Analysis Topic: Politics & Social Trends
The analysis published under this topic are as follows.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Is Bankrupt Greece America's Future? / Politics / US Politics
By: Michael_S_Rozeff
Greece has a sovereign debt problem. The bonds of the Greek government have been downgraded by a major rating service. Their prices have fallen sharply in the market. This means that the risk is high that the government will default on its sovereign debt.
The interest rates that the Greek government must pay in order to borrow have risen sharply. This is worsening the government’s solvency and budget problems.
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Sunday, May 29, 2011
United States on the Road to Ruin, Your Trigger Points / Politics / US Politics
By: Gary_North
When would a wise Jew have begun making plans to leave Germany? 1933? 1934? 1938? 1939?
In retrospect, most people would say 1933, the year Hitler was appointed (not elected) Chancellor by President von Hindenburg. On 30 January, Hitler became Chancellor. He asked Hindenburg to dissolve the government and schedule new elections for March 5, which Hindenburg did.
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Saturday, May 28, 2011
Increasing the Deficits Will Fire-up The Economy and Add Jobs / Politics / Government Spending
By: Mike_Whitney
How do you light a fire under Congress? How do you get these guys to do what they're paid to do?Look, we're 5 years into this slump, millions of people have lost their homes and jobs, 44 million people are on food stamps, the economy is in the tank, and congress won't lift a finger to help. What's that all about? You'd think that the revision in GDP and the uptick in unemployment claims would set off alarms on Capital Hill. But it hasn't. They just shrug it off and move on. What do they care? They get their fat paycheck one way or another, so what difference does it make to them? Besides, if they play their cards right, they'll nab a 6-figure lobbying job as soon as they retire and spend the rest of their lives working on their chip-shot and swilling single-malt at the club with their moneybags friends. Doesn't that piss you off?
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Saturday, May 28, 2011
Why the Budget is the Wrong Thing to Fight About / Politics / US Politics
By: Ian_Fletcher
The country is consumed right now with the fight over the Federal budget, specifically the plan of Rep. Ryan (R-WI) to balance it by (mostly) radically cutting spending on medical programs, especially Medicare. The recent Republican loss in New York’s 26th district’s special election—which had more to do with my friend Jack Davis running on a third-party ticket—has been interpreted as a referendum against the Ryan plan. And the states are, of course, tied up in budget battles of their own, most visibly the aggressive push to cut the cost of public employees by curtailing their unions.
Friday, May 27, 2011
Spanish Election Sets Precedent: More Debt, and Inflation / Politics / Spain
By: Dr_Jeff_Lewis
Unbeknownst to most investors in the North American markets, the Spanish went to vote over the weekend. Their votes proved that there will be no end to the European debt crisis.
When the markets opened early for Asian trading, the results of the election were immediately priced into paper currencies, especially the Euro, as well as real currencies, gold and silver. Commodities took a dive with the Euro, which was largely to do with institutional investors waking up to the sad reality of a continental banking system: you can’t please everyone.
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Friday, May 27, 2011
Transformation of the Entire World Into A Big Brother Prison Grid / Politics / Social Issues
By: Chris_Kitze
End of the American Dream writes: Do you want your children and grandchildren to live in a futuristic "big brother" control grid where everything they do is watched, recorded, tracked and tightly controlled? Well, that is exactly where things are headed. We witnessed some really bad totalitarian regimes during the 20th century, but what is coming is going to be far more restrictive than any of the despots of the past ever dreamed was possible. Today, nearly every government on earth is tightening their grip on their citizens. Paranoia has become standard operating procedure all over the planet and nobody is to be trusted. Global politicians will give speeches about liberty and freedom even as they undermine them at every turn.
Friday, May 27, 2011
This Spanish Spring is the Real Thing / Politics / Spain
By: Patrick_Henningsen
Giles Dexter writes: It was perhaps inevitable given its long associations with, and geographical proximity to the Maghreb, that Spain should be the first European country to be swept up by the wave known as the “Arab Spring”. Protests have been raging across the country since May 15th, and like previous rumblings in Greece, this Spanish Spring will likely send a new shockwave through the EU.Read full article... Read full article...
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Why the IMF is a Drain on Your Wallet / Politics / Global Financial System
By: Money_Morning
Martin Hutchinson writes: Dominique Strauss-Kahn's forced resignation from the International Monetary Fund - and the search for an IMF successor - is a blessing in disguise. Strauss-Kahn's term in office saw a vast expansion of the IMF's activities, a fact often used to praise his tenure.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Pro Bank Bailout Christine Lagarde IMF Shoo In Replacement for Strauss-Kahn / Politics / Global Financial System
By: Mike_Whitney
French Finance Minster Christine Lagarde has emerged as the front-runner in the race to replace ex-IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn. She is a champion swimmer, an accomplished attorney, and a competent bureaucrat. She's also a friend of Wall Street who will ferociously defend the interests of big capital. Research assistant for the far-right American Enterprise Institute Jurgen Reinhoudt notes that under "France's free-market oriented economics minister"..."the top income tax rate was cut and, in a frontal assault on the 35-hour workweek, overtime work for hourly workers was made tax-free." (Don't Give Up on Sarkozy Just Yet, AEI)
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
India's Nuclear Insanity / Politics / Nuclear Power
By: Global_Research
Dr. Vandana Shiva writes: Fukushima has raised, once again, the perennial questions about human fallibility and human frailty, about human hubris and man’s arrogance in thinking he can control nature. The earthquakes, the tsunami, the meltdown at Japan’s nuclear power plant are nature’s reminders of her power.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
How China Plans to Leapfrog the American Economy / Politics / Protectionism
By: Ian_Fletcher
(And it’s Not What You Think) -
Many Americans are already concerned about China’s growing economic challenge to the United States. Indeed, the challenge itself is hardly news anymore. But a new book, Red Alert by Stephen Leeb, argues that Americans have radically misunderstood just what this challenge consists of.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Why Are We Banking On Banks To A Promote Economic Recovery? / Politics / Credit Crisis 2011
By: Danny_Schechter
This week the financial crisis finally went prime time in the form of a big budget HBO docudrama called “Too Big To Fail.”
It was a well-acted docudrama focused on the BIG Men and some women in the banks and in government who tried to put Humpty Dumpty back together again up on that wall to prevent a total economic collapse when panic dried up credit and financial institutions faced failure.
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Monday, May 23, 2011
Central Banking Quicksand, Nothing Learned from History! / Politics / Central Banks
By: Submissions
John Rolls Submits: George Smith writes: In 1903, a lawyer in Germany took out an insurance policy and made payments on it faithfully. When the policy came due in 20 years he cashed it in and bought a single loaf of bread with the proceeds. [1] He was fortunate. If he had waited a few days longer, the money he received would have bought no more than a few crumbs.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Ron Paul Says Stop Raising the U.S. Debt Ceiling / Politics / US Debt
By: Dr_Ron_Paul
The federal government once again has reached the limit of its legal ability to borrow money, meaning it cannot issue new Treasury debt without action by Congress to increase the debt ceiling limit. As of this month, our "official" national debt- which doesn't include the staggering future payments promised to Social Security and Medicare beneficiaries- stands at $14.2 trillion.
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Monday, May 23, 2011
Principles of Domination, Complex But Clear U.S. Foreign Policies / Politics / US Politics
By: Jack_D_Douglas
I've heard Congress people and others say repeatedly that the U.S. has no real or clear foreign policy for the Middle East. I think the U.S. has a clear but complex and changing, general policy in the Middle East which we can infer from U.S. actions, but Obama et al. keep using short run tactics and proclamations to deceive the various major powers there and the American people.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
U.S. Manufacturing Rebound is a Myth / Politics / US Politics
By: Ian_Fletcher
Talk of a manufacturing revival is in the air. America has, in fact, gained a quarter-million industrial jobs (source) since the start of 2010. Unfortunately, this is less than 15 percent of the number lost during the recession. Furthermore, after this teasing uptick, U.S. manufacturing output seems to be stalling again. So it worth revisiting a much denied fact I have written about before here and here: American manufacturing is in a state of profound crisis. Read full article... Read full article...
Sunday, May 22, 2011
After The Sleaze Story : The Complex Wake Of The Strauss-Kahn Affair / Politics / Global Financial System
By: Andrew_McKillop
What can be called the liberal media has gone into high gear on this sex scandal with all the body fluid details needing round-the-clock reporting from drab and repressive prison buildings and crowded court rooms as well as chic downtown high-rent apartment blocks. To be sure, the IMF and what this director was doing at the IMF almost never features, lkely because it is so much complex than anal sex and therefore very boring for average consumers of pap media.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Bin Laden Compound Assault, How Many U.S. Navy Seals Died? / Politics / US Politics
By: Paul_Craig_Roberts
In a sensational and explosive TV report, the Pakistani News Agency has provided a live interview with an eye witness to the US attack on the alleged compound of Osama bin Laden. The eye witness, Mohammad Bashir, describes the event as it unfolded. Of the three helicopters, "there was only one that landed the men and came back to pick them up, but as he [the helicopter] was picking them up, it blew away and caught fire." The witness says that there were no survivors, just dead bodies and pieces of bodies everywhere. "We saw the helicopter burning, we saw the dead bodies, then everything was removed and now there is nothing."
Friday, May 20, 2011
America's Fiscal Crisis: What States Can Do with Their Own Banks / Politics / Credit Crisis 2011
By: Ellen_Brown
“Ford to New York: Drop Dead,” said a famous headline in 1975. President Ford had declared flatly that he would veto any bill calling for “a federal bail-out of New York City.” What he proposed instead was legislation that would make it easier for the city to go bankrupt.
Friday, May 20, 2011
The Battle for New IMF Managing Director Between Emerging and Developed Countries / Politics / Global Financial System
By: Money_Morning
Kerri Shannon writes:
Dominique Strauss-Kahn resigned as leader of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) late Wednesday night, triggering a global battle between developed economies and emerging markets to find a new IMF managing director.
Strauss-Kahn, who was arrested May 14 on sexual assault charges, said in a statement released yesterday (Thursday) morning that he felt "compelled" to resign.
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