Analysis Topic: Politics & Social Trends
The analysis published under this topic are as follows.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Social Security is Not an “Entitlement” Program / Politics / US Politics
By: Chris_Kitze
Marti Oakley writes: A long coveted cut to Social Security and Medicare is going to happen. This will occur for reasons none of the politicians in the District of Criminals will ever speak about publicly. There is far more at stake here than what the District terms an “unfunded liability”. When you hear those in the District speak about this liability, you need to understand what they are really saying. This is an intra-governmental debt, meaning; a debt accrued within the government. It is a liability to the federal government because it is owed to “you” and they have no way of paying it back without taxing you more heavily. You are the “full faith and credit” of the United States corporation. That means government runs up the bills and we pay it.
Friday, February 18, 2011
The Gerontocracy, Workers are the Economic Slaves of Pensioners / Politics / Demographics
By: MISES
Jan Iwanik writes: I suspect that funded retirement plans like American 401(k)s British private pensions, or Polish open pension plans (OFE) cannot survive in a centralized democracy. The only alternatives are unfunded schemes such as American social security, British state pensions, or the Polish Social Insurance Institution (ZUS).
Friday, February 18, 2011
Bahrain Revolt Against Another US Ally / Politics / Middle East
By: Finian_Cunningham
“Have you ever seen an island with no beaches?” The question posed by the young Bahraini taxi man standing among thousands of chanting anti-government protesters seemed at first to be a bit off the wall. But his explanation soon got to the heart of the grievances that have brought tens of thousands of Bahrainis on to the streets over the past week – protests which have seen at least seven civilians killed amid scenes of excessive violence by state security forces. Unconfirmed reports put the death toll much higher.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Fed QE2 Inflation Fuels Global Fury and Rage / Politics / Quantitative Easing
By: Mark_Thornton
The Federal Reserve has been busy the last three months pumping up the money supply by $300 billion dollars, with much more promised in the months ahead. Some of the results have been painfully predictable, others less so.
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Thursday, February 17, 2011
Where’s the American Outrage Against U.S. Support of Dictatorships? / Politics / US Politics
By: Submissions
Jacob G. Hornberger writes: Once it became clear that Egypt’s dictator Hosni Mubarak was on the way out, U.S. officials quickly shifted gears and took the side of the demonstrators, the people who had suffered for 30 years under the brutal Mubarak dictatorship. U.S. officials even offered their guidance for moving Egypt toward a democratic political system.
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Thursday, February 17, 2011
U.S. Economic Policies Driving Egypt's Workers Revolt / Politics / Middle East
By: Mike_Whitney
"The revolution in Egypt is an expression of the will of the people, the determination of the people, the commitment of the people.... Muslims and Christians have worked together in this revolution, as have the Islamic groups, secular parties, nationalist parties, and intellectuals....In fact every sector has played part in this revolution: the young, the old, women, men, clerics, artists, intellectuals, workers, and farmers." Hassan Nasrallah, Secretary General of Hezbollah
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Is The World Really Running Out Of Food, Water And Oil? / Politics / Food Crisis
By: Chris_Kitze
Everywhere you look today the mainstream news is talking about shortages. Authorities all over the globe are boldly proclaiming that the world is rapidly running out of food, water and oil. So are these doomsayers right? Well, it must be noted that some of the most famous "prophets of doom" of the past several decades have seen their predictions fail spectacularly. For example, in his infamous 1968 book entitled "The Population Bomb", Paul Ehrlich made the following statement: "I don't see how India could possibly feed two hundred million more people by 1980."
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Wall Street and the Financial Crisis: Nobody Goes to Jail - And Therein Lies the Problem / Politics / Credit Crisis 2011
By: Jesse
It all comes back to the credibility trap, much more intractable than a liquidity trap. The US government cannot perform effective change without admitting the corruption and placing the powerful status quo at risk. So this malaise and period of selective recovery will continue until there is a another, more destructive crisis.
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Thursday, February 17, 2011
Restoring Economic Sovereignty: The Push for State-owned Banks / Politics / Credit Crisis 2011
By: Ellen_Brown
"It is time to declare economic sovereignty from the multinational banks that are responsible for much of our current economic crisis. Every year we ship over a billion dollars in Oregon taxpayer dollars to out-of-state and multinational banks in the form of deposits, only to see that money invested elsewhere. It's time to put our money to work for Oregonians."-- Bill Bradbury, former Oregon Senate President and Secretary of State, quoted in The Nation
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Geithner's Failed Makeover of the U.S. Housing Finance Market / Politics / US Housing
By: Michael_Pento
To counter the increasing demands that government reduce its micromanagement of the economy, last week the Obama Administration offered a fig leaf in the form of a white paper entitled "Reforming America's Housing Finance Market." In addition to marking the official end of the Bush era "ownership society," where increasing the level of home ownership was a national priority, the document contains a recommended regulatory overhaul of the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) as well as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (together known as Government Sponsored Enterprises "GSE's"), that intends to bring the share of government owned home loans from the current 95% to 40% over the next 5-7 years.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
How to Win an Election / Politics / Social Issues
By: MISES
In his superb analysis of democracy, Hans-Hermann Hoppe observes that "prime ministers and presidents are selected for their proven efficiency as morally uninhibited demagogues. Thus, democracy virtually assures that only bad and dangerous men will ever rise to the top of government."[1] Those who seek political office appear to be eager to break the moral code that most of us are willing to follow. The greater the power of the political office that a candidate is seeking, the more likely it is that that individual has no sense of right and wrong.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Don't Be Fooled By Washington's U.S. Debt Ceiling Debate / Politics / US Debt
By: Money_Morning
Martin Hutchinson writes:
I have to tell you that - as a former international merchant banker - I want to laugh out loud when I hear the dire predictions of how the United States will have to default if Congress doesn't raise the nation's debt ceiling.
With a little Wall Street-style creative financing - even when the government's outstanding debt level reaches the official limit of $14.3 trillion sometime around the end of March - there's no reason why the country can't go on borrowing as if nothing has changed.
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Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Deception at the Fed / Politics / Central Banks
By: Dr_Ron_Paul
For the past three decades, the Federal Reserve has been given a dual mandate: keeping prices stable and maximizing employment. This policy relies not only on the fatal conceit of believing in the wisdom of supposed experts, but also on numerical chicanery.
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Monday, February 14, 2011
Egypt, The Distance Between Enthusiasm and Reality / Politics / Middle East
By: STRATFOR
On Feb. 11, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak resigned. A military council was named to govern in his place. On Feb. 11-12, the crowds that had gathered in Tahrir Square celebrated Mubarak’s fall and the triumph of democracy in Egypt. On Feb. 13, the military council abolished the constitution and dissolved parliament, promising a new constitution to be ratified by a referendum and stating that the military would rule for six months, or until the military decides it’s ready to hold parliamentary and presidential elections.Read full article... Read full article...
Monday, February 14, 2011
Grapes Of Wrath 2011 / Politics / US Politics
By: James_Quinn
"And the great owners, who must lose their land in an upheaval, the great owners with access to history, with eyes to read history and to know the great fact: when property accumulates in too few hands it is taken away. And that companion fact: when a majority of the people are hungry and cold they will take by force what they need. And the little screaming fact that sounds through all history: repression works only to strengthen and knit the repressed." - John Steinbeck - Grapes of Wrath
Monday, February 14, 2011
Britain’s Bankers Given a Free Rein by Government’s Project Merlin / Politics / UK Politics
By: Global_Research
Julie Hyland writes: The manoeuvres by the Conservative/Liberal Democrat government with the banks express the cynicism and contempt towards working people characteristic of the ruling elite throughout the financial crisis.
Last week, the government unveiled Project Merlin—the outcome of four months of negotiations between government officials, bankers and legal advisers over bonuses and lending. To much fanfare, it was announced that banks would make available some £190 billion to small businesses, increase their contribution to the Business Growth Fund by £1 billion, and provide an additional £200 million to the government’s Big Society Bank, aimed at encouraging the voluntary sector to take over public services.
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Monday, February 14, 2011
Obama to Propose More than $1 Trillion in U.S. Budget Deficit Reduction / Politics / US Debt
By: Global_Research
Patrick Martin writes: The Obama administration will release a federal budget today for the fiscal year beginning October 1 that cuts the total federal deficit by as much as $1.1 trillion over the next decade, two thirds of it through cuts in domestic spending, according to press reports over the weekend.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Shocking Trends in Natural Disasters / Politics / Environmental Issues
By: John_Hampson
2011 has begun with drought in China and Kenya, flood in Sri Lanka, and Australia suffering both cyclone and flood. 2010 saw major drought and wildfires in Russia and the worst drought in the Brazilian Amazon in 100 years, as well as flood in Pakistan that affected a massive 20 million people. Volcanic eruption in Iceland affected European air travel and large earthquakes were registered in both Chile and Haiti last year.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Hold the Celebrations, Egypt's Struggle Just Began / Politics / Middle East
By: Stephen_Lendman
Hopefully beneath celebratory euphoria, Egyptians know ousting Mubarak was simple, especially since Washington long wanted him out. Covertly with Egypt's military, it facilitated long-planned regime purging for with new faces under old policies. In other words, have everything change but stay the same, a common imperial bait and switch con.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Whats Next In Egypt? / Politics / Middle East
By: Danny_Schechter
It is now the long morning after, as protesters returned to Tahrir Square to clean it up and savor their victory. There were even some initial scuffles with the military that may be over anxious to assert control and show that it is in charge.
In all the joy of the moment—the type of joy we see so rarely these days in the news—in all the electrifying coverage, and congratulations in the capitals of the West that stood by Mubarak for decades, there is still vast uncertainty.
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