Analysis Topic: Politics & Social Trends
The analysis published under this topic are as follows.
Saturday, September 22, 2018
The News Just Ain’t The News No More / Politics / Social Media
By: Raul_I_Meijer
Two thirds of Americans get at least some of their news on social media. Google and Facebook receive well over 70% of US digital advertising revenues. The average daily time spent on social media is 2 hours. Just a few factoids that have at least one thing in common: nothing like them was around 10 years ago, let alone 20. And they depict a change, or set of changes, in our world that will take a long time yet to understand and absorb. Some things just move too fast for us to keep track of, let alone process.
Those of us who were alive before the meteoric rise of the hardware and software of ‘social’ media may be able to relate a little more and better than those who were not, but even that is not a given. There are plenty people over 20, over 30, that make one think: what did you do before you had that magic machine? When you walk down the street talking to some friend, or looking at what your friends wrote on Facebook, do you ever think about what you did in such situations before the machine came into your life?
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Tuesday, September 18, 2018
Trump’s Backdoor Power Play to Rein In the Fed / Politics / US Federal Reserve Bank
By: MoneyMetals
“Just run the presses – print money.”
That’s what President Donald Trump supposedly instructed his former chief economic adviser Gary Cohn to do in response to the budget deficit. The quote appears in Bob Woodward’s controversial book Fear: Trump in the White House.
Trump disputes many of the anecdotes Woodward assembled. But regardless of whether the President used those exact words, they do reflect an “easy money” philosophy that he has expressed many times before.
Saturday, September 15, 2018
Central Banks Have Gone Rogue, Putting Us All at Risk / Politics / Central Banks
By: Ellen_Brown
Excluding institutions such as Blackrock and Vanguard, which are composed of multiple investors, the largest single players in global equity markets are now thought to be central banks themselves. An estimated 30 to 40 central banks are invested in the stock market, either directly or through their investment vehicles (sovereign wealth funds). According to David Haggith at Zero Hedge:
Read full article... Read full article...Central banks buying stocks are effectively nationalizing U.S. corporations just to maintain the illusion that their “recovery” plan is working. … At first, their novel entry into the stock market was only intended to rescue imperiled corporations, such as General Motors during the first plunge into the Great Recession, but recently their efforts have shifted to propping up the entire stock market via major purchases of the most healthy companies on the market.
Wednesday, September 12, 2018
The Ritual Burial of the US Constitution / Politics / US Politics
By: Raul_I_Meijer
In the wake of a number of the Lehman and 9/11 commemorations in America, and as a monster storm is once again threatening to cause outsize damage, we find ourselves at a pivotal point in time, which will decide how the country interacts with its own laws, its legal system, its Constitution, its freedom of speech, and indeed if it has sufficient willpower left to adhere to the Constitution as its no. 1 guiding principle.
The main problem is that it all seems to slip slide straight by the people, who are -kept- busy with completely different issues. That is convenient for those who would like less focus on the Constitution, but it’s also very dangerous for everyone else. Americans should today stand up for freedom of speech, or it will be gone, likely forever.
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Tuesday, September 11, 2018
Obama's Zombie Followers / Politics / US Politics
By: BATR
Barack Hussein Obama has emerged from his crypt. One of the time-honored practices when a President leaves office has been that they fade into the obscurity of retirement. As witnessed with George W. Bush, the public has not been burdened with his political involvement or wisdom of his years as commander and chief. The same cannot be said about Obama, the perpetual narcissist former head of state. This globalist CIA President caused severe damage to the Republic that any rational citizen would readily admit. Yet, this failed X-President has never shed his vision of grandeur. If anyone doubts about this assessment just reflect on his latest 64-minute speech. President Barack Obama Rips President Donald Trump: Full Speech 9/7/2018.
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Monday, September 10, 2018
How Trump Could Fire Powell and Rebuild the Fed / Politics / US Federal Reserve Bank
By: John_Mauldin
BY PATRICK WATSON : In recent weeks, Trump criticized Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell several times. He doesn’t like that Powell is leading the Fed to raise interest rates.Past presidents avoided such comments so they wouldn’t appear to be interfering. But Trump doesn’t care about appearances.
The Fed is somewhat insulated from electoral politics. The chair and board members have fixed terms. Its composition changes slowly... but it doesn’t have to.
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Monday, September 03, 2018
Toward ‘America First’ NAFTA / Politics / Protectionism
By: Dan_Steinbock
Despite the Trump administration’s frantic last-minute efforts to hammer the NAFTA agreement, the attempt failed within the US timeline, so the talks continue. Why is the revised deal so important to the White House? Last Friday, the trade talks between the United States and Canada broke off without an agreement.
The negotiations on the revised North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) are not over, however. The talks continue and US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer will meet again Canada’s foreign minister Chrystia Freeland.
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Thursday, August 30, 2018
Social Media vs the Constitution / Politics / US Politics
By: Raul_I_Meijer
An ancient Latin saying goes: “Quod licet Iovi, non licet bovi” (what is permissible for Jupiter, is not for an ox). It feels very much on topic when social media are concerned. And as the heat over their censorship is turned up, it may well be the decisive factor.
Reuters reiterates today that on May 23, Manhattan US District Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald ruled that Donald Trump’ Twitter account is a public forum and blocking Twitter users for their views violates their right to free speech under the First Amendment. The same, says the ruling, applies to other government officials’ accounts.
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Thursday, August 30, 2018
4 Societal Trends in the UK / Politics / Social Issues
By: Dylan_Moran
Every year we sit down and take a look at the trends in society; how the world is changing and what is causing that change. Technology remains a major factor of course, thanks to automation and digitisation, but there are several trends that have little to do with tech. Here’s a closer look at 4 societal trends in the UK.
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Monday, August 27, 2018
Remembering Thousands of Children that Died Because John McCain Advocated Bombing Them / Politics / US Politics
By: Raul_I_Meijer
Let’s try a different angle. How about the world through the eyes of children’s? I don’t want to dwell on John McCain, too many people already do today, but I would suggest that your thoughts and prayers are with the souls of the hundreds of thousands of children that died because McCain advocated bombing them. Or, indeed, 50-odd years ago, were bombed by him personally. I wanted to leave him be altogether, don’t kick a man when he’s down, but I can’t get the image out of my head of him singing “Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran”.
To remember that, perhaps the most vile and infamous thing he’s ever done (it’s in the top ten), and then see someone like Ocasio-Cortez say he was an “unparalleled example of human decency”, it’s almost comedy. But not as funny as when in the 2008 campaign the woman in the red dress asked him if Obama was an Arab, and he responded: “No, ma’am. No, ma’am. He’s a decent, family man, citizen that I just happen to have disagreements with on fundamental issues and that’s what this campaign is all about”.
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Tuesday, August 21, 2018
When the Constitution Hurts the US / Politics / US Politics
By: Rodney_Johnson
I’m not a fan of small spaces, and MRIs give me the willies.I understand that there’s no way the giant machine could collapse, and no possibility that I’ll run low on air, but that doesn’t make me feel any better.
Maybe President Trump has a similar issue, although not with small spaces.
Instead, the smell of new car leather might make him sweat.
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Tuesday, August 21, 2018
The Shape of Trump to Come / Politics / US Politics
By: Raul_I_Meijer
I thought I’d make list of things we can expect to emanate from the White House over the coming year or so. I’m sure you will agree, wherever you stand on the political roller coaster, that there’s little chance things are going to be boring going forward. Here goes:
Trump will end the ‘monopolies’ of Facebook, Google, Twitter et al. The intelligence community will hate this, but they already hate him anyway, so why bother? And besides, it’s the only thing to do that makes any sense. The AT&T model might be useful, essentially creating Baby Bells, though the international reach of the companies may add a layer or two of complications.
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Friday, August 17, 2018
Free The Press / Politics / Censorship
By: Raul_I_Meijer
Two thirds of Americans want the Mueller investigation (inquisition, someone called it) over by the midterm elections. Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani has said that if Mueller wants to interview Trump, he’ll have to do so before September 1, because the Trump camp doesn’t want to be the one to unduly influence the elections. Mueller himself appears to lean towards prolonging the case, and that may well be with an eye on doing exactly that.
And there’s something else as well: as soon as the investigation wraps up, Trump will demand a second special counsel, this time to scrutinize the role the ‘other side’ has played in the 2016 presidential election and its aftermath. He’s determined to get it, and he’ll fire both Jeff Sessions and Rod Rosenstein if they try to stand in his way.
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Thursday, August 16, 2018
“The Big Grab” - Failing Pension and Retirement System / Politics / Pensions & Retirement
By: Andy_Sutton
It has been quite some time since we last collaborated on an article, opting instead to chase other pursuits and let some of the hysteria going on in the world fade into some type of steady state. It hasn’t happened, but there are pressing matters that need attention regardless. The circus going on all around us makes for great theater and distraction – and that is its intent.
The topic at hand is the failing pension and retirement system. Americans are notorious for spending well in excess of what they make, saving nothing in the process. The only way most save are the deductions from their paychecks for a 401k or IRA. Or perhaps they contribute to an IRA at tax time, when they realize doing so will reduce their tax liability.
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Wednesday, August 15, 2018
Controlled Virtual Reality by Algorithms / Politics / Virtual Reality
By: Submissions
The backlash against the high tech mob is so obvious that no sane person can deny that their version of acceptable thinking requires banning Free Speech. The genie is out of the lamp and the only way to prevent these demons from repeating their censorship is to cork the bottle of any product offered by these companies. Utopia for the authoritarian collectivists necessitates that they conjure up twisted and absurd content targets as hate speech in a desperate attempt to rationalize the purging of counter opinions to their orthodox "PC" Communist Manifesto. In essence, the "so called" left has become the model of fascism by and under Silicon Valley's techno plutocrats. Merging Fabian ideals with state/corporatist absolutism produces a deformed corporeality by algorithms in an artificial intelligence society.
Friday, August 10, 2018
The Forrest Gump of All Future Democrat Election Losses / Politics / US Politics
By: Raul_I_Meijer
Julian Assange has received an letter from the US Senate asking him to testify in front of them. What to make of that is not entirely clear. Far as I know, Assange offered such testimony multiple times, under the ‘right standards’. The Senate ostensibly wants this to take place behind closed doors, and it’s hard to see how that would fit Assange’s standards. But who knows?
What struck me was that the letter was signed by Senators Richard Burr (R-NC) and Mark Warner (D-VA). and especially the latter runs like a red thread through everything that has to do with Assange and the US. It reminded me of what John Solomon said in his June 25 piece ‘How Comey Intervened To Kill Wikileaks’ Immunity Deal’ about Assange lawyer Adam Waldman, who according to Solomon has a ‘Forrest Gump-like penchant for showing up in major cases of intrigue’.
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Wednesday, August 08, 2018
Assange, Infowars and the Constitution / Politics / Censorship
By: Raul_I_Meijer
This morning I woke up, looked around me, and saw a world sinking into a quagmire of voluntary censorship, a world willing to let someone far away choose what it can and cannot see of itself, and about itself. A world that no longer appears to recognize, or care, that this goes directly against its founding principles of liberty, freedom of speech, freedom of the press.
I can think of many reasons why someone would want to ban Infowars and Alex Jones, and I don’t even know them other than from incidental tweets and comments. But I also acknowledge that that is not the point. Just because you would like to ban a person or organization, just because you don’t agree with them, doesn’t mean you can, or should be able to.
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Tuesday, August 07, 2018
Trade War! Win the Economic Hostilities Against the Chinese / Politics / Protectionism
By: BATR
The establishment culture indoctrinates the public with the mythical virtues of 'Free Trade', while omitting the destructive record of the globalist economy that has ruined American prosperity. Prosperity is not defined as cheap consumer items. Economic success that creates wealth and achieves affluence requires that a society can reach a lasting production capacity to fill ongoing demands, primarily from domestic output. Trade as long as it attains a positive balance of payment result is fine. However, when a country continues to bleed money to purchase goods that were previously produced domestically, the economic treasure of the importing country sinks into the quicksand of a quagmire.
Tuesday, August 07, 2018
Alex Jones Banned! Will Unapproved Opinions Be Censored Off the Internet? / Politics / Censorship
By: MoneyMetals
"False opinions are like false money, struck first of all by guilty men and thereafter circulated by honest people who perpetuate the crime without knowing what they are doing." - Joseph de Maistre
You wouldn’t be reading this if you didn’t value alternative points of view. After all, you could easily click your mouse right now to CNBC, CNN, or the New York Times for conventional news and opinion.
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Monday, August 06, 2018
Incidents and Accidents, Hints and Allegations / Politics / Social Issues
By: Raul_I_Meijer
Jeremy Corbyn is an anti-semite. Julian Assange is a rapist, a Russian agent and a terrorist. Donald Trump is an anti-semite, a rapist AND a Russian agent. Vladimir Putin wants to invade and enslave the entire western world and to that end employs Assange, Trump, maybe also Corbyn(?), as well as thousands upon thousands of hackers and murderers who make people vote for whoever Putin chooses, and poison former Russian agents on western soil.
These allegations, and there’s many more of them, have a number of things in common. Most importantly, they serve to change your mind. They serve to change your perception of reality. They seek to whip up your support for the very people and forces that launch them into the media.
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