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Tuesday, August 19, 2008

How Foreign Policy Affects Gas Prices / Politics / Gas - Petrol

By: Dr_Ron_Paul

We've heard how the value of the dollar affects gas prices - and indeed the price of everything. I was pleased that my request for a hearing on such was granted by the Financial Services committee and we were able to hear some very informative testimony. Certainly domestic policies, regarding off-shore oil drilling bans, ethanol mandates, refining capacity, and CAFE standards are interventionist and harmful enough in the energy market.

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Sunday, August 17, 2008

Russia Georgia Conflict- Sequence of Events and Analysis / Politics / New Cold War

By: Nadeem_Walayat

The Russia-Georgia conflict that exploded on the scene on Friday of last week, following the Russian invasion of initially South Ossetia and later Abkhazia and Georgia proper. Now a week on the sequence of events are becoming much clearer as to what actually transpired, and presents a picture of a resurgent Russia, finally emerging from the collapse of the Soviet Union which at one point threatened the disintegration of the Russian Federation itself.

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Friday, August 15, 2008

Russia Georgia War: Putin Walks Into Quagmire Trap / Politics / New Cold War

By: Mike_Whitney

The American-armed and trained Georgian army swarmed into South Ossetia last Thursday, killing an estimated 2,000 civilians, sending 40,000 South Ossetians fleeing over the Russian border, and destroying much of the capital, Tskhinvali. The attack was unprovoked and took place a full 24 hours before even ONE Russian soldier set foot in South Ossetia.

Nevertheless, the vast majority of Americans still believe that the Russian army invaded Georgian territory first. The BBC, AP, NPR, the New York Times and the rest of the establishment media has consistently and deliberately misled its readers into believing that the violence in South Ossetia was initiated by the Kremlin. Let's be clear, it wasn't. In truth, there is NO dispute about the facts except among the people who rely the western press for their information. Despite its steady loss of credibility, the corporate media continues to operate as the propaganda-arm of the Pentagon.

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Friday, August 15, 2008

Bush's Dirty Little Medicare Secret / Politics / US Debt

By: Mike_Stathis

We already know about the lies orchestrated by the White House to justify the invasion of Iraq . But there is a bigger secret that has not yet hit the mainstream media. And it probably never will until it's too late. Those of you who read my book already know about it because I discuss it at length. For those of you who haven't had a chance to read America's Financial Apocalypse , I'm going to expose this secret now.

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Thursday, August 14, 2008

American Heroes Don't Last / Politics / US Politics

By: Mike_Stathis

Politicians use several means to hide the real problems from voters. One of their biggest partners in this deception is the media, which helps deliver messages they want the public to hear. When critical issues are discovered within the administration, this often leads to replacement of politicians who simply tried to serve the best interests of voters. For these politicians, a forced resignation is the price of loyalty to voters.

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Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Social Security Is Morally Bankrupt / Politics / US Economy

By: Alex_Epstein

August 14 marks Social Security's 73rd birthday--placing it eight years past standard retirement age. But, despite the program's $10-trillion-plus dollar shortfall, no politician dares to suggest that this disastrous program be phased out and retired; all agree on one absolute: Social Security must be saved. While the program may have financial problems, virtually everyone believes that some form of mandatory government-run retirement program is morally necessary.

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Wednesday, August 13, 2008

The Russia Georgian War and the Balance of Power / Politics / New Cold War

By: STRATFOR

The Russian invasion of Georgia has not changed the balance of power in Eurasia. It simply announced that the balance of power had already shifted. The United States has been absorbed in its wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as potential conflict with Iran and a destabilizing situation in Pakistan. It has no strategic ground forces in reserve and is in no position to intervene on the Russian periphery. This, as we have argued, has opened a window of opportunity for the Russians to reassert their influence in the former Soviet sphere .

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Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Barack Obama's Poor Decisions a Threat to His Success / Politics / US Politics

By: Mike_Stathis

Let me clear about a few things. First, regardless who wins the upcoming presidential election, there will be no real change in America . In order to really understand why you have to know what is going on in this country. The problems extend much deeper than the current economic problems. Both parties are essentially the same and neither will address the real problems that are destroying America – free trade, the free market system and health care – because there is too much money to be made by the powerful forces that continue to exploit consumers, namely corporate America and their wealthy shareholders.

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Monday, August 11, 2008

Russia Georgia War - Washington Risks Nuclear War by Miscalculation / Politics / GeoPolitics

By: F_William_Engdahl

The dramatic military attack by the military of the Republic of Georgia on South Ossetia in the last days has brought the world one major step closer to the ultimate horror of the Cold War era—a thermonuclear war between Russia and the United States—by miscalculation. What is playing out in the Caucasus is being reported in US media in an alarmingly misleading light, making Moscow appear the lone aggressor. The question is whether George W. Bush and Dick Cheney are encouraging the unstable Georgian President, Mikhail Saakashvili in order to force the next US President to back the NATO military agenda of the Bush Doctrine. This time Washington may have badly misjudged the possibilities, as it did in Iraq , but this time with possible nuclear consequences.

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Monday, August 11, 2008

George Bush ‘Medaling' With Free Speech at the Olympics / Politics / US Politics

By: Walter_Brasch

President Bush sounded just like a liberal.
Yes, you read that right. Bush. Liberal. Same sentence.
At the new U.S. embassy in Beijing on the opening day of the Olympics, he said, “All people should have the freedom to say what they think.” Without even blinking, he also told the world, while directing his comments at the Chinese, “We strongly believe societies which allow the free expression of ideas tend to be the most prosperous and the most peaceful.”

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Sunday, August 10, 2008

How the U.S. Government Has Mismanaged the Country / Politics / US Stock Markets

By: Mike_Shedlock

The U.S. Government has brutally mismanaged the country. Sadly neither candidate is willing to take a stand on fiscal prudence. I asked Senator to Obama to take a stand, and to pick someone fiscally prudent as his Vice President in in my Open Letter To Obama .

I did receive a response, but only to inform me that he could not use the Senate Email system for such purposes. Instead, he asked me to re-send the Email to his campaign address.

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Thursday, August 07, 2008

Israel Telegraphing of Attack on Iran Just Psychological Warfare / Politics / Israel

By: John_Mauldin

Kudos to my friend George Friedman and his crew at Stratfor. If you didn't see the article in this week's Barron's about Stratfor's analysis of the geopolitical risk premium built into oil prices, you missed a really good piece of work. You've probably heard Napoleon's quote that "Amateurs discuss strategy, and professionals discuss logistics." If you want a perfect example of how that quote plays out for the markets, take a look at Stratfor's article below. It's precisely the kind of sober, fundamental research that makes Stratfor my invaluable source for geopolitical intelligence.

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Thursday, August 07, 2008

NHS Gives Death Sentence to Kidney Cancer Patients / Politics / NHS

By: N_Walayat

Patients that have spent there whole lives working and contributing towards NHS budgets so that others can benefit from free healthcare are now being hit in their late life illness with a not so NICE death sentence as the NHS focuses resources towards those with self inflicted illness such as alcohol, tobacco and drugs abuse.

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Wednesday, August 06, 2008

California Budget Showdown Over Wage Cut Defiance / Politics / US Debt

By: Mike_Shedlock

The budget crisis in California continues. In case you missed it, this will catch you up to speed.

California Synopsis

California's deficit is growing by about $1 billion a month.

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Sunday, August 03, 2008

Fake Inflation Statistics and the New World Order Heralds Class Warfare / Politics / New World Order

By: Richard_C_Cook

DANBY, VERMONT, August 3, 2008. The sunlight on the lake sparkles at dawn. As they have done for millions of years, the rounded tree-shrouded shoulders of the Green Mountains loom above the still waters. A loon calls from the next lake over. Who would guess that that not far from such serenity the world's most powerful nation was teetering on the brink of disaster? Though here in the bosom of nature one wonders why we should be surprised. Nations and empires come and then they go.

ARE THINGS REALLY THIS BAD?

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Saturday, August 02, 2008

United States Defeated in Iraq? / Politics / Iraq War

By: Mike_Whitney

The United States did not invade Iraq to "stop the violence". That was never the goal. So, it's foolish to say that the surge achieved its objective. It hasn't. Nor has the surge "created the space for a political solution"; another meaningless slogan regurgitated endlessly by the Bush troupe. The political agenda in Iraq has failed utterly. We know that because the Shiite-led government has asked the US to leave "as soon as possible" and for the Bush administration to set a "timetable for withdrawal". Not a "time horizon" as the administration-spinmiesters like to say; a Timetable, which means a fixed time when the United States must leave. So, if the Iraqi government has asked the US to leave; where is the "political solution" the surge was supposed to create? There isn't one. The mission has failed; it's as plain as day. This is not an arguable point.

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Thursday, July 31, 2008

The Humble Light Bulb: a victim of political stupidity and green zealotry / Politics / Climate Change

By: Gerard_Jackson

Every journalist in the land seems to be going ga-ga over the new "energy saver globe". This is the eco-friendly alternative to the devilish and grossly inefficient incandescent bulb. We are being incessantly told by our media mavens that the new alternative is cheaper in the long term than the old light bulb and that it will save just oodles and oodles of energy and that it would be irrational not to buy it.

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Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Bush Chief Economic Advisor Misleadingly Warns of Obama Recession / Politics / US Politics

By: Paul_L_Kasriel

In an op-ed piece in today's (July 29) Wall Street Journal , Michael Boskin, the chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers for President George Herbert Walker Bush, writes how Barack Obama's proposed selective tax rate increases will bring on the next recession. To be more accurate, he should have argued how Obama's tax policy might prolong the current recession.

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Monday, July 28, 2008

Barack Obama and his Fellow Democrats Adopt Hoovernomics / Politics / US Politics

By: Gerard_Jackson

It's true! The Democrats are now promoting Hoovernomics as presented by the economically illiterate Obama as the only way to create growth.. The brilliant Obama and his fellow imbeciles in Congress have declared that increased government spending and a massive tax rise is just what America needs. This is really funny because that's what the hapless Hoover also reckoned.

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Monday, July 28, 2008

Open Letter To Obama- How to Save America / Politics / US Politics

By: Mike_Shedlock

Dear Senator Obama. The US economy is in the worst economic crisis in decades, arguably since the great depression. Housing is collapsing, state budgets are in shambles, unemployment is soaring, and the US dollar is sinking.

Things are going to get even worse when the commercial real estate bust picks up steam. We have seen six bank failures already this year. There are 90 more banks on the problem list. Many of them will fail.

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