Analysis Topic: Politics & Social Trends
The analysis published under this topic are as follows.
Thursday, September 22, 2016
Here’s How the EU’s Crisis Is Tearing NATO Apart / Politics / European Union
By: John_Mauldin
BY KAMRAN BOKHARI : NATO has been searching for relevance for a generation. Now, as the EU faces a meltdown, the fate of NATO is even more unclear.
European nations are more and more discontent with the EU. The aftermath of Brexit, and the banking crisis that has spread from Italy to Germany, only inflame the tension. As a result, major European powers are less likely to play a bigger role in NATO.
Read full article... Read full article...
Wednesday, September 21, 2016
Italy Is the EU’s Weakest Link / Politics / European Union
By: John_Mauldin
BY GEORGE FRIEDMAN : German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President François Hollande, and Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi met Aug. 22 on an Italian aircraft carrier. They said they were meeting to talk about European policy after Brexit. The real discussion was about Italy’s economy and the steps needed to revive it.
Wednesday, September 21, 2016
Putin’s Ukraine Strategy Could Lay the Groundwork for War / Politics / Russia
By: John_Mauldin
BY GEORGE FRIEDMAN : Tensions between Russia and Ukraine are growing. According to the Russians, a special operations team from Ukraine attacked Crimea in August. The Ukrainians denied the claim. The Russians appeared to be moving forces around in Crimea and increasing their number and posture.
There have been reports of Russian troop buildups east of their border with Ukraine. There is also an unconfirmed report of Russian troops deploying in pro-Russian, rebel-held territory inside Ukraine. The Russians have done nothing to tamp down tensions.
Read full article... Read full article...
Monday, September 19, 2016
UK Government Surrenders to China / France to Build Nuclear Fukushima Plant At Hinkley Point C / Politics / Nuclear Power
By: Nadeem_Walayat
Theresa May's government has once more shown its inherent weakness where after putting the French / Chinese Hinkley Point C nuclear build on hold in July has now backed down under Chinese threats of withholding investments by giving the go ahead to build a nuclear reactor that had never been proven to actually work with potentially disastrous consequences for our small densely populated Island.
Thursday, September 15, 2016
Apple Tax Grab by EU Invades IRS Airspace / Politics / Taxes
By: John_Browne
On August 30th, the European Union (EU) Commission ordered the Irish government to reclaim some $14.6 billion of so-called back taxes plus interest from Apple Inc. The order challenged sovereign tax authority within the EU and well-established international tax rules. The aggressive stance of the Commission set off a furor of high level political argument among taxing authorities and multinational companies accustomed to complex but legal international tax planning. Apple's case was big enough to place it at center stage in a simmering problem for governments in striking a balance between attracting businesses, creating jobs, generating taxes and deciding precisely what type of earnings can be taxed.
Wednesday, September 14, 2016
Stop the Fed Before it Kills Again / Politics / US Federal Reserve Bank
By: Mike_Whitney
Why has the Fed created incentives for US corporations to loot their companies and drive them deeper into debt?
Despite four consecutive quarters of negative earnings, weak demand and anemic sales, US corporations continue to load up on debt, buy back their own shares and hand out cash to their shareholders that greatly exceeds the amount of profits they are currently taking in. According to the Wall Street Journal: “SandP 500 companies through the first two quarters of the year collectively returned 112% of their earnings through buybacks and dividends.”
Read full article... Read full article...
Tuesday, September 13, 2016
August Record Global Temperatures, Brexit and the Climate Change Catastrophe / Politics / Climate Change
By: Nadeem_Walayat
Another month goes by with another sign that where climate change control measures are concerned it is already too LATE to avert the climate change catastrophe that awaits humanity THIS century. According to NASA August 2016 was the hottest August month on record beating the last record by 0.16c (2014), which puts reality far beyond anything the climate change models of barely a decade ago were forecasting would happen, as we are now experiencing temperatures that weren't meant to materialise for several more decades and not 2016 which is indicative of a run away green house effect in progress.
Monday, September 12, 2016
The Fed Plans for the Next Crisis / Politics / US Federal Reserve Bank
By: Dr_Ron_Paul
In her recent address at the Jackson Hole monetary policy conference, Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen suggested that the Federal Reserve would raise interest rates by the end of the year. Markets reacted favorably to Yellen's suggested rate increase. This is surprising, as, except for one small increase last year, the Federal Reserve has not followed through on the numerous suggestions of rate increases that Yellen and other Fed officials have made over the past several years.
Read full article... Read full article...
Sunday, September 11, 2016
The Meaning of 911 Fifteen Years After / Politics / War on Terror
By: BATR
What kind of an American are you? Will you mourn the dead or will you celebrate the government as protector of national security? For thoughtful and historically balanced realists the correct reaction is that the last remnants of the Republic collapsed with the twin towers and burned with the response from the Pentagon fire. Most docile and obedient subjects of the despotic regime that has morphed into outright tyranny still believe the official report from The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, provides the definitive details on the 911 investigation.
Friday, September 09, 2016
Europe’s Long War with Islam / Politics / Religion
By: John_Mauldin
BY GEORGE FRIEDMAN : Any discussion of Islamist terrorism in Europe and the refugee crisis has to be placed in a broader historical context. One way to approach this is to think about the Mediterranean Sea, which was central to the Roman Empire.
The Romans occupied both shores of the Mediterranean and created a single integrated political and economic system around it. As the Roman Empire declined, the system fractured. The general outcome was that Christianity was prevalent on the northern shore of the Mediterranean, and Islam became dominant on the southern shore.
Read full article... Read full article...
Friday, September 09, 2016
Conspiracy Theories / Politics / Conspiracy Theory
By: John_Mauldin
BY GEORGE FRIEDMAN : The term “conspiracy theory” has been part of our culture for a very long time. It is often justifiably followed by the word “nut.” It is also a way to stop discussion, or to embarrass others from believing what is being said. The aversion to conspiracy theories flows from a revulsion at the thought that well-known events are caused by a group of people acting in secret.
If that is true, then the common-sense understanding of why things happen is defective. And if it is defective, then those who are seen as best informed are actually mistaken. They lose their standing, and we are faced with a grim world where important events have dark and unknown causes.
Read full article... Read full article...
Wednesday, September 07, 2016
Islam -- the Clash of Faith and Ideology and Total Disintegration / Politics / Religion
By: Dr_R_M_Mathew
Never in its entire history, had Islam faced such a grave situation of the unending clash between the Faith and the Ideology as has been fermenting all over the Islamic world. For over 80% of the world Muslims, Islam is still ‘Peace’ and a Religion. But highly powerful and pervading factions of the elite Muslims redefines Islam as an Ideology and Political or Economic System rather than mere ‘peace’ or ‘faith’ or ‘religion’. However, the world has not yet fully grasped the intensity of the clashes that are capable of disintegrating Islam as a religion and their impacts on the Global Peace and Development.
Read full article... Read full article...
Tuesday, September 06, 2016
Is Healthcare the Silent Killer? / Politics / Healthcare Sector
By: Rodney_Johnson
I’ve never heard anyone brag about what they spend for a medical procedure. Healthcare isn’t like housing or transportation. People are proud to shell out big bucks for a big house, and many drivers can’t wait to show off their expensive set of wheels.But when it comes to healthcare, we’re only smiling when we save money, not spend it, which makes the current trend so much more difficult.
Read full article... Read full article...
Tuesday, September 06, 2016
Teen Labour, the Workforce Proves to Be Valuable Education / Politics / Employment
By: Rodney_Johnson
I lied to get my first job.
The minimum required age was 15, and I was only 13. Luckily, I was 5’ 10” at the time, so I could pass for a couple of years older. I proudly drew my first paycheck as a fry cook at the Dairy Bar, a local burger joint in Southeast Texas. I learned a lot more on the job than just how to flip burgers.
On this Labor Day, I was reminded of my days on the food line… and a celebrity hashtag theme #firstsevenjobs that began trending recently. The woman that started it listed her early employment history and many of her followers have since followed suit.
Read full article... Read full article...
Monday, September 05, 2016
G20 Meets in China To Fight Anti-Globalism And Usher In New World Order / Politics / New World Order
By: Jeff_Berwick
Members of the G20 countries are meeting in China this week with an expressed goal of “fighting anti-globalism sentiments”.
You see, the global elites are rewriting the rules of the economy to help usher in a new world order that, as Zbigniew Brzezinski says, will now include Russia and China.
This new globalist order is something for which they have no remorse because of their disloyalty to any one nation – or even to humanity as a whole. What’s more is they’ve shown their willingness to trash the dollar to attain that end.
Read full article... Read full article...
Friday, September 02, 2016
Religon, ISIS and Servants of God / Politics / Religion
By: David_Galland
Dear Parade-Goers,
As you read this, I’ll be wandering around the streets of Oxford running errands related to dropping off our daughter at her two-year college.
Though homeschooled for most of her student life, our daughter decided her academic aspirations would be best served by a good English school. So here we are.
Personally, I found the US educational system to be rigid and uninspiring. I might have thought differently had I attended school in England. That’s because, as they enter the equivalent of the upper grades of high school, UK students select two or three topics to focus on. The schools then provide support, including tutors, to encourage proficiency in their chosen topics.
Read full article... Read full article...
Friday, September 02, 2016
American Conservatives Are Turning to Putin / Politics / US Politics
By: John_Mauldin
BY GEORGE FRIEDMAN: American conservatism has fragmented since 1991. It now looks very little like the movement presided over by Ronald Reagan.
One of these factions seems to be pro-Russian and views Russian President Vladimir Putin favorably. You can see this in Donald Trump’s speech on national security. He explicitly invited Russia to fight Islamist terrorism together. This is a shift.
Read full article... Read full article...
Friday, September 02, 2016
Brzezinski’s Ruse: American Empire is Dead, China and Russia Take Over / Politics / New World Order
By: Jeff_Berwick
Zbigniew Brzezinski has written an article in The American Interest titled “Towards a Global Realignment” that has received a tremendous amount of attention on the internet, along with much gloating.
Brzezinski is an architect of the world’s current military and economic disasters and as such he has plenty of enemies. With this article, they see him recanting his previous arrogance and vision of a worldwide US hegemony.
Read full article... Read full article...
Thursday, September 01, 2016
China Empire Investing Billions in the UK, £1 billion in Sheffield Alone, Good or Trojan Horse? / Politics / China US Conflict
By: Nadeem_Walayat
Sheffield's Labour run city council has been in celebratory mood since signing a deal in Chengdu for China to invest £1 billion pound in building projects across the city, apparently most will be city centre apartment blocks. Sheffield's Labour Council Leader declared "This is the biggest Chinese investment deal to be made by a UK city outside of London. And perhaps more importantly it is first deal of its kind to be made by a UK city, this is a real partnership."
Wednesday, August 31, 2016
Humanity at Risk / Politics / Social Issues
By: Stephen_Lendman
Never before in history was humanity more at risk than now. Earlier wars were fought with conventional weapons.
Today’s super-ones make them look like toys by comparison. Thermonuclear bombs, if used, can incinerate entire cities and surroundings.
Enough of them launched risks nuclear winter. Physician, nuclear expert, anti-war activist Helen Caldicott earlier said “nuclear technology threatens life on our planet with extinction.”
Read full article... Read full article...