Analysis Topic: Politics & Social Trends
The analysis published under this topic are as follows.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
The European Crash Dummies Will Hit the Greek Brick Wall / Politics / Global Debt Crisis
By: Gary_North
A crash dummy has some of the physical characteristics of a human being. It is used to test the safety of the interior of a car that has suffered a major accident. A pair of dummies are strapped into the front seat of a car that is on a track. Then the car is run into a wall at high speed. The engineers then examine what happened to the dummies. If the dummies had been human beings, would they have been killed? Dismembered?
Monday, October 10, 2011
Putin's New Vision of 'Eurasia' / Politics / Russia
By: OilPrice_Com
Many western politicians have harbored deep suspicions of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Vladimorovich Putin since he first emerged on the Russian political stage in 1999.
This is hardly surprising, given his KGB background, though those with longer historical memories will recall that Yuri Andropov came from the same organization and that the West grudgingly found a way to work with him.
Read full article... Read full article...
Monday, October 10, 2011
Ron Paul on U.S. State Assassinating American Citizens Sets Dangerous Precedent / Politics / US Politics
By: Dr_Ron_Paul
According to the Fifth Amendment of the US Constitution, Americans are never to be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law. The Constitution is not some aspirational statement of values, allowing exceptions when convenient, but rather, it is the law of the land. It is the basis of our Republic and our principal bulwark against tyranny.
Read full article... Read full article...
Monday, October 10, 2011
The US Empire: A Tragic Comedy in Three Acts / Politics / US Politics
By: Bill_Bonner
What a delight it is to have an empire!
Do the Swiss get to send out drones to kill people they don’t know in countries they’ve never been? No! The poor yodelers go around with long faces and visit their shrinks. Americans have troops in 170 countries. Where are the Swiss? Only in Switzerland and the Vatican. Alas, they will never know the joys of nation building and people murdering.
Read full article... Read full article...
Monday, October 10, 2011
China Currency Bill: Politics vs. Economics, Is the U.S. ready for a global trade war? / Politics / US Politics
By: EconMatters
The latest move on China politics at Washington is the China currency bill, due at the U.S. Senate on Tuesday, Oct. 12. The proposal would levy tariffs on China and four other Asian countries for artificially depressing the value of their currencies to boost their exports.
To us, it seems evident that those in Washington have not thought this through completely (or chose to ignore). Here is how the math would work.
Sunday, October 09, 2011
Electric Car Fairy Stories / Politics / US Auto's
By: Andrew_McKillop
Ernst & Young reports, October 3, that 52% of its market analyst respondents think Europe will be the first mass market for electric vehicles, by 2022, while 39% say that dubious honour will go to China. Many are uncertain on the USA's rank in the EV boom, and often place the prospective US market lower than Europe, China and Japan. About 37 % of Ernst & Young's respondents think that Japan, with its $12.7 trillion sovereign debt (but only $9 trillion according to the CIA) will strive to find new ways to drive up its debt with massive state subsidies to electric car builders, buyers, battery suppliers and all-comers to the EV spending party.
Saturday, October 08, 2011
God, Gold, Groceries, and Guns / Politics / US Politics
By: Gary_North
I wrote an article with this title on June 6, 1980 in my newsletter, Remnant Review. It is time for a follow-up.
The four G's seemed prudent in 1980. In early 1980, the American economy was suffering from the worst peacetime price inflation in its history. That was about to reverse due to the Federal Reserve's decision under Paul Volcker the previous August to reduce the rate of growth in money and let interest rates soar. This would lead to a recession.
Read full article... Read full article...
Saturday, October 08, 2011
Debt Deflation in Europe and America / Politics / Global Debt Crisis
By: Michael_Hudson
“Without consumption, markets are going to shrink.Companies won’t invest, stores will close, “for rent” signs will spread on the main streets and local tax revenues will fall. Companies will lay off their employees and the economy will shrink more. Why aren’t economists talking about theseeffects of debt deflation, which are becoming the distinguishing phenomenon of our time?Theyadvocategiving more money to the banks, hoping that somehoweverything will be okay, as if the banks would lend out the money to fund new production and employment.Mainstream economics and political leaders in both parties are failing to askwhy the banks are using these giveaways to speculate abroad, pay their managers bonuses and high salaries or to pay dividends rather than to lend to small businesses or do other things to actually get the economy moving again. This phenomenon cannot be explained without seeing that debt service is siphoning off revenue into the financial sector, which is not recycling it back into the production-and-consumption economy.”
Saturday, October 08, 2011
Eurozone Debt Crisis: Disruptions of Financial Markets Worldwide / Politics / Global Debt Crisis
By: Bob_Chapman
Saving the euro, the euro zone and the European Union obviously is far more important to Europe politician’s and their masters than any national interests.
After having lost seven elections in a row the Christian Democratic Union and their partners in Germany still voted 523 to 85 for an extension of money and power to the European Financial Stability Facility, the EFSF. We would say the yes voters stand a good chance of defeat at their next elections, especially when 75% of Germans were at odds with the vote. The big loser was the CDU partner’s, the Free Democratic Party that under the constitution must garner 5% of the vote to stay eligible. The power position of the CDU could well be in jeopardy.
Read full article... Read full article...
Friday, October 07, 2011
United States versus China Round Two / Politics / Protectionism
By: Richard_Mills
The Chinese government, in an effort to maximize exports and minimize US imports, prints their Yuan to buy dollars. This prevents their currency from rising and the dollar from falling. Then it loans those same dollars back to America by buying US debt.
Friday, October 07, 2011
Dear Occupy Wall Street: Will You Stand with Me? / Politics / US Politics
By: Money_Morning
Shah Gilani writes:
Dear Occupy Wall Street Demonstrators,
Let me start by saying that I applaud your initiative. Grassroots protests are the essence of democracy. And as we've seen with the Tea Party movement and the Arab Spring, nonviolent protests are a powerful way to effect meaningful change.
Read full article... Read full article...
Friday, October 07, 2011
Bank of England Increases QE by £75 billion / Politics / Quantitative Easing
By: Bob_Kirtley
Well,well,well, here we go again, more printing of money as the Bank of England announced that its quantitative easing (QE) programme will be increased by another £75 billion shortly. The Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee is taking its asset purchase initiative up to a total of £275 billion.
Read full article... Read full article...
Friday, October 07, 2011
Obama Makes Bad U.S. Trade Situation Worse / Politics / US Politics
By: Ian_Fletcher
This Monday, Obama submitted the long-pending Colombia, Panama, and South Korea free trade agreements to Congress. White House chief of staff William Daley has promised to pass them by the end of the month.
Guess the need for campaign cash finally caught up with the administration.
Read full article... Read full article...
Friday, October 07, 2011
European Politicians Fiddling While the Euro Burns / Politics / Euro
By: John_Browne
Last week, eurozone finance ministers postponed, yet again, the most difficult decisions on the Greek debt crisis. The assembled powers could have forced an orderly Greek default or they could have taken steps to push Greece out of the union. Instead, they simply bought time until the next major rollover of Greek debt - which comes due in November. I don't expect much to come from the brief respite.
Read full article... Read full article...
Thursday, October 06, 2011
Steve Jobs and the Beautification of Capitalism / Politics / Economic Theory
By: Jeffrey_A_Tucker
The day that Steve Jobs resigned from Apple, hosannas for his life's work and accomplishments erupted (and rightly) from every corner of the earth (or the blogosphere, in any case). He was universally hailed as a genius. He was praised for changing and upgrading our lives in so many ways. He was treated as an innovator who dedicated himself to the well-being of society, and accomplished miracles none of us mere mortals could have imagined. He did more than dream; he acted and created one of the great companies on the planet, a company that has enabled us to live out our own dreams.
Thursday, October 06, 2011
Three Reasons the China Currency Bill Will Backfire / Politics / Fiat Currency
By: Money_Morning
David Zeiler writes: A Senate bill that aims to restore American jobs by punishing China for its undervalued currency may resonate with a frustrated American public, but it won't work.
In fact, instead creating jobs, the bill is more likely to trigger a damaging trade war with China and increase retail prices for Americans - further hurting the consumer spending that has already been undermined by high unemployment.
Read full article... Read full article...
Thursday, October 06, 2011
The Fed Twists, the Market Shouts / Politics / Central Banks
By: Dr_Ron_Paul
Last week the Federal Reserve began the second incarnation of "Operation Twist", an attempt to drive down interest rates by purchasing long-term Treasury debt and selling short-term debt. This is just the latest instance of the central bank desperately flailing around doing something merely for the sake of doing something. Fed officials still do not understand – or admit – that the Fed itself caused the financial crisis by driving interest rates too low and relentlessly expanding the money supply. Thus, this latest action will just exacerbate the problem.
Read full article... Read full article...
Wednesday, October 05, 2011
U.S. Debt Crisis, What America Needs is Hope / Politics / US Debt
By: James_Quinn
Finch: Why are you doing this?
Evey Hammond: Because he was right.
Finch: About what?
Evey Hammond: That the world needs more than just a building right now. It needs hope.
Tuesday, October 04, 2011
Occupy Wall Street: A Story without Heroes / Politics / US Politics
By: MISES
The "Occupy Wall Street" movement is spreading. Protests have appeared in Los Angeles and Washington, DC. The drama has become palpable, featuring a march on LA's city hall, confrontations with police, and mass arrests.
Tuesday, October 04, 2011
Turkey and Russia Spar Over Natural Gas Prices / Politics / Natural Gas
By: OilPrice_Com
While few people in the world have warm feelings for energy companies beyond perhaps their stockholders, Russia’s state-owned natural gas monopoly Gazprom has shown an unrivalled and unique capacity to alienate is customers over the past two decades since the collapse of the USSR.
Read full article... Read full article...