Analysis Topic: Politics & Social Trends
The analysis published under this topic are as follows.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Ukraine Falls Into IMF's Trap / Politics / Eastern Europe
By: Pravda
Small businessmen protest against the new Tax Code in Ukraine. There are many flaws in the document indeed, but it was passed in a rush because Ukraine had to meet the requirements of the IMF. At present moment, the IMF is a savior for Ukraine - economic catastrophe is inevitable otherwise.
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Sunday, November 28, 2010
The Irish "get it" / Politics / Economic Austerity
By: Michael_T_Bucci
The people of Ireland "get it". The people of Greece, Spain, and Portugal "get it". It's the American who doesn't. What do they "get"? They realize the austerities imposed upon them are to shield, protect and defend the profits of the bankers, the traders, the market speculators, hedge funds, bond holders and entire investment class who will suffer little if at all from their market loses - the people will bear their loses.
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Friday, November 26, 2010
Can U.S. Afford Political Gridlock Already? / Politics / US Politics
By: Sy_Harding
With the near collapse of the financial system in 2008, the Bush Administration, with the Republican party in control of both houses of Congress, took aggressive, unprecedented action. The government was not grid-locked. Decisive action was possible and was taken.
Friday, November 26, 2010
While North And South Korea Exchange Artillery, China and Russia Fire A Warning Shot Against The Bernanke Bow / Politics / US Dollar
By: Jeb_Handwerger
When time permits I like to relax with a good mystery story. One of my favorite masters of the genre is Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of Shirlock Holmes. A few days ago a story appeared on the front page of China Daily on 11-23-10, that is worthy in emulating the masters great classic: “The Dog That Did Not Bark.”
Friday, November 26, 2010
Euro Fatally Wounded by Serial Sovereign Debt Bailouts / Politics / Euro
By: Mike_Shedlock
I have been warning since 2007 that European banks were in at least as bad a shape as US banks. Recent events in Greece, Ireland, Portugal, and Spain should make it clear to even the Euro bulls just how severe the stress on the Euro is.
One would think this would have caused the dollar-centric hyperinflationists and those who thought the Euro would be the world's next reserve currency to go into hiding, but instead several hyperinflation proponents have attracted followings by calling for hyperinflation in the US by the end 2011. One even offered seminars on how to deal with it.
Friday, November 26, 2010
Ellen Brown endorses Bernanke and QE2 / Politics / Quantitative Easing
By: Gary_North
In my November 22 article announcing Ellen Brown's defection to the Federal Reserve, I wrote this:
If she tries to defend herself by saying, "This is consistent with what I have always said," then she is dumber than dirt, or else she thinks her followers are dumber than dirt.
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Thursday, November 25, 2010
Thanksgiving, A Tale of Two Colonies / Politics / US Politics
By: MISES
Gary M. Galles writes: At Thanksgiving, Americans recall their blessings around bountiful meals, with imagery going back to the Pilgrims, especially Plymouth Colony's 1623 Thanksgiving. But little attention is paid to what allows that bounty to be created — capitalism — though Jamestown and Plymouth both illustrate that lesson.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
The TSA's False Tradeoff / Politics / Gold and Silver 2010
By: Robert_Murphy
The national furor over the TSA's new procedures — culminating in yesterday's "Opt Out Day" — has elicited the typical response from the bureaucracy and its apologists. Why, these invasive scans and "enhanced pat-downs" are only for your good, in order to ensure safe flying. You don't want another attack, do you?
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Memo to Ireland: "Tell the EU and the IMF to 'Shove It'" / Politics / Economic Austerity
By: Mike_Whitney
Imagine that Yasser Arafat had succeeded in ending Israeli occupation and establishing a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza. Now imagine that 10 or 15 years later, new Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, agreed to hand over control of his country's budget to the IMF so his people's future would be controlled by outsiders. Do you think Palestinians would praise Abbas as a patriot or denounce him as a traitor?
Thursday, November 25, 2010
The Stench of the Police State at U.S. Airports / Politics / US Politics
By: Global_Research
Patrick Martin and Joe Kishore write: As tens of millions of Americans travel during the busy Thanksgiving holiday weekend, they will come face to face with the new regime instituted by the federal Transportation Security Administration. More than 70 major airports have installed full-body scanners, where randomly selected passengers are compelled to undergo the electronic equivalent of a strip search. Travelers who decline that scan will be subjected instead to an extremely invasive body search that includes an open-palm patdown of the genital area.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Do You Really Want To Be a Republican or a Democrat? / Politics / US Politics
By: Michael_S_Rozeff
My main purpose is this. I want to suggest how most of us can get closer to our heart’s political and social desire. The exceptions are those immoral persons who insist on lording it over other people against their wills, i.e., the authoritarians of any stripe.
I present an imaginary scenario. It is not meant to be a detailed photograph of a new reality. It is to suggest the concept to you as a possible new reality. I am following in the footsteps of Paul Emile de Puydt.
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Thursday, November 25, 2010
Ireland Debt Crisis and Economic Austerity / Politics / Euro-Zone
By: Kevin_Geary
As details of the worst austerity budget in memory emerged ahead of the budget debate on Dec. 7th, This was overheard at the Irish Stock Exchange:"We don't know where the money went," said the trader, half in jest, but half in earnest. "We've been debating it all morning. Cars, flat-screen TVs, Bulgarian properties? Everyone round here used to have a Mercedes. The whole country was a pyramid scheme."
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Thursday, November 25, 2010
Peaceful Countries do not Celebrate Thanksgiving / Politics / US Politics
By: Submissions
Elizabeth Young writes: Thanksgiving commemorates the successful harvest and a time the Pilgrims gathered to give thanks, sharing a feast with their Native American neighbors, who had made possible their survival in the New England wilderness.
"Come, Ye Thankful People, Come" written by Henry "Dean" Alford, the gifted Christian leader of the 19th century and distinguished theologian and scholar, is considered to be one of the finest harvest and Thanksgiving hymns in all of the hymnals of Christian singing.
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Wednesday, November 24, 2010
The Duel over the Fed Dual Mandate of Inflation and Full Employment / Politics / Central Banks
By: Peter_Schiff
Given the opposing views of the potentially parsimonious new Congress and the continuously accommodative Federal Reserve, there is a movement afoot among Republicans to eliminate the Fed's "dual mandate." Prior to 1977, the Fed only had one job: maintaining price stability. However, the stagflation of the 1970s inspired politicians to assign another task: promoting maximum employment. This "mission creep" has transformed the Fed from a monetary watchdog into an instrument of social policy. We would do well to give them back their original job.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Why the Tea Party is a Sucker for Charlatans, Ignoramuses, and Statists / Politics / US Politics
By: Gary_North
Ellen Brown is a leftist. I have hammered away at this since October 8: 52 original criticisms, followed by 30 responses. Still, her followers could not believe it. They sent me outraged letters. Poor Max Keiser publicly challenged me to defend myself. How did I dare say such things about his favorite anti-FED expert?
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
TSA Targets Pretty Women with Hot Bodies / Politics / US Politics
By: LewRockwell
Karen De Coster writes: The latest backlash against the TSA's new groping procedures is finally reaching a level of furor that is in proportion to the atrocious crimes we have been subjected to since the government's favorite excuse for totalitarianism: 9/11.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
The State is Killing the U.S. Jobs Market / Politics / US Politics
By: LewRockwell
The terrible job market has vexed an entire generation. It shows no hope of improving anytime soon. Young people are shut out. College students are taking refuge in matriculation without end. Thirty-somethings are zoning out in their parents' basements and attics. Despair for the future has become a theme of American public life.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Markets Rattled by New Conflict Between North and South Korea / Politics / North Korea
By: Static_Chaos
U.S. stocks dropped more than one percent on Tuesday with two Korea's exchanging fire adding to the already worrisome Irish debt crisis in Europe.
The latest with Ireland is that European Union (EU) officials estimate that a rescue package may amount to about 85 billion euros ($114 billion). That news sent S&P issuing a new downgrade on Ireland's sovereign debt.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Is Natural Gas Worse than Coal and Oil in Greenhouse Gas Emissions? / Politics / Natural Gas
By: Dian_L_Chu
Natural gas has long been touted as a cleaner alternative because natural gas releases about half as much of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide as coal does. Although the natural gas market is in the doldrums right now due to supply glut, with advocates like T. Boone Pickens pitching as the fuel of the future, many market players are betting on increasing natural gas demand from transportation fuels and the generation of electricity to continue for years to come.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Bernanke Defends Fed Monetary Policy By Blaming China for Currency Manipulation / Politics / Central Banks
By: Barry_Grey
In a major speech delivered November 19, Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke defended the American central bank’s decision to print dollars in order to purchase $600 billion in Treasury securities. The second round of so-called “quantitative easing,” launched on November 3, is designed to lower long-term US interest rates.