The Fed Is Trapped: Why America Needs Inflation | James Lavish @JamesLavish returns to Free The Money to discuss America's $40 trillion national debt and why he believes the U.S. cannot simply grow its way out of its debt crisis, despite Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's optimism surrounding AI-driven productivity growth. James argues that we're already in the early stages of fiscal dominance, where the government's growing debt burden increasingly constrains the Federal Reserve's ability to conduct independent monetary policy. He explains how the Fed and Treasury are headed toward an inevitable "shotgun wedding," with inflation becoming increasingly necessary to sustain America's debt-dependent financial system. We also explore rising Treasury yields, the oil-driven inflation shock, the housing affordability crisis, and why lower Fed rates don't necessarily translate into lower mortgage rates. Finally, James shares his concerns about the debt-fueled AI boom, extreme stock market concentration, CoreWeave's credit default swaps trading at distressed levels, and the growing risks surrounding private credit. Subscribe to James Lavish’s Newsletter The Informationist here: jameslavish.com Want financial privacy? Check out my favorite privacy coin @Zano_project You can buy Zano seamlessly on MEXC using a VPN, or browse the full list of exchanges where Zano is available here: zanolist.com/exchanges You can also find educational content, tutorials, and interviews on the official Zano YouTube Channel: youtube.com/@ZanoProject 0:0 Can America Outgrow Its $40 Trillion National Debt? 5:03 Can AI Save the U.S. Economy? 9:58 Trump's Inflation Strategy & Rising Treasury Yields 12:12 The Oil Supply Shock & Rising Energy Prices 14:54 Fiscal Dominance Explained: Is the Fed Losing Independence? 18:33 Financial Privacy with Zano 27:09 Why the Fed Can't Repeat the 1980s Interest Rate Hikes 35:01 Operation Twist 39:20 Did the Treasury Miss Its Chance to Lock In Low Rates? 42:00 The Housing Affordability Crisis 50:33 What Would It Take for Mortgage Rates to Fall? 54:24 AI Bubble Warning Signs: S&P 500 Concentration & South Korea's KOSPI 55:25 CoreWeave, Private Credit & the Risk of Financial Contagion 1:04:14 How to Protect Your Wealth During a Market Crash 1:07:29 Bank of America's Penalties, Bitcoin & Banking Double Standards