts in U.S. currency and culture — including the adoption of "In God We Trust" and the move toward fiat money — and invite listeners to read the related newsletter article and reflect on the role of money, individualism, and civic virtue.