Analysis Topic: Politics & Social Trends
The analysis published under this topic are as follows.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Summary of Super Storm Sandy's Fierce Assault / Politics / Environmental Issues
By: DK_Matai
• Vast destruction zone spans the United States -- from North Carolina on the east-coast to as far west as Michigan -- and then beyond into Canada;
• Death toll has crossed 50, including 18 in New York;
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Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Hurricane Sandy Draws Out Political and Economic Fallacies / Politics / US Politics
By: Jeff_Berwick
Gary Gibson writes: Throughout the next few days in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy you will repeatedly hear two great untruths:
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We need government to protect us from natural disasters.
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Natural disasters are good for the economy.
Monday, October 29, 2012
How Immoral Government Creates the Perfect Investment / Politics / US Politics
By: Investment_U
Alexander Green: If insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result, you really have to wonder about California Governor Jerry Brown.
The two-time Democratic Governor is calling for a 3% tax hike on the state’s richest 1% to help pay for the state’s perpetually cash-strapped education system. He calls it “a moral issue.”
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Monday, October 29, 2012
Super Storm Sandy Attacks the US: Wall Street Shuts Down as Climate Chaos Impacts Financial Markets / Politics / Environmental Issues
By: DK_Matai
The United States, at least the eastern seaboard of the country, is under attack. Not from extremists, Iran, Cuba, North Korea, Venezuela or any of the usual suspects. The offender who dares to assault the world's only superpower is a super storm innocuously named Sandy. Is this the defining confrontation of the 21st century -- between Humanity and Mother Nature -- as long predicted and debated by distinguished members within ATCA 5000? Hurricane Sandy is yet another ambassador of Mother Nature, who no one can mess with; not even a superpower.
Monday, October 29, 2012
The Global Banking ‘Super-Entity’ Drug Cartel: The “Free Market” of Finance Capital / Politics / Banksters
By: Andrew_G_Marshall
I would like to introduce you, the reader, to some realities of our global banking system, resting on the rhetoric of free markets, but functioning, in actuality, as a global cartel, a “super-entity” in which the world’s major banks all own each other and own the controlling shares in the world’s largest multinational corporations, influence governments and policy with politicians in their back pockets, routinely engaging in fraud and bribery, and launder hundreds of billions of dollars in drug money, not to mention arms dealing and terrorist financing. These are the “too big to fail” and “too big to jail” banks, the centre of our global economy, what we call a “free market,” implying that the global banks – and corporations – have “free reign” to do anything they please, engage in blatantly criminal activities, steal trillions in wealth which is hidden offshore, and never get more than a slap on the wrist. This is the real “free market,” a highly profitable global banking cartel, functioning as a worldwide financial Mafia.
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Why I Burned My Social Security Card / Politics / UK Politics
By: Investment_U
Mark Skousen: “Social Security may not be worth anything when the recipient gets it, but he is going to get his benefits paid.” – Senator William Proxmire (1979)
Today, I reached the “retirement” milestone of 65 years of age. Fortunately, my health is good and I still play basketball, golf and other sports, and feel young as ever. I have no plans of retiring. I hope to write Forecasts & Strategies for at least another 20 years!
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Saturday, October 27, 2012
A Message From the 1%, Why Vilification of Wall Street is Disgusting / Politics / US Politics
By: Bloomberg
Billionaire financier and Home Depot co-founder Ken Langone told Bloomberg Television's Trish Regan on "Street Smart" today that he is "proudly part of the 1%. I worked like hell to become part of the 1."
Langone said that, "I have been in Wall Street all of my life. I love it. It has been good to me... This vilification of what is going on in America today is disgusting."
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Friday, October 26, 2012
Voluntary Servitude Begins With A Debt / Politics / Debt & Loans
By: Richard_Mills
Should we leave the creation of new money in the hands of bankers or place its creation solely with our government?
“The financial system used by all national economies worldwide is actually founded upon debt. To be direct and precise, modern money is created in parallel with debt…
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Friday, October 26, 2012
How Many Bubbles in a Bar of Soap? / Politics / US Politics
By: Jeff_Berwick
Quick, can you name all the people who were in the room when you were born? Could you give the name and number of every supervisor you've ever had? Or tell me the address or addresses of both your parents one year before your birth?
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Thursday, October 25, 2012
Hospitals Unsafe at Any Blood Pressure, Socialism By Installments / Politics / Healthcare Sector
By: MISES
Christopher Westley writes: What if the unintended consequences are actually intentional?
That's the thought I had recently upon learning about upcoming Medicare fines on hospitals that readmit patients due to complications within 30 days of an initial discharge. The logic is straightforward: If hospitals do not make a patient well the first time, then they suffer the additional cost of a fine.
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Thursday, October 25, 2012
Secession Fever Sweeping Europe Meaningless Without Debt Repudiation / Politics / Eurozone Debt Crisis
By: Ron_Holland
While regional independence is superior to both the failing European Union and the façade of special interest controlled democracy, one further action should taken by any jurisdictions that choose secession: Newly restored sovereign nations should repudiate their share of the illegitimate sovereign debt when they exit existing unions and nation-states. Created by distant banking elites buying national politicians and parliaments to load up on sovereign debts that can never be paid off, this massive national debt load is illegitimate and destructive to existing and new national economies.
Thursday, October 25, 2012
So, How Can I Make A Living In Mexico? / Politics / Social Issues
By: Jeff_Berwick
Jim Karger writes: So, why don't they pick up and leave?
Money.
They don't have enough to live on the income generated by their savings for the rest of their lives. (Many actually do and believe they don't, but I will save that topic for another article.)
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Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Central Banks Game Plan: One World Currency / Politics / Fiat Currency
By: BATR
Only those in total denial would claim that the world economies could grow their way out of the debt bubble. Mathematically, the rules of compound interest always destroy the purchasing value of fiat currencies. The era of zero interest rates will end. When the cost to finance debts reverts to normal levels, the bleeding will become a gusher. The world reserve currency status of Federal Reserve Notes will come under enormous pressure. As the central banks consolidate their control over international commerce and the economies of individual countries, the coin of the new realm will shift to a replacement for the U.S. Dollar.
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Do Not Tolerate Domestic Violence / Politics / US Politics
By: Jeff_Berwick
Wendy McElroy wrotes: I am not talking about spousal abuse. I mean the abuse heaped upon you by the United States government. The parallels are striking.
America claims to own you, and so you pay a heavy price for leaving as an expat. It cruelly invades your breasts and genitals through pat-downs at the airport. Then it does the same to your children. America swears it is protecting you while violating your rights at every turn; and you have become so brainwashed that you now mistake a fist in your face for safety. There is no respect and no honesty in the relationship the government offers you – only a self-serving contempt that erupts into violence. Your response is to return a love of country along with the money you earn, all the while making excuses for America's bad behavior. Or, perhaps, you even defend America to critics.
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Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Unions - Another Form of Collectivism Gone Awry / Politics / Social Issues
By: Jeff_Berwick
As the snow already has begun to fall across much of the expanse of Canada, the weather has settled into a deep freeze (-20C, -4F overnight in Calgary this week) and the sun shrinks into the distance, a faint light mocking you for living so far away from it, there is usually one thing that makes living in North America's version of Siberia possible. Hockey.
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
The Internet Liberty Revolution / Politics / US Politics
By: Dr_Ron_Paul
Until the late 1990s, individuals interested in Austrian economics, U.S. constitutional history, and libertarian philosophy had few sources of information. They had to spend hours scouring used book stores or the back pages of obscure libertarian periodicals to find the great works of Mises, Rothbard, Hayek, and other giants of liberty. Local library and university collections ignored libertarian politics and economics.
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Monday, October 22, 2012
Government Spending, State Education, Dysfunctional, Dishonest, Insane and Intolerable / Politics / Government Spending
By: James_Quinn
“I agree to this Constitution with all its faults, if they are such: because I think a General Government necessary for us, and there is no Form of Government but what may be a Blessing to the People if well-administered; and I believe farther that this is likely to be well administered for a Course of Years and can only end in Despotism as other Forms have done before it, when the People shall become so corrupted as to need Despotic Government, being incapable of any other.” – Ben Franklin
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Phony Terrorism Scam From the State's Secret Police / Politics / US Politics
By: Michael_S_Rozeff
How misleading can a "news" article get? Try this headline: "Federal Reserve bombing plot foiled in NYC". There never was a plot to foil. There never was a plot independent of the FBI to foil. The plot was of the FBI's own devising and instigation. There never was an ongoing crime for the FBI to detect and stop.
Foil means counteract. To say something is foiled means there has been an action to counter-act. What? Did the FBI counter-act its own action? We should give the FBI credit for devising a plot and then stopping its own plot? We should credit some inept terrorist for threatening to make a touchdown when he couldn’t get beyond the five-yard line without FBI counseling and guidance and without the FBI pointing out the goal line and supplying the football?
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Friday, October 19, 2012
Another Numerologist Gets Nobel Economics Prize / Politics / Economic Theory
By: Ed_Bugos
Witness the latest economist to win the Nobel Prize from the Swedes, who I’m certain lead the world in economic nonsense, for allegedly solving the unsolvable knowledge and calculation problems of central planners.
Huh?
Rather than explaining all that is wrong in their problem solving, in the interest of brevity let me just ask: did you mean you didn’t know Ludwig von Mises showed that this kind of thing was impossible almost 100 years ago?
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Thursday, October 18, 2012
Obama and Romney Stop Arguing, Will Both Need to Deliver Jobs / Politics / Employment
By: DeviantInvestor
George Leong writes: Watching the presidential debate on Tuesday, one thing was clear: both President Obama and Governor Mitt Romney were focusing on the jobs market. This was not a surprise.
Wall Street is not hiring, technology companies are firing, and the manufacturing sector is losing jobs to cheap overseas plants in China and Mexico, where wages are dirt cheap.
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