Category: Social Issues
The analysis published under this category are as follows.
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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Saturday, November 29, 2014
Ferguson Reexamined - Do the Police Recruit Psychopaths? / Politics / Social Issues
By: Paul_Craig_Roberts
Few, if any, of the correct questions were asked in the grand jury hearing to decide whether policeman Darren Wilson would be indicted for killing Michael Brown.
The most important unexamined question is whether police are trained to use force immediately as a first resort before they assess a situation or determine if they are at the correct address. Are the police trained that the lives of police officers are so much more valuable than the lives of possible suspects, or a houseful of people into whose residence a heavily armed SWAT team enters, that police officers must not accept the risk of judicious behavior when encountering citizens? If this is the case as all evidence indicates that it is, then the police when they gratuitously murder members of the public are merely doing what they have been trained to do. As police are trained to use violence as a first resort, the police cannot be held accountable when they do.
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Friday, November 28, 2014
Perceptions of Reality — And a Failure to Indict / Politics / Social Issues
By: Walter_Brasch
She quietly walked into the classroom and stood there, just inside the door, against a wall.
The professor, his back to her, continued his lecture, unaware of her presence until his students’ eyes began focusing upon her rather than him.
“Yes?” he asked, turning to her. Just “Yes.” Nothing more.
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Thursday, November 27, 2014
The Great Thanksgiving Hoax / Politics / Social Issues
By: MISES
Richard J. Maybury writes: Each year at this time, schoolchildren all over America are taught the official Thanksgiving story, and newspapers, radio, TV, and magazines devote vast amounts of time and space to it. It is all very colorful and fascinating.
It is also very deceiving. This official story is nothing like what really happened. It is a fairy tale, a whitewashed and sanitized collection of half-truths which divert attention away from Thanksgiving's real meaning.
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Thursday, November 27, 2014
The Solutions to Ferguson And All The Worlds Problems Lie Within You / Politics / Social Issues
By: Jeff_Berwick
On this day, Thanksgiving, which is a celebration of a day centuries ago where Americans welcomed and fed undocumented immigrants... and then those undocumented immigrants went on to wholesale slaughter the early Americans... and with so many problems in the world today from Ferguson, to Gaza, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria (note which government is intricately involved in all these and many more conflicts) we thought we'd make today's communique short and sweet.
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Thursday, November 27, 2014
Thanksgiving and Puritan Geopolitics in the Americas / Politics / Social Issues
By: STRATFOR
The first winter took many of the English at Plymouth. By fall 1621, only 53 remained of the 132 who had arrived on the Mayflower. But those who had survived brought in a harvest. And so, in keeping with tradition, the governor called the living 53 together for a three-day harvest feast, joined by more than 90 locals from the Wampanoag tribe. The meal was a moment to recognize the English plantation's small step toward stability and, hopefully, profit. This was no small thing. A first, deadly year was common. Getting through it was an accomplishment. England's successful colony of Virginia had had a massive death toll — of the 8,000 arrivals between 1607 and 1625, only 15 percent lived.
Monday, November 24, 2014
Once Upon A Time There Were Philosopher Kings / Politics / Social Issues
By: Andrew_McKillop
Not That Socrates
Newswires report, November 22, that Portugal’s former prime minister, José Sócrates spent another night in detention after a court judge questioned him in an investigation of suspected tax fraud, corruption, and money-laundering during his time in office. For the other Socrates, and Plato, there was only one form of government which would not slip and fall. The Republic which would not dissolve and disappear in corruption, deceit, designer wars to fool (and kill) the people, degeneracy of all sorts and kinds such as cult-food and and money-sport replacing good eating and healthy exercize. A society which would not be lost in a storm of rhetoric and fake logic replacing any kind of debate or discussion. The people could only benefit – but to get it they would have to struggle, moderate their desires and avoid greed.
Thursday, November 20, 2014
United States Social Crisis - No One Told You When to Run, You Missed the Starting Gun! / Politics / Social Issues
By: James_Quinn
Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day
You fritter and waste the hours in an offhand way.
Kicking around on a piece of ground in your home town
Waiting for someone or something to show you the way.
Tired of lying in the sunshine staying home to watch the rain.
You are young and life is long and there is time to kill today.
And then one day you find ten years have got behind you.
No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun.
Pink Floyd – Time
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Thursday, November 20, 2014
Making Money While The World Burns / Politics / Social Issues
By: Raul_I_Meijer
I was reading this letter to his fund investors by Hugh Hendry, a very intelligent and probably slightly autistic fund manager I’ve liked a lot forever and a day and have written about quite a bit in the past, and it got me thinking about how and why I see the world different from the way he does, and wondering how you see that difference.
Hugh was for years known as a true bear, and then he turned around, changed his views and turned bull, only at the same time he did not. If that makes any sense. I’ll take you through the letter as posted by Tyler Durdenand try to explain what struck me in it. It’s much easier and safer not to write things like this, but I think there are things you must explore, like how do you react when realize your world is falling to bits.
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Monday, November 17, 2014
Global Gulag - Imperium the Foe of the New World Order / Politics / Social Issues
By: BATR
Sincere and serious scholars understand the deception and untruth of the linear political spectrum, Marxism on the Left and Fascism on the Right. Those who recognize Hegelian fraud for its mendacity, understand that the only difference between Communism and Nazism is their packaging. Both are one in the same - Totalitarianism. History and politics can only be accurately understood, if the hoax of diametrically opposed authoritarian regimes are exposed for what they are; namely, siblings of despotism.
Monday, November 17, 2014
Stripping Off Their Royalties - Would you Like to Cheat an Author? / Politics / Social Issues
By: Walter_Brasch
He’s there by 7 a.m. almost every Sunday except in late Fall and Winter to make money in one of the largest permanent flea markets in northeastern Pennsylvania. In three-foot long cardboard boxes he has an inventory of hundreds of paperbacks, all of them displayed spine up. Westerns. Romances.Adventures. Whatever you want. Three for a buck; fifty cents each. The books are virtually mint condition, and if you don’t mind reading something without a front cover, it’s a bargain, especially since paperbacks with the covers, sold at supermarkets, pharmacies, and bookstores, are now going for as much as $7.95 each.
Monday, November 17, 2014
The World Is Run By Fools, And We Let Them / Politics / Social Issues
By: Raul_I_Meijer
Dumb and Dumber To, the sequel after 20 years, was released recently. Unfortunately for Jim and Jeff and the Farrelly brothers, unintended humor will always be funnier than the scripted kind, no matter how hard Hollywood tries. Case in point: the Dumber slapstick was easily upstaged over the past few days by the G20 summit in Brisbane.
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
The Case for Optimism / Politics / Social Issues
By: MISES
Jeff Deist writes: I promised you some optimism today. Perhaps one of the most optimistic libertarians ever was Murray Rothbard, a happy intellectual warrior if ever there was one. And he was very enthusiastic about the revolution of libertarian ideas, because he understood fundamentally that liberty is the only manner of organizing society that is compatible with human nature and human action. And it was this optimism, this unshakeable belief that we’re right and the statists are wrong, that drove him to produce a staggering body of work in defense of personal liberty. Now let me stress that Rothbard, despite his reputation as an uncompromising intellectual, saw his efforts as pragmatic, not utopian. He understood quite clearly that utopianism was the hallmark of the state’s intellectual champions, not the state’s detractors. He understood that utopianism and statism, not liberty, produced the great monsters and the great wars of the twentieth century.