Analysis Topic: Politics & Social Trends
The analysis published under this topic are as follows.
Friday, August 24, 2007
Aging US Infrastructure / Politics / US Politics
By: Dr_Ron_Paul
The recent and tragic bridge collapse in Minnesota raises many questions in Americans' minds about our aging infrastructure, and what is being done to maintain it. Questions such as: "Was I-35 an isolated accident or are we approaching days when crumbling bridges and bursting pipes will be regular features on the evening news?"Read full article... Read full article...
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
GP's to Blame for Britain's Worse Cancer Record than Eastern Block Countries / Politics / NHS
By: N_Walayat
An in depth study by Euro care into cancer treatment across Europe reveals that despite Britain spending a record amount on cancer treatment, it fails abysmally coming in below many former eastern block countries that spend as little as one third that of the UK on cancer treatment.Read full article... Read full article...
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
High Risk Government Spending / Politics / US Politics
By: Dr_Ron_Paul
Last week this column addressed the train wreck that federal spending has become. To score political points politicians will make loud noise about fairly small matters such as earmarks, even while refusing to address the real problem. Namely, that our federal government is too big and does too much. Politicians prefer to pass a bill or create a program every time somebody points to a new social problem, this way they can tell their constituents how much they are doing to help. Instead of rationally explaining the proper role of government, politicians have attempted to play the role of friend, preacher, parent, social worker, etcetera-- in essence, whatever any organized special interest can demand.Read full article... Read full article...
Friday, August 10, 2007
The Major Diplomatic and Strategic Evolution in Iraq / Politics / Iraq War
By: John_Mauldin
This week in a Special Outside the Box good friend George Friedman addresses the Byzantine geopolitical ramifications of recent three party discussions between the Americans, Iraqis, and Iranians. With no obvious reason to trust one another and a good deal of reasons not to, why are we seeing evidence of more discussions.
As George tells it, there is more than meets the eye to these talks. The different parties all strive to extract the most favorable concessions from the Iraq War befitting their respective, and divergent interests; alas, both Iran and the US have come to the realization, albeit belated, that neither party can achieve their objective and the even far more politically grievous realization that no single party can aspire to control or stability in Iraq without the explicit cooperation of all parties, working in unison toward collective initiatives. Further, the risk that everything spins out of control is forcing negotiations among enemies.
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
The Bourgeoisie Of America / Politics / US Politics
By: Captain_Hook
To say these are interesting times is undoubtedly an understatement in my view, as I am a conservative by nature. And the dichotomies – don't get me started on them. In the US, supposedly the exemplar of free enterprise in the world, never have so many owed so much to the state, while at the same time it appears those in power have embraced capitalism to its fullest degree , spending money here and there as long as kick-backs in the form of political contributions keep coming. What do we call this – selective capitalism? What's scary is current circumstances in America are very similar to the period preceding the French Revolution , where it appears we are witnessing the proliferation of a Bourgeoisie class of ‘well to-do's' in knowing the right people. Isn't that a scary thought for some! If this is true, business leaders, bankers, and politicos should beware.Read full article... Read full article...
Monday, August 06, 2007
Removing A Failed President Without Impeachment / Politics / US Politics
By: Joel_S_Hirschhorn
We no longer can trust Congress to impeach and remove a terrible president. The Washington Post has published an op-ed piece by Robert Dallek that proposes a constitutional amendment to allow “ouster by the people” for removing a president other than by impeachment or because of incapacity. Considering the dismal performance of George W. Bush and his administration and the difficulty in obtaining impeachment, this is a fine idea.
Friday, August 03, 2007
Polonium, Politics and $100 Crude Oil / Politics / Crude Oil
By: Adrian_Ash
"...If you fear that we're only a couple of headlines away from $100 oil, be careful how you buy into Russia's huge energy reserves..."
A RISK CONSULTANCY firm based in Canary Wharf 's gleaming financial district emails us here at BullionVault to ask:
"We are keen if possible to get a view from you on the recent heat between the UK and Russian governments.
Read full article... Read full article...
Thursday, August 02, 2007
A Metallurgist's Insights Into the Minneapolis Bridge Disaster / Politics / Social Issues
By: Joel_S_Hirschhorn
The incredible collapse of the Minneapolis bridge will send a message to the nation that has been repeatedly sent for decades, but that our political system has refused to effectively respond to. America's physical, engineered infrastructure has been in desperate need for massive spending to repair and replace, but the multi-trillion-dollar cost has been rejected by local, state and federal politicians.
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Friday, July 27, 2007
Gaming the US Elections - Analysis of The Lame Duck President / Politics / US Politics
By: John_Mauldin
This week in Outside the Box good friend George Friedman of Stratfor delves into that enigma that is Executive power and Presidential elections. George ventures to assess the current President in light of former Presidents, utilizing a methodical rubric of measure to analyze the capabilities of what in all perceptions is a lame duck President with respect to domestic influence and foreign perception. He also analyzed the presidential race. I found this a very interesting piece.Read full article... Read full article...
Thursday, July 26, 2007
On the Evolution of Civilizations / Politics / Global Financial System
By: Christopher_Quigley
The essence of the myth of the Western tradition is the ideal of an independent life lived in liberty and dignity through family and community . This liberty and independence promotes enterprise and action. Such a myth engendered the human initiative which gave birth to such epoch-changing developments as paper money, financial credit, steam power, the combustion engine, steel hull shipping, electricity, wireless communication, television, air flight, nuclear power, the micro chip and the Internet.Read full article... Read full article...
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
UK Health Warning - Environmental Flu Can Kill! / Politics / NHS
By: N_Walayat
How ?
Your NHS surgery is manned by smooth talking incompetent GP's who do not know the difference between flu symptoms and something far worse that can literally kill within weeks.
Read full article... Read full article...
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
England Flood Costs Could Exceed 3 Billion Pounds / Politics / Climate Change
By: Sarah_Jones
England has experienced the worst floods in over 50 years, first in the North of England which even included impacting home of the Market Oracle. Now later the floods have hit wide swathes of southern England mainly along the banks of the Rivers Avon and Severn.Read full article... Read full article...
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
A Political Wrap - Iran Forces Japan to Pay in Yen and Odds n' Ends in the War on Terror / Politics / Middle East
By: Mike_Whitney
Part 1; Bush to Putin: "Let them eat cake" Much has been made of the chummy relationship between George Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin. An incident, which was reported last week in the "UK Spectator", shows that this so-called "man-to-man" friendship is a complete fraud created by the Washington press corps to conceal the real issues and to perpetuate the illusion that Bush is a normal guy.
You be the judge:
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Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Migrating to new Energy Paradigms - Part 1 / Politics / Energy Resources
By: Brian_Bloom
Introduction, Summary and Conclusions
This article is the first in a series which will examine the practical realities associated with migrating away from Fossil Fuels in general, and away from our reliance on Oil in particular.
The following subjects will be examined:
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Friday, July 13, 2007
Seeking US Political Reform Through Solidarity / Politics / US Politics
By: Joel_S_Hirschhorn
All over the Internet are sincere efforts to reform and improve America's political-government system. The downside is fragmentation of the subpopulation that has escaped brainwashing, cultural distraction, and self-delusion. Strategy solidarity is missing, but is possible.Read full article... Read full article...
Friday, July 13, 2007
Welcome to the new Cold War / Politics / Russia
By: Mike_Whitney
Presidents Bush and Putin concluded their brief summit in Kennebunkport, Maine without resolving any of the main issues. Bush seeks Putin's help to pressure Iran into giving up its nuclear enrichment program and Putin wants Bush to abandon his plans to deploy the US Missile Defense System in Czechoslovakia and Poland. No progress was made on either topic. Russia and the United States are now more politically divided than any time since the breakup of the Soviet Union. In fact, following the meeting in Maine, first deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov, blasted Washington in the blistering rhetoric of the Cold War era:
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Friday, July 13, 2007
The iMentality and Gadget Induced Coma's / Politics / Social Issues
By: Andy_Sutton
Economics has long been described by renowned Austrian economists as being the study of human action. The basis for this assertion is that human actions are what drive all decisions that relate to economics. Behind human actions are human thoughts. So when we seek to develop a better understanding of economics, then we'd better be in tune with what people are thinking. This is also an excellent explanation for why history tends to repeat itself. Human nature rarely changes or sees major paradigm shifts. In this regard, we do drive our own destiny. It is much better to understand history than ignore it. The former serves as a crystal ball where the latter dooms one to repetition.Read full article... Read full article...
Thursday, July 12, 2007
China: The One-Child Policy Dilemma / Politics / China Economy
By: John_Mauldin
This week in a special Outside the Box my good friends at Stratfor addresses the current Chinese dilemma created by their One Child Policy, namely how to continue economic growth with a rapidly aging population coupled with a deteriorating labor force, mind you striving to attend to these issues simultaneously without creating significant rural unrest.Stratfor predicts a less than somber outcome, anticipating Beijing' inability to address these dire concerns simultaneously, with the result being bureaucratic malaise and rural unrest.
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Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Global Warming – Can scientists be blindly trusted? / Politics / Climate Change
By: Brian_Bloom
Introduction
Arising from earlier articles which I published on the subject of the possible causes of Global Warming, I have been in email communication with three “heavyweights” in the fields of Physics, Geophysics, Astronomy and Chemistry. These gentlemen have taken the trouble to point out where, as a layman, my knowledge of science was deficient. They have also educated me in the processes involved in the phenomenon – as they see these processes.
Of the three, one is committed to the linkage between Greenhouse Gases and Global Warming. The other two are not. I thank them for straightening out my thinking, and for enabling me to write the article below which sets out the state of play.
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Friday, July 06, 2007
Financial Markets Update - Ahead to US Elections 2008 / Politics / US Utilities
By: Roger_Conrad
Political parties' power waxes and wanes in Washington, DC. But regardless of who's in or out, the size of our federal government and its social and economic mandate continue to grow, for better or for worse.
At its core, politics is about interest groups. Those who get their views heard and acted on are the winners. Those who don't—or, worse, are trumped by others' interests—are the losers. And the larger the government grows, the more critical it is to be on the winning side.
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