Analysis Topic: Politics & Social Trends
The analysis published under this topic are as follows.
Monday, December 23, 2013
Americans Believe In Darwin – Six Times Before Breakfast / Politics / Evolution
By: Andrew_McKillop
NEARLY A HALF
Results from a Harris Poll of 2,250 adults surveyed online between November 13 and 18, 2013 shows that belief in Darwin's theory of evolution, while well below levels recorded for their belief in God, heaven and hell, is up in comparison to 2005 findings (47%, up from 42%). The respondents were not asked to what extent they believe in QE and Ben Bernanke's economic miracles, but the survey also found that 42% of Americans believe in ghosts, 36% believe in creationism and UFOs, 29% believe in astrology, 26% believe in witches and 24% believe in metempsychosis and reincarnation - that they were once or still are more than one person.
Monday, December 23, 2013
Twerking Republican Politicians / Politics / US Politics
By: Walter_Brasch
When Muhammad Ali proclaimed, “I am the greatest,” we knew—and he knew—it would psyche out his opponents, get media attention, and receive a bigger box office. But, in the sport of boxing, Ali probably was the greatest.
When Howard Stern proclaims himself to be the “King of all Media,” he knows—and we know—it’s simply a case of hyperbolic promotion, something some celebrities do to get even more promotion.
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Sunday, December 22, 2013
The Incredible, Shrinking Presidency of Barack Obama / Politics / US Politics
By: Mike_Whitney
According to a new Washington Post-ABC poll, Barack Obama now ranks among the least popular presidents in the last century. In fact, his approval rating is lower than Bush’s was in his fifth year in office. Obama’s overall approval rating stands at a dismal 43 percent, with a full 55 percent of the public “disapproving of the way he is handling the economy”. The same percentage of people “disapprove of the way he is handling his job as president”. Thus, on the two main issues, leadership and the economy, Obama gets failing grades.
Sunday, December 22, 2013
The Stealth Renationalization Of Energy In The UK / Politics / Energy Resources
By: Andrew_McKillop
OLIGARCHIC TAKEOVER
Professor Colin Robinson, in a Dec 2013 study published by the UK Institute of Economic Affairs, argues that the energy sector in the UK has been effectively renationalized. He says the proof is that centralized energy planning is back, and this is the root cause of skyrocketing fuel and energy prices, fuel poverty, and accelerating de-industrialisation as industrialists flee the high cost of energy.
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
How the Fed Steals from You... and Gives to the Very Rich / Politics / US Federal Reserve Bank
By: DailyWealth
Porter Stansberry writes: On December 23, just five days from now, we "celebrate" 100 years of a currency system controlled by a select few private corporations.
In 1913, a bill passed through a poorly attended Senate session... and was rushed to the White House, where Woodrow Wilson signed it into law that same night.
It established the Federal Reserve... which is not technically owned by the federal government, nor does it have any actual reserves.
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Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Federal Reserve Celebrates 100 Years of Failure / Politics / US Federal Reserve Bank
By: BATR
Researching economic publications on the first century of the Federal Reserve System provides a wealth of financial information that attempts to explain the way the central bank works. Rarely will the academic studies and official reports address the raw nature of a money creation by a private banking monopoly. The common practice of disparaging sources outside government or corporatist business circles, attempts to avoid addressing, much less confronting the plutocracy that controls the debt created money system.
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
The Great U.S. Federal Reserve Bank Experiment / Politics / US Federal Reserve Bank
By: Adrian_Ash
Miguel Perez-Santalla writes: After 100 years of the US central bank, does it deserve another try...?
SO IT WILL be 100 years on December 23rd since the Federal Reserve was born.
The purpose in 1913 was to form a regulatory body to help stem the tide of bank failures in the United States of America. The Fed's proponents, Senator Nelson Aldrich, Senator Owens, Congressman Glass and others, believed that if an agency controlled the flow of money and the banking institutions, it could prevent many of the economic collapses that plagued the early years of the US.
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Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Ukraine On the Edge of Empires Asking to be Ruled / Politics / Eastern Europe
By: STRATFOR
George Friedman writes: The name "Ukraine" literally translates as "on the edge." It is a country on the edge of other countries, sometimes part of one, sometimes part of another and more frequently divided. In the 17th and 18th centuries, it was divided between Russia, Poland and the Ottoman Empire. In the 19th century, it was divided between Russia and Austria-Hungary. And in the 20th century, save for a short period of independence after World War I, it became part of the Soviet Union. Ukraine has been on the edge of empires for centuries.
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Eurozone: A Story of Stability in 2013, But Aggressive Action Awaits / Politics / Euro-Zone
By: Submissions
Ronan Keenan writes: It all started in October 2009 when George Papandreou’s new Greek government revealed a black hole in their accounts that was vastly underestimated by the previous administration. Several years of tumult followed, bringing the eurozone project to the brink of failure. But 2013 proved to be a lucky year for the 17-nation group. Relatively few economic surprises and heightened attention on events elsewhere brought a welcome calm to European financial markets.
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Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Saudi Arabia Get Out Of Syria / Politics / Middle East
By: Andrew_McKillop
THE LIGHTWEIGHT TALKS HEAVY
Saudi royal family member Prince Turki al-Faisal in a December 15 interview with Reuters said “Iran is coming at us with a broad smile. Let's hope they are serious about that. We would like to see Iran first of all get out of Syria".
Saudi Arabia can also get out of Syria, powerfully de-escalating the civil war.
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Monday, December 16, 2013
How China Just Grabbed 90% of Ecuador’s Oil / Politics / Crude Oil
By: Money_Morning
Dr. Kent Moors writes: I was a guest on Chinese national television last night. The discussion was via a live satellite link that had me sitting in a Pittsburgh studio with the feed traveling through their affiliate in Washington.
I’ve done this before. But this time the discussion was all about a subject I have been personally involved in.
It had to do with the big Chinese move into Ecuador – one that has given Beijing the upper hand over who really controls of the country’s oil.
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Monday, December 16, 2013
U.S. Federal Reserve: 100 Years of Destroying the Purchase Power of Money? / Politics / US Federal Reserve Bank
By: Profit_Confidential
Michael Lombardi writes:
Nearly 100 years ago, on December 23, 1913, the Federal Reserve was created. The central bank was created for many reasons, such as minimizing the impacts of panics, becoming a banker of last resort and “smoothing” economic cycles.
But along the way to keeping the monetary system stable, something happened: the value of money deteriorated.
Monday, December 16, 2013
UK General Election Forecast 2015, Who Will Win, Coalition, Conservative or Labour? / Politics / UK General Election
By: Nadeem_Walayat
Recent opinion polls put Labour 6 points ahead of the Conservatives which would translate into Labour winning an general election with a 74 seat majority (Independant on Sunday). Similarly the bookies also have Labour (oddschecker) as hot favourites to win the most seats at the May 2015 general election, though the odds marginally favour another hung parliament, whilst the Conservatives trail a distant third in their chances for an outright election win. However, what the opinion pollsters, bookies and the mainstream media commentators fail to grasp is the likely impact of accelerating UK housing market momentum on an general election that is still 18 months away (May 2015).
Monday, December 16, 2013
U.S. Misery Index Falls to Four-Year Low / Politics / Social Issues
By: DailyGainsLetter
John Paul Whitefoot writes: If you think you can judge a book by its cover, then you must believe the U.S. economy is doing really, really well. After all, consumer confidence is up and misery is down. However, looking past the cover, the pages of underlying economic indicators suggest the average American investor should be a little concerned.
But first, the good news! The U.S. Misery Index has fallen to a four-year low. The Misery Index is calculated by adding a country’s unemployment rate to the inflation rate, the logic being that we understand what stubbornly high unemployment mixed with the soaring price of goods translates into—misery.
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Sunday, December 15, 2013
The Global Economy is Running Out of Time / Politics / Energy Resources
By: Brian_Bloom
Energy drives all economic activity. Scientifically based evidence, recently to hand, leads to the conclusion that humanity has approximately 15 years to get its energy house in order. If we fail to achieve this outcome the global economy will not deteriorate, it will collapse. The flip side of this statement is that if we succeed – which is eminently possible from a technical perspective – we can look forward to a long period of global economic stability, if not growth. The obstacles to success are egocentricism and hubris of those in power. In the article below, Brian Bloom summarises key evidence to prove that the current status quo has a bias towards failure in all the world’s industrialised democracies. Urgent action is required.
Sunday, December 15, 2013
After 100 Years Of Failure, It's Time To End The Fed! / Politics / US Federal Reserve Bank
By: Dr_Ron_Paul
A week from now, the Federal Reserve System will celebrate the 100th anniversary of its founding. Resulting from secret negotiations between bankers and politicians at Jekyll Island, the Fed's creation established a banking cartel and a board of government overseers that has grown ever stronger through the years. One would think this anniversary would elicit some sort of public recognition of the Fed's growth from a quasi-agent of the Treasury Department intended to provide an elastic currency, to a de facto independent institution that has taken complete control of the economy through its central monetary planning. But just like the Fed's creation, its 100th anniversary may come and go with only a few passing mentions.
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Sunday, December 15, 2013
The Impossible Solution To China-Japan War Gaming / Politics / Nuclear Power
By: Andrew_McKillop
RATIONALIST ILLUSIONS - THE JAMES FEARON ANALYSIS
Events in the East China Sea since 2009, and especially since midyear 2013 have thrust the following frightening question forward: are China and Japan imminently going to war? Conventional answers to the affirmative point to deep historical mistrust, economic rivalry and jealousy as China moves far ahead of Japan in world ranking by GDP, and a large level of “unfinished business” in their own bilateral relations, and in East Asian regional politics, stemming from Showa Japan’s imperial rampage across Asia. To be sure, rationalists draw a long list of reasons why China and Japan are not going to war. There would be astronomical economic costs from a war that pitted the world’s second and third largest economies against each other, with the first and biggest economy, the USA almost surely, or at least possibly dragged in by third-largest Japan, in a war that started over a few tiny islands, underseas rocks, and possible or potential hydrocarbon reserves.
Saturday, December 14, 2013
China Fakes Moon Lunar Landing / Politics / Conspiracy Theory
By: Nadeem_Walayat
With much fanfare China announced that its Jade moon rover carrying Chang'e-3 space craft successfully touched down on the lunar surface saturday afternoon, which represents the first human non hard impact landing on the moons surface for some 37 years.
Saturday, December 14, 2013
France Plays World Cop In Africa – For How Long? / Politics / Africa
By: Andrew_McKillop
GENDARME DE L'AFRIQUE
Inside France, criticism and questioning of France's intensifying role as self-elected “savior of Africa” is mounting. Former defence ministers including Sarkozy-era Herve Morin who took on the role of pacifying Ivory Coast in an operation that took years rather than the promised months or weeks, have said that the ongoing Hollande-era action in Africa will take a lot longer, and cost a lot more in terms of money and French lives lost, than present defence minister Jean-Yves Le Drian pretends or claims. Backing that up, Le Drian on 14 December told French media that the Central African Republic (CAR) intervention is facing massively mounting violence and “a descent into anarchy which could destabilize the whole region”. Current government statements on CAR say that French armed forces will likely be expanded, from the present 1600, and their intervention dubbed “Sangaris” which was first stated as being a matter of “days or weeks”, will last 6 months or longer if the African Union force in CAR is not fully operational. UN sources estimate that the daily death toll in CAR is now close to 200 but this provisional count is uncertain, and could be too low.
Saturday, December 14, 2013
Israeli Lobby Forces U.S. Congress to Triple Military Aid to Israel / Politics / UK Politics
By: LewRockwell
The US Congress has authorized $284 million to fund Israel’s missile systems program, triple the amount the Obama administration had requested.
The bill, introduced jointly by the House of Representatives and Senate budget committees, includes $33.7 million to improve the Arrow Weapon System, $117 million for the Short-Range Ballistic Missile Defense Program and $22 million for development of the Arrow-3 upper-tier interceptor, according to Business Week.
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