Analysis Topic: Politics & Social Trends
The analysis published under this topic are as follows.
Friday, January 29, 2010
More Government in the Financial Sector to Save Capitalism / Politics / Market Regulation
By: Vitaliy_Katsenelson
I am a Capitalist Pig, and proud of it, thus you would not expect me to support government interference and more strenuous regulation of financial institutions – after all, capitalism (free markets) and tight regulation don't mix well. Well, at the risk of been kicked out of the Capitalistic Pig Party, I am in support of tighter regulation of too-big-to-fail (TBTF) institutions – the likes of Citigroup, JPMorgan, Bank America, and (God forbid; after all, they are doing “God’s work” – their CEO’s words, not mine) Goldman Sachs.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Banks Under Attack From Washington, The Impact on You / Politics / Market Regulation
By: Mike_Larson
These days, the financial industry’s locus of power can’t be found in London. It’s not in New York City. Frankfurt? Tokyo? Davos, Switzerland? Nope, nope, and nope.
The real decisions that impact the capital markets are being made in Washington. And they’re sometimes being made by politicians who don’t really have a clue about how the industry works, or what unintended consequences their actions may have. If that doesn’t scare you, I don’t know what will.
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Friday, January 29, 2010
The FDA Ensuring the Next Disaster in the U.S. / Politics / Healthcare Sector
By: Mike_Stathis
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is like many federal regulatory bodies that were established for the sole purpose of protecting U.S. consumers.
As you might imagine, like other regulatory bodies, a properly functioning FDA is critical for ensuring the nation’s health and safety.
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Friday, January 29, 2010
AIG Secret Deals Conspiracy Starting to Unravel / Politics / Market Manipulation
By: Mike_Shedlock
David Reilly at BusinessWeek takes dead aim at Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and the New York Fed in Secret Banking Cabal Emerges From AIG Shadows.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Save the Middle Class Whilst Fixing the Banks For Good / Politics / Credit Crisis 2010
By: Michael_Pento
While I’m disgusted with the level of banker’s bonuses and with the obscene leverage practices financial institutions undertook, I do not think the answer to how we clean up them up now is to pile on yet more regulation. To be sure, banks that helped bring down the world economy and then subsequently got bailed out by the taxpayers should not be making billions of dollars in bonuses, especially while the middle class is suffering so greatly. And if we’re going to keep the FDIC in effect, a certain amount of regulation is required to protect taxpayer-backed deposits. But the real remedy does not rest with government, as it was their consistent meddling with markets that engendered the crisis to begin with.
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Thursday, January 28, 2010
Paul Volcker Financial Sector Reform Plan Sparks Split Between JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs / Politics / Market Regulation
By: Bob_Chapman
Paul Volcker is back and things are about to change in Washington. A split has occurred between the paper forces of Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan Chase. Mr. Volcker represents Morgan interests. The Morgan side is tired of Goldman’s greed and arrogance. Volcker cannot be called old school or anachronistic. He represents sanity in an insane financial world even though he is an integral and powerful part of the elitist structure. He represents a change in gears and approach.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Why the Volcker Banking Crisis Plan Doesn’t Go Far Enough / Politics / Market Regulation
By: Money_Morning
Martin Hutchinson writes: I don't often agree with the Obama administration. So I have to say that I was surprised when I heard it had a plan to reduce the risk of another banking crisis. It wants to prohibit banks that are protected by deposit insurance from engaging in risky, proprietary trading, and it wants to break up some of the very largest banks.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Geithner Cry's Crocodile Tears at Hearing on AIG Bailout / Politics / Credit Crisis Bailouts
By: Submissions
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner's opening statement at the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform's hearing to examine the collapse and federal rescue of American International Group. He basically covers his back from hiding the truth whilst acting as President of the New York Fed.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Barclays Blood Diamond Tells Taxpayers to Go F' Themselves / Politics / Market Manipulation
By: Submissions
Bob Diamond tells CNBC that he does not support or expect any significant regulation of the banking sector including too big to fail banks being broken up or that big is bad.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Bernanke's Burn Notice, Why Now? Research Reveals Insight Into Fed Chairman's Popularity / Politics / Deflation
By: EWI
Like a spy who gets a burn notice, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke has suddenly lost his support.
Bernanke has gone from being Time magazine's Man of the Year in 2009 to … what? A Fed chairman embroiled in a controversial reconfirmation process before U.S. Congress. Why the sudden turnaround in his fortunes?
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Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Rule By The Rich / Politics / US Politics
By: Paul_Craig_Roberts
The election of Republican Scott Brown to the U.S. Senate by Democratic voters in Massachusetts sends President Obama a message. Voters perceive that Obama’s administration has morphed into a Bush-Cheney government. Obama has reneged on every promise he made, from ending wars, to closing Gitmo, to providing health care for Americans, to curtailing the domestic police state, to putting the interests of dispossessed Americans ahead of the interests of the rich banksters who robbed Americans of their homes and pensions.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Is a U.S. Debt Default Inevitable? / Politics / US Debt
By: Submissions
Patrick J. Buchanan write: We were blindsided. We never saw it coming.
So said Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein of the financial crisis of 2008. He likened its probability to four hurricanes hitting the East Coast in a single season.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Obama's State of the Union Address 2010 Rhetoric, Economic Euphemisms and Internal Contradictions / Politics / US Politics
By: Michael_Hudson
The State of the Union address is in danger of purveying the usual euphemisms. I expect Mr. Obama to brag that he has overseen a recovery. But can there be any such thing as a jobless recovery? What has recovered are stock market averages and Wall Street bonuses, not disposable personal income or discretionary spending after paying debt service.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
What Should We Make of Obama's "Spending Freeze" / Politics / US Economy
By: Washingtons_Blog
The big news today is Obama's proposed "spending freeze".
Fiscal liberals say this cuts spending at the exact time that we most need to increase it.
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Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Helicopter Ben Bernanke, Understanding the Chairman / Politics / Central Banks
By: Dr_Jeff_Lewis
When it comes to precious metals investing, there is no entity as important as the Federal Reserve. The Federal Reserve, which sets monetary policy and has a direct impact on the purchasing power of the greenback, has virtually complete control over inflation, deflation and the price of your metals. In the coming weeks, Ben Bernanke, the current Fed chairman, will be up for reappointment by the Senate of the United States.
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Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Ukraine's Election and the Russian Resurgence / Politics / GeoPolitics
By: STRATFOR
Ukrainians go to the polls Feb. 7 to choose their next president. The last time they did this, in November 2004, the result was the prolonged international incident that became known as the Orange Revolution. That event saw Ukraine cleaved off from the Russian sphere of influence, triggering a chain of events that rekindled the Russian-Western Cold War.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
How Much More “Debt Recovery” can the U.S. Economy Take? / Politics / US Politics
By: Michael_Hudson
It’s make or break time for Democrats since the January 19 defeat in Massachusetts. At stake is Mr. Obama’s credibility as an agent for change. Exit polls show that voters see his main change to be favoritism to Wall Street, to a degree that the “old Democrats” would not have let a Republican administration get away with. Rivalry over just what party is more Wall Street friendly prompted Jay Leno to joke that Mr. Obama has done the impossible: resurrected the seemingly dying Republican Party and given it the coveted label of the “Party of Change” running against Wall Street.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
How Wall Street's Stranglehold on the Economy Is Choking Americans / Politics / Credit Crisis 2010
By: Money_Morning
Shah Gilani writes: America's Founding Fathers were afraid of any concentration of power in the republic. They were particularly afraid that banking interests could hijack our fledgling democracy.
And yet today, 234 years later, our Founding Fathers' worst fears have come true. Wall Street's stranglehold on the economy threatens our very prosperity, and the future of a truly democratic republic.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Municipal Meltdown: Teacher Pensions, Bondholder Coupons, Go to Court / Politics / US Debt
By: Submissions
While the Illinois Constitution protects vested pension benefits, that promise, like all the state's obligations, is only as good as its ability to pay." -Crain's Chicago Business
"Illinois Enters a State of Insolvency" cried a January 18, 2010 headline from Crain's Chicago Business: "As Illinois' fiscal crisis deepens, the word 'bankruptcy' is creeping more and more into the public discourse."
Monday, January 25, 2010
U.S. Supreme Court Hands Nation Over to Corporations / Politics / US Politics
By: Rudy_Avizius
Americans have long had a sneaking suspicion that there was a “hidden hand” directing our government in Washington and the states, and they were right. The “hidden hand” was actually the corporations, unions, and other special interests that contribute literally $billions to our politicians in order to influence legislation that will favor them. This has happened even with the limits that have been placed on these groups that prevented them from directly contributing to campaigns.
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