Analysis Topic: Politics & Social Trends
The analysis published under this topic are as follows.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
The Smearing of Ron Paul by Paul Krugman / Politics / US Politics
By: William_Anderson
When the Republicans retook the U.S. House of Representatives last November, it meant that Ron Paul would be in line to chair the subcommittee that oversees the Federal Reserve System. Despite the intense lobbying by Ben Bernanke and others who loathed the prospect of Rep. Paul being able to subpoena them to appear before Congress and then to ask them pointed questions about their secret operations, the Republican leadership still gave Rep. Paul his rightful position.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
US Wealth Distribution, Where Zombies Go to Feast / Politics / US Economy
By: Bill_Bonner
A warning… Bad stuff coming!
We’ve come to the warm latitudes for our Christmas holiday. Your editor didn’t really want to do so. He travels so much for business, he longed to stay home for Christmas. He imagined himself sitting in front of the fire…happily drinking eggnog and eating fruitcake. Or, cutting down trees and mending fences.
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Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Why the United States of America is Broke Due to Out of Control Defense Spending / Politics / Government Spending
By: Mike_Shedlock
Explaining why America is broke is rather simple. All we have to do is look at two separate and distinct problem areas: public unions and defense spending, then generalize the problem. Let's start with a look at defense spending.
Here's an article on Foreign Affairs magazine by William Pfaaf making a solid case How Militarism Endangers America . The article is subscription, but a decent sized synopsis and lead-in follows:
Monday, December 20, 2010
Wall Street Wealth Bailout, The Bernank Who Stole Christmas / Politics / Credit Crisis 2010
By: James_Quinn
Ben Bernanke is a highly educated PhD from Princeton who has never worked a day in the real world since he graduated from college in 1975. His entire life has been spent in the ivory tower of academia surrounded by models and theories that work perfectly in the comfort of his office. After building his reputation as an "expert" on the Great Depression by studying it and reaching the wrong conclusions, he came down from his ivory tower in 2002 to join an organization that has systematically destroyed the value of the US currency, thereby undermining the well being of the once vibrant middle class.Read full article... Read full article...
Monday, December 20, 2010
Wikileaks And The Secrets That Deceive Us / Politics / US Politics
By: Danny_Schechter
In the days of Stalin’s Russia, not only would dissidents “disappear” but also even in the pre-digital era, photographs of officials at May Day reviewing stands would be erased from photographs when their political stars fell. Our own “Kremlinologists” would know who was in, and who was out by comparing last year’s pictures with this years.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
"Shadow Lending" and the Financial Crisis / Politics / Credit Crisis 2010
By: Bob_Chapman
What the tax package proves conclusively is that the President, the House and the Senate have absolutely no intention of getting their fiscal house in order. We will address the lurid details later. There is no change in the policies of borrowing continuously in order to sustain current consumption and to keep the economy from collapsing. As far as we are concerned the hold up in the package was to load it up with pork and stimulus. Some call it bells and whistles – we call it irresponsible. The Fed and all the players are buying time and 70% of the public knows that and they are going along with it. Very few want to face the music.Read full article... Read full article...
Sunday, December 19, 2010
From Bush to Obama - America's Fiscal Collapse / Politics / US Debt
By: Michel_Chossudovsky
What has been implemented under Obama is strong economic medicine with a “human face”. “Promise amid peril”. The stated priorities of the Obama economic package are health, education, renewable energy, investment in infrastructure and transportation. “Quality education” is at the forefront. Obama has also promised to “make health care more affordable and accessible” for every American.
At first sight, the budget proposal had all the appearances of an expansionary program, a demand-oriented “Second New Deal” geared towards creating employment, rebuilding shattered social programs and reviving the real economy.
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Sunday, December 19, 2010
Another Record Breaking Winter, What Happened to Global Warming? / Politics / Climate Change
By: Patrick_Henningsen
Britain and Europe have been hit hard for the third straight record-breaking winter season. Labeled by experts as the coldest winter in 100 years and set to blow well into 2011, it is already raising some very interesting questions about the new ideological split we are witnessing throughout society in the much celebrated green debate.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
In Third World America, You Can't Buy a Ream of Paper on Minimum Wage / Politics / US Politics
By: Janet_Tavakoli
In 2010, every one of my work-related conversations turned to personal wealth management. The money-class wants to preserve and increase their considerable wealth, and they are terrified of losing it. Elsewhere in America, those that don't have money are terrified of the rising cost of necessities like food and energy not captured in the consumer price index calculation.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
The Legal Fiction of Corporate Income and the Coming U.S. Tax Reorganization in 2012 / Politics / Taxes
By: David_Knox_Barker
Markets and pundits are celebrating the great tax deal “compromise” between the Obama Administration and the Republicans. A tax deal pitched as a compromise between the two-party duopoly that has been selling the United States into debt slavery for decades is not likely in the best interest of the country, or your bank account. The deal strikes me as a bit like a two-year-old eating homemade ice cream for the first time, believing it is the greatest possible pleasure on earth, with no earthly idea of how it stacks up against a honeymoon.Read full article... Read full article...
Saturday, December 18, 2010
The Shape of the World in 2020 / Politics / GeoPolitics
By: Global_Intel_Report
None can foretell the future, and yet the shape of what we face can be shrewdly estimated with enough attention to historical trends; with broad contextual understanding; and with sufficient insight into the character of leaders, their societies, and the structures which define their basis. Read full article... Read full article...
Friday, December 17, 2010
Why the U.S. Gigantic Intelligence Apparatus Is a Mega Fraud / Politics / Government Spending
By: Robert_Higgs
On July 19, 2010, the Washington Post published the first of three large reports by Dana Priest and William M. Arkin on the dimensions of the gigantic US apparatus of "intelligence" activities being undertaken to combat terrorist acts against the United States, such as the 9/11 attacks. To say that this activity amounts to mobilizing every police officer in the country to stop street fights in Camden only begins to suggest its almost-unbelievable disproportion to the alleged threat.
Friday, December 17, 2010
U.S. China Trade Dispute Resolution Progress, but Currency Roadblock Remains / Politics / Protectionism
By: Money_Morning
Jason Simpkins writes:
The United States and China this week wrapped up a two-day meeting on trade that was aimed at cooling rising tensions between the two nations. Still, despite the progress, currency valuations and trade tariffs will continue to be a fixture of both countries' foreign policies.
Friday, December 17, 2010
European Nanny State Blames Germany for Debt Crisis / Politics / Global Debt Crisis
By: Mike_Shedlock
In Europe, a big finger-pointing escapade is is full swing. Those looking for scapegoats for what ails the Eurozone have found a convenient target in German Chancellor Angela Merkel for refusing to cooperate in resolving the European sovereign debt crisis. Merkel is accused of anything and everything including being "extraordinarily lazy" as well as for "taking Germany to the brink".
Thursday, December 16, 2010
U.S. Economic Austerity May Result in Unrest on America's Streets / Politics / Economic Austerity
By: Danny_Schechter
William Shakespeare put a key question this way; “To Be Or Not To Be?” Today’s economists and policy makers pose a different choice: to spend or not to spend.
Governments throughout the west are in a panic as debt mounts and economies contract.
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Thursday, December 16, 2010
Wikileaks Defenders Promise More Cyber Attacks / Politics / UK Politics
By: Chris_Kitze
BARRACUDA writes: A pro-WikiLeaks hacker has told Sky News an internet insurgent group will keep attacking those companies who target the whistleblowing website.
Speaking on camera for the first time, the cyber-insurgent "Bass", from the group Anonymous, revealed details of how they operate and their growing size.
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Thursday, December 16, 2010
Mexico and the Cartel Wars / Politics / Mexico
By: STRATFOR
In our 2010 annual report on Mexico’s drug cartels, we assess the most significant developments of the past year and provide an updated description of the dynamics among the country’s powerful drug-trafficking organizations, along with an account of the government’s effort to combat the cartels and a forecast of the battle in 2011. The annual cartel report is a product of the coverage STRATFOR maintains on a weekly basis through our Mexico Security Memo as well as other analyses we produce throughout the year. In response to customer requests for more and deeper coverage of Mexico, STRATFOR will also introduce a new product in 2011 designed to provide an enhanced level of reporting and analysis.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
EU Agrees to Disagree on Debt Crisis until 2013 Whilst Greece Smoldwers in Riots and Firebombs / Politics / Global Debt Crisis
By: Mike_Shedlock
Pretty speeches regarding solidarity will not solve the European debt crisis. Yet, as Greece smolders in riots and firebombs over various austerity measures, pretty speeches, untenable pledges regarding haircuts, and continual bickering remain the only action items of note coming from Europe.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Ron Paul Terrifies Ben Bernanke / Politics / Central Banks
By: Gary_North
I have good news and bad news for Ben Bernanke.
First, the good news.
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Wednesday, December 15, 2010
What if Wikileaks is PSYOP? / Politics / US Politics
By: Michael_T_Bucci
Mr. F. William Engdahl has contributed a controversial opinion about the Wikileaks phenomena and it deserves reading and remembering [1]. No one can prove or disprove the legitimacy of any leaked document since its original author is undisclosed. Furthermore, as it now stands, the actual "source" (person) behind a document can no longer uphold or refute his or her own leaked words publicly without the risk of facing charges by Washington and the U.S. Military. Equally disturbing is the world media - self-proclaimed champions of high journalistic standards and integrity. The world media never asked the critical question: Are these cables authentic?
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