Analysis Topic: Politics & Social Trends
The analysis published under this topic are as follows.
Friday, September 16, 2011
The Last Oil Wars / Politics / Crude Oil
By: Andrew_McKillop
In almost undisguised fashion, French and British media, with a weaker version in US mainstream media is talking up the Libyan war as an outright cheap oil victory - after all Libya has about 40 billion barrels of proven reserve, the oil is cheap to produce, and high quality. What matters now is who gets what, and the suppliers of airpower and munitions will be high up the list of winners.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
America's War on Liberty / Politics / US Politics
By: Bill_Bonner
We dipped our toes over the weekend, Fellow Reckoner. Re-tested the waters. We wanted to know whether, over the past ten years, the public discourse regarding 9/11 and the subsequent “War on Terror” – waged both on foreign soil and, increasingly, against the liberties of American citizens at home – had shifted. A few questions…
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Greek workers plunged into social misery / Politics / Economic Austerity
By: Global_Research
Robert Stevens writes: With Greece verging on a default of its debt of around €330 billion, and facing a forced exit from the eurozone, the PASOK government of Prime Minister George Papandreou is escalating its austerity programme against an already pauperised population.
Since its election in October 2009, PASOK has initiated a social counter-revolution, destroying the living standards of the working class.
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Thursday, September 15, 2011
French bank downgrade increases pressure for austerity across Europe / Politics / Credit Crisis 2011
By: Barry_Grey
The ratings firm Moody’s downgraded two of France’s biggest banks Wednesday, increasing pressure on governments across Europe to impose austerity measures on the working class.
Moody’s cut its rating for France’s second largest bank, Société Générale, from Aa2 to Aa3, and downgraded the third biggest bank, Crédit Agricole, from Aa1 to Aa2, citing their exposure to Greek government bonds. It left BNP Paribas, France’s biggest bank, at Aa2, while putting it on negative watch.
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Wednesday, September 14, 2011
The Police Exist To Serve and Protect the State / Politics / Social Issues
By: MISES
Wendy McElroy writes: Last month, an international rights tribunal slapped America across the face through a showcase ruling that has no legal force. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights found that Jessica Lenahan could sue the Castle Rock, Colorado, police department for its refusal in 1999 to enforce a restraining order against her estranged husband. The American courts had dismissed her case.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Why Obama Should Address the Rare Earth Crisis / Politics / Metals & Mining
By: Jeb_Handwerger
"A little bread-and-butter support by Obama could provide an important boost for the rare earth industry."There is a fast growing crisis to modern industrial nations posed by China's draconian and monopolistic maneuvers in the implementation of a quota system. With one specific bread and butter support by Obama, the rare earth industry (REMX:NYSE) could receive an important boost, providing jobs and facilitating the development of a new industrial sector.
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Tuesday, September 13, 2011
The Crisis of Europe and European Nationalism / Politics / Euro-Zone
By: STRATFOR
When I visited Europe in 2008 and before, the idea that Europe was not going to emerge as one united political entity was regarded as heresy by many leaders. The European enterprise was seen as a work in progress moving inevitably toward unification — a group of nations committed to a common fate. What was a core vision in 2008 is now gone. What was inconceivable — the primacy of the traditional nation-state — is now commonly discussed, and steps to devolve Europe in part or in whole (such as ejecting Greece from the eurozone) are being contemplated. This is not a trivial event.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Pakistan's Energy Crisis and U.S. Interests / Politics / Pakistan
By: OilPrice_Com
On 7 October 2001, the opening phase of "Operation Enduring Freedom" U.S. military campaign began, which quickly drove the Taliban and its al-Qaida affiliates from Kabul on 12 November.
Since then, 1,760 U.S. troops have been killed in Afghanistan along with 942 International Security Assistance Force soldiers, a total of 2,702 foreign military dead, with no end in sight.
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Tuesday, September 13, 2011
President Obama Spoke in the Rose Garden / Politics / US Politics
By: George_Maniere
In a speech in the White House Rose Garden Monday morning, that I’m sure he hoped no one was watching, President Barack Obama said he would pay for his $447 billion jobs plan by ending a series of tax breaks for oil and gas companies, hedge-fund managers and people making more than $200,000. In total, this plan would end about $467 billion of tax breaks over 10 years.
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Monday, September 12, 2011
Stupid Politician Monkeys Another Reason to Buy Gold / Politics / US Politics
By: David_Galland
David Galland, Managing Director, Casey Research writes: The human ape has any number of qualities not often found in other species of mammalia, including opposable thumbs and the ability to fashion and use tools.
Continuing the list, I would add a tendency to form all manner of mental constructs and to then act in accordance with those constructs, even when those constructs have little or no connection to reality.
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Monday, September 12, 2011
German Court Opens Door to Uber-Empire and Uber-Collapse / Politics / Global Debt Crisis
By: John_Browne
In the early days of September, financial markets worldwide were nervous. Investors and governments were waiting for a crucial ruling of the Federal Constitutional Court of Germany, a ruling that could have triggered the imminent collapse of the world's second currency, the euro. This past Wednesday, the court ruled that the German bailout of Greece did not violate the German Basic Law (i.e. constitution), and investors breathed a collective sigh of relief.
Monday, September 12, 2011
9/11 Go To Heaven / Politics / US Politics
By: Andrew_McKillop
Ceremonies in the USA and Europe, and in the few other regions and countries where 9/11 business is taken seriously have with time shifted focus. The annual show of gravitas and determination to fight and win the War on Terror, cranked up on the back of the New York and Washington attacks of September 2001 now has another target: deflecting, parrying and diluting the scary future.
Monday, September 12, 2011
Obama's Jobs Plan Will Barely Dent Unemployment / Politics / US Politics
By: Money_Morning
David Zeiler writes:
Even if passed intact, U.S. President Barack Obama's jobs plan, though ambitious, would at most nudge down unemployment by a single percentage point over the next year.
Furthermore, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives will surely object to several provisions in the American Jobs Act - particularly the total $447 billion price tag - further diluting its impact.
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Sunday, September 11, 2011
Obama Jobs Plan To Screw Future Generations / Politics / US Politics
By: James_Quinn
Friday morning the Schuykill Expressway was jammed again due to an overturned car at Belmont Avenue. My first thought was how anyone could turn their car over at the usual 25 mph speeds on the Schuykill Expressway. My second thought was that I was damned to having to take the route from 69th Street in Upper Darby down Chestnut Street (aka The 30 Blocks of Squalor) to work. I was still steamed by Obama's $450 billion "JOBS" plan. His new plan was touted as an infrastructure plan when it is nothing but a "screw future generations" plan. Do these politicians have no shame?
Sunday, September 11, 2011
The Economic Terror of 9/11 and What Really Happened / Politics / US Politics
By: Jeff_Berwick
Last month we marked the 40th anniversary of the Federal Reserve Note being a completely unbacked fiat currency. This month marks another major event in the demise of the US dollar, September the 11th.
While we've been on a one way road to monetary ruin since at least 1913 the response to the events of September 11, 2001 have greatly accelerated the process.
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Sunday, September 11, 2011
Can Government Debt Crisis Lies Calm the Financial Markets? / Politics / Global Debt Crisis
By: Mike_Shedlock
The question of the day (for which everyone should know the answer) is Can Government Lies Calm the Markets?
In spite of the fact most of us realize lies will not help, and most often makes matters worse, governments repeatedly resort to lies, platitudes, and wishful thinking.
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Saturday, September 10, 2011
War – The Fiscal Stimulus of Last Resort / Politics / US Politics
By: Ellen_Brown
“War! Good God, ya’ll. What is it good for? Absolutely nothin’!”
So went the Bruce Springsteen pop hit of the 1980s, first produced as an anti-Vietnam War song in 1969. The song echoed popular sentiment. The Vietnam War ended. Then the Cold War ended. Yet military spending remains the government’s number one expenditure. When veterans’ benefits and other past military costs are factored in, half the government’s budget now goes to the military/industrial complex. Protesters have been trying to stop this juggernaut ever since the end of World War II, yet the war machine is more powerful and influential than ever.
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Saturday, September 10, 2011
Obama Jobs Plan is More of the Same / Politics / US Politics
By: Peter_Schiff
Although it was labeled and hyped as a "jobs plan," the new $447 billion initiative announced last night by President Obama is merely another government stimulus program in disguise. But semantics are of supreme importance in American politics...some could argue that word choice is the only thing that matters. As a result, despite the fact that this plan bears no substantive difference from previous stimulus bills, the President never once mentioned the word "stimulus" in his hour-long speech.
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Obama's Job Numbers Don't Add Up / Politics / US Politics
By: Barry_Elias
Nearly 32 months after taking the oath of office, President Obama implied his administration failed America during a speech to a joint session of Congress last night concerning jobs.
Despite his repeated claims as a candidate and president to focus on job growth as his number one priority, the president elected to wait until his next campaign to address this issue.
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Friday, September 09, 2011
Dissecting Obama's Jobs Stimulus Lies / Politics / US Politics
By: Mike_Shedlock
President Obama's rumored $300 stimulus program ballooned to $447 billion upon unveiling. For a full text of the speech, please see President Obama's jobs address
Amusingly, the plan is overweight tax cuts in an attempt to get Republican buy-ins.