Category: Social Issues
The analysis published under this category are as follows.
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
The Only Road Out Of Davos / Politics / Social Issues
By: Raul_I_Meijer
After 6+ (BIG +) years of deepening poverty and rising stock markets, of creative accounting, of QE and ultralow interest rates, of extend and pretend and outright propaganda and of what have you, all of which have led us to where we are today, facing yet more rounds of stumbling from crisis into multiple crises, it would seem clear that the model, if not the mold, is broken. In order to fix it, let alone replace it altogether, we need to understand to what extent it is broken. And to do that, we first need to know what exactly the model is.
Friday, January 16, 2015
Lady Fortune Spinning Her Wheels / Politics / Social Issues
By: Dr_Jeff_Lewis
“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” - Thomas A Edison
I'm writing this after spending a few days with my son and a couple of friends. My wife and I are both health professionals by day. Our life and schedule often leaves one of us "in charge" on the weekends -- usually me. Now, at the advanced age of five years old, these fellows are just learning how to get along. They are learning how to work out differences, negotiate possessions, and deal with all of the emotions contained and expressed therein...
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Monday, January 12, 2015
Something’s Not Right: Major New Report On Insecure Britain / Politics / Social Issues
By: Submissions
A major new report from the good society pressure group Compass analyses the precarious, insecure and anxious state of our country as we enter an election year.
The major findings of this in-depth report are:
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Friday, January 09, 2015
The Widening Wealth Gap / Politics / Social Issues
By: Submissions
Antonius Aquinas writes: A recently released Pew Research Center study confirms what every thinking American has understood for quite some time: the wealth gap between rich and poor has widened considerably since the onset of the financial crisis in 2008. The study’s statistics probably underestimate the plight of struggling families and individuals compared to upper-income groups as the median wealth of upper- income families totaled $639,000 in 2013, 6.6 times the median wealth of middle- income families of $96,000. This compares with 4.5 times the gap In 2007 between the two groups.
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Thursday, January 08, 2015
Savage Murder In Paris Shows Freedom, Western Societies and Economies Vulnerable / Politics / Social Issues
By: GoldCore
The savage attacks on the satirical magazine, Charlie Hebdo, in Paris leaving 12 dead yesterday shows how vulnerable western societies and economies are to the twin threats of terrorism and war.
The attacks pose threats to our already under attack freedoms – freedom of the press, freedom of privacy, freedom of religion, freedom of conscience, freedom of speech, expression and thought.
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Wednesday, January 07, 2015
Politicians and the France Charlie Hebdo Attack / Politics / Social Issues
By: Raul_I_Meijer
French magazine Charlie Hebdo’s website now shows the image above. In French, Je Suis Charlie doesn’t only translate as I Am Charlie, but also as I Follow Charlie. Let’s. And let’s not allow the US and all the other western governments to blemish the memories of those who were killed today by using their deaths to promote empty slogans about liberty. Because that’s not what Charlie Hebdo stood for, empty slogans.
There’s a long-running gag in the Anglo world that claims French people are not very courageous. We can now once and forever erase that claim. The people who were shot and killed today were exceptionally brave. Of course the comparison with the North Korea/Sony hack situation will be made, but it really shouldn’t. It would take away way too much from the staff at Charlie Hebdo, and add way too much undeserved praise to Seth Rogen, Sony and Obama.
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Monday, January 05, 2015
Transiting to the Next Paradigm. How do we do it, Tom Paine? / Politics / Social Issues
By: Michael_T_Bucci
It seemed to me as far back (or as recently) as 2003 when DSL first arrived in this rural area of Northern New England and two years after blanket dragnet surveillance by NSA became clandestine state policy, that the prospect for the development of a "technological totalitarianism" in American society seemed assured. Even the most savvy and intelligent winced at my words when they didn't openly condescend. Today, it is here and I estimate 90%+ of the American population know about it and 90%+ care little about it. Acquiescence by the "great silent majority" enables it and gives sanction to our ever-expanding political suppression, oppression and to the myriad forms of unConstitutional governance that have emanate from the "war on terror". Wince at my words, but don't blame oppressors entirely; also include the people.
Saturday, January 03, 2015
The Meaning of Your Life is Other People / Politics / Social Issues
By: Raul_I_Meijer
In his 1944 play Huis Clos (loosely yet officially translated as No Exit, or Closed Door), French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre said: “L’enfer, c’est les autres.” Or: Hell is (the) other people. Which can be very true. And Sartre makes his point in a masterful way. He describes a group of people locked up together with no escape, and for eternity, who have a bitter go at each other. Something we all recognize. People can be a nuisance, and even drive one as far as suicide.
Monday, December 29, 2014
For Students To "Give Back," Add Real Value / Politics / Social Issues
By: MISES
Peter St. Onge writes: A recent article in the left-leaning Independent argued that student volunteers are useless. In one project putting UK college students to work building a local school, the work was so awful that local Ugandan masons "dismantled the structurally unsound work [the students] had done — relaying bricks and resetting timbers whilst the students slept."
"Giving back" is big these days, but how can we know if we’re really making a contribution, or if we, like those students, are just tourists who need cleaning up after.
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Monday, December 29, 2014
What Went Wrong In 2015 / Politics / Social Issues
By: Andrew_McKillop
What Went Wrong in '14?
In some ways this could as easily be 1914 as 2014 War-fascination and phobia was so high in 2014 that in several countries, in Europe and also the USA, Canada, Australia and others the production of books, films, TV documentaries and panel discussions, leading press articles and political speeches relating to the 1914-1918 war were everywhere. But just as the Clash of Empires theme was found diificult or wanting to explain the war, even if the vidgame version of empires clashing is a moneyspinner. the economic causes of WWar I were also found wanting, despite all the effort trying to cobble them together and prove them. By the 1920s and above all the 1930s, J. M. Keynes had made the economic causes and consequences of the war one of his major writing projects. And in 2014 it was possible to find at least a few major similarities between the causes of the 1929 crash and its follow-on Great Depression, and the flyblown world since 2008.
Monday, December 29, 2014
Things To Do In 2015 When You’re Not Yet Dead / Politics / Social Issues
By: Raul_I_Meijer
America has managed to construct an entirely one-dimensional political system. There’s no discernible difference left between left and right, other than in spin language pre-cooked for the sole purpose of faking the concept of elections. There’s very right and ultra right. America is living proof that once money is allowed into politics, the accumulation of it, and of the power it can buy, will and eventually must fully control a democratic system, which in the process, of necessity, suffocates and dies a painful death.
Saturday, December 27, 2014
Peace On Earth And Goodwill To All Men / Politics / Social Issues
By: Andrew_McKillop
What Was His Crime?
I'm not talking about Jesus but the 6-year-old Palestinian child who got off a bus – and got shot in the face at close range with a 15.5gram high velocity rubber bullet. So his crime was 1)Being Palestinian and 2)Not being sufficiently armed to reply to a punk psychopath soldier of the Israeli defense force-IDF or its paid militias. Treat them how you should treat them if they aggress your child with no reason at all.
Monday, December 22, 2014
About That Interview - North Korea / Politics / Social Issues
By: Raul_I_Meijer
Michael Moore once famously – though by no means famously enough yet, because he was so dead-on – said that ‘you can’t declare war on a noun’. If only Americans had paid better attention. That would have shone a whole different light on, if not outright prevented, insane, expensive and terribly deadly concepts such as the ‘war on drugs’ and the ‘war on terrorism’. Now it looks as if John McCain is fishing for a fresh noun to declare war on.
Talking about Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg and James Franco’s ‘The Interview’ movie, and the hackers known as ‘Guardians of the Peace’ who made Sony Pictures pull the movie’s Christmas release, McCain told CNN’s State of the Union that “It’s more than vandalism. It’s a new form of warfare that we’re involved in and we need to react, and react vigorously.” President Obama earlier said the opposite, that it’s not war, but vandalism.
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Monday, December 15, 2014
A Brief Financial Moment in Time / Politics / Social Issues
By: Dr_Jeff_Lewis
“It is well enough that people of the nation do not understand our banking and monetary system; for if they did, I believe there would be a revolution before tomorrow morning.”
-Henry Ford
I have a small confession.
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Saturday, December 13, 2014
How To Renounce Your US Citizenship And Become Stateless / Politics / Social Issues
By: Jeff_Berwick
I recently had the pleasure to speak with Glen Roberts, a self-described "techno-geek", blogger and the author of How to Renounce Your US Citizenship in Two Easy Steps. The book was written as a guide to cut through opinions and describe the requirements and process of renouncing US citizenship… something in high demand lately. Glen renounced his US citizenship after living in various Central and South American countries for more than a decade and currently resides, statelessly, in Paraguay.
His story is one of the most interesting we’ve heard in the neverending Escape from Amerika struggle. Here was our conversation.
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Wednesday, December 10, 2014
The Dieoff Syndromw - Why Is The World So Boring? / Politics / Social Issues
By: Andrew_McKillop
The early leading member of Dieoff.org who used the pseudonym Mister Symptote later ran the So Boring World blog which seriously needs to be recycled with the same fire and determination! Mr Symptote was convinced he was right, which always helps. One of the key arguments used by the bloggers who flocked to So Boring World is the staggering idiocy of what's rightly called "mainstream crony media", operating an IQ or Idiocy Quotient north of 100%. This simply can't be called a conspiracy theory, because its a fact.
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Safe Haven Colombia: Peace, Pyramids, Parrots and Profit / Politics / Social Issues
By: Ron_Holland
"First, let me try to tell you about the setting of the Terra Viva, or Living Earth, community in such a way that I can convey even an inkling of the spectacular appeal of this magical place. Imagine being nestled in an Alps-like pristine setting, utterly immersed in indescribable natural beauty, the sounds and sights of parrots and monkeys chattering in the trees, waterfowl gliding to a graceful landing on a still, 2-hectare lake, vines and the tree canopy high overhead shading the mid-day sun while soft breezes ensure even afternoon temperatures are pleasant. Buildings with few solid walls so the warm afternoon sun and pleasant, cool evening air heats and cools naturally, yet no insects flying in to disrupt your comfortable surroundings." – Anthony Wile
Tuesday, December 09, 2014
The Collapse of US Middle Class Wealth, Consumed by the Gods of Finance / Politics / Social Issues
By: Jesse
"As flies to wanton boys are we to the gods.
They kill us for their sport." - William Shakespeare, King Lear
Let's file this under 'why aren't people buying things and saving more?'
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Friday, December 05, 2014
Deck the Malls - It' Christmas! / Politics / Social Issues
By: Anonymous
It’s now been about a week after Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday.
During the four-day spree, about 133.7 million shoppers spent about $50.9 billion, according to AP and TIME magazine.
The psychological necessity to push, shove, and trample strangers while fighting for the right to purchase overpriced merchandize made in China has just begun. Thanksgiving—a day when Americans give thanks the Native Americans didn’t have immigration quotas—begins a 30-day frenzy to buy whatever corporate America is selling. It’s an American tradition to give presents to relatives, friends, business associates, and mistresses, all of whom will also give you presents, which will be opened, sometimes enjoyed, and often returned within a week for something better.
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Friday, December 05, 2014
U.S. Police Badge a License To Kill / Politics / Social Issues
By: Paul_Craig_Roberts
Another goon thug gratuitous murderer has been let off by a grand jury and a prosecutor. Read the condolences offered by NY mayor Bill de Blasio, officer Pantaleo and the Obama Puppet. They are so sorry about the collateral damage of protecting the public from criminals and terrorists. But our society would collapse if people are allowed to sell on the street untaxed individual cigarettes out of a pack. Without the death of innocents, none of us would be safe. Our safety depended on the NYPD murder of Eric Garner, a father of six who was a threat to no one.
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