Almost exactly one month ago, after Jim Rickards’ “America 76/26” livestream event wrapped in Philadelphia, I booked a ride with a Lyft.

The driver was my kind of guy.

Within minutes, we were talking about gas prices.

Then came Philadelphia’s soda tax — which hasn’t accomplished much… beyond encouraging people to drive across state lines to buy what they want elsewhere.

The cigarette tax? Same story.

And every time he double parked to pick up a fare, he told me, the city’s been waiting to slap him with a $75 ticket.

At one point he asked me: “Have Philadelphia public schools improved?”

I shrugged.

It was a rhetorical question.

Your Rundown for Friday, July 3, 2026...

“It Breaks Me”

Whether you agree with my Lyft driver’s conclusions or not, he was paying attention.

He understood unintended consequences.

He understood that governments often create new problems while trying to “fix” old ones.

In short, he sounded like a Paradigm Press subscriber.

Eventually, I asked where he was from.

He seemed surprised I noticed his accent.

“Serbia,” he said.

That opened the floodgates.

He told me he speaks six languages.

Most recently, he’s been learning Italian.

“I want to know what my in-laws are saying about me,” he joked.

But somewhere between the Rocky Steps, Love Park and my hotel, the conversation took a turn.

Photo courtesy: Matt Insley

I asked when he came to the United States.

In his teens, he said.

After the war.

He looked at me through the rearview mirror.

“I can’t talk about the war,” he warned. “It breaks me.”

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

I told him I was glad he was safe.

Glad he had built a life for himself here in America.

In the weeks since, I’ve found myself thinking about that conversation, especially as our country prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary.

Because my Lyft driver understood something Americans often forget.

He’s seen the alternative.

He knows what happens when society breaks apart and war arrives at your doorstep.

For all our disagreements — and we have plenty of them — America remains one of the most successful experiments in human history.

That doesn’t mean it’s perfect.

Far from it.

It does mean that millions of people around the world still see something here that’s worth pursuing.

And that’s worth celebrating tomorrow.

Happy Independence Day.