Analysis Topic: Politics & Social Trends
The analysis published under this topic are as follows.
Wednesday, April 07, 2010
The Global Economic Crisis: Riots, Rebellion and Revolution / Politics / Recession 2008 - 2010
By: Andrew_G_Marshall
This is Part 3 of the series, "When Empire Hits Home."
Part 1: War, Racism and the Empire of Poverty
Part 2: Western Civilization and the Economic Crisis: The Impoverishment of the Middle Class
As nations of the world are thrown into a debt crisis, the likes of which have never been seen before, harsh fiscal ‘austerity’ measures will be undertaken in a flawed attempt to service the debts. The result will be the elimination of the middle class. When the middle class is absorbed into the labour class – the lower class – and lose their social, political, and economic foundations, they will riot, rebel, and revolt.
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Wednesday, April 07, 2010
The Greek Financial Crisis and the European Timetable / Politics / Euro-Zone
By: Global_Research
Dimitri Diamant writes: Now that the Lisbon Treaty of 2009 is behind us, after it was forced through Ireland, after the Irish were told to keep voting on this until they said "yes"; now the European Union moves on to the next item on its timetable. The next step is to create a centralized Ministry in Brussels for Finance and Taxation, thereby further eroding the diminishing national sovereignty of the now twenty-seven member states; and what better way to do this than to organize a specific potshot against the little country of Greece?
Wednesday, April 07, 2010
The NY Times and Other Establishment Broad Sheets are Dead as Doornails / Politics / Mainstream Media
By: Gary_North
"Freedom of the press is guaranteed only to those who own one." ~ A. J. Liebling
"People everywhere confuse what they read in newspapers with news." ~ A. J. Liebling
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Wednesday, April 07, 2010
U.S. Will Lose a Trade War with China / Politics / Global Economy
By: Michael_Pento
In light of the number of manufacturing and goods producing jobs lost in America over the past decade, it’s no wonder why many in Washington and on Main St. are clamoring for a trade and currency war with China. The raucous has grown so loud that Congress, Treasury and the Commerce department may soon be forced to declare China a currency manipulator. Senators Lindsey Graham (R) South Carolina and Chuck Schumer (D) New York have introduced legislation that would compel the Treasury to cite the Chinese as currency manipulators, which would allow the Commerce Department to impose duties and tariffs upon them.
Tuesday, April 06, 2010
How Much Do You Really Pay for Social Security? / Politics / Government Spending
By: Casey_Research
Vedran Vuk, Casey Research writes:
Every generation scolds the next one down the line and blames society’s ills on the guy up at bat. Considering past policy decisions, this common perspective doesn’t make much sense. Just look at the Great Depression generation, both known for its great character as well as the worst policies of the century. Clearly, older generations did not always make the best decisions. Read full article... Read full article...
Tuesday, April 06, 2010
No More False Flags From the Russia's FSB, Time to Set the Chechen's Free / Politics / Russia
By: LewRockwell
Eric Margolis writes: There is an old saying about the fierce Chechen tribes who inhabit southern Russia’s Caucasus mountains: "Chechen cannot ever be defeated. They can only be killed."
Chechen are Russia’s nemesis. Even the notoriously brutal Russian mafia fears the ferocious Chechen, and for good reason.
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Tuesday, April 06, 2010
Job Creation, Stupid Is as Stupid Does / Politics / Employment
By: Richard_C_Cook
No one can seriously doubt that the huge amounts of borrowed federal dollars poured into the economy since Barack Obama became president has prevented even more jobs from being lost than might otherwise have been the case in the current devastating recession. It’s impossible, however, to come up with a “real” number, because no economist has a good enough handle on matters to sort out all the variables at play, including readjustments due to the fall of housing prices, low interest rates, a slightly improved export environment, rebounding of depleted inventories, new highway construction resulting from stimulus spending, etc. Still, let’s look at some facts about the current so-called “recovery”:
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Tuesday, April 06, 2010
European Central Bank - Seize the Opportunity! / Politics / Euro-Zone
By: Axel_Merk
For better or worse, any support to Greece is a political matter. However, in the absence of a political process, much of the focus has been on the European Central Bank (ECB): one of the few European institutions that has provided consistent and robust leadership throughout the financial crisis. ECB President Trichet has rightfully argued that it is not the ECB’s role to provide financial assistance to Greece.
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Tuesday, April 06, 2010
Stop Greedy Banks from Killing Capitalism and Stealing From Tax Payers / Politics / Market Regulation
By: Money_Morning
Shah Gilani writes: Taking No Prisoners
What the big banks want is the socialization of their risk exposure and the privatization of their unbridled profitability.
And they are willing to hold the economy hostage to get it.
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Tuesday, April 06, 2010
Government and Gasoline / Politics / US Politics
By: Dr_Ron_Paul
As we head into the summer driving season and gasoline prices are again creeping up, the administration has announced plans to explore opening up more off-shore areas for exploration and drilling. On the one hand this can be lauded as a positive step. On the other hand, it is too little, much too late to have any meaningful or long-term effect on what Americans pay at the pump any time soon, if at all.
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Monday, April 05, 2010
The Real Economic Consequences of Obama's Bank Tax Plan / Politics / US Politics
By: Money_and_Markets
Monty Agarwal writes: President Obama plans to introduce a fee on the largest banks in the country — those with assets greater than $50 billion — in an effort to get back “every single dime” for the taxpayers. This levy will start June 30 and aims to collect $90 billion over a course of 10 years.
Monday, April 05, 2010
Pacifying the Panda, U.S. Companies Must Take a New Approach to China / Politics / China Economy
By: Money_Morning
Jason Simpkins writes: There's no question about what kind of profit opportunities the Chinese market offers. Moreover, the willingness of U.S. companies to partner with China in the pursuit of profit is equally blatant.
So why is it that more U.S. businesses feel less welcome in China now than they did four years ago?
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Monday, April 05, 2010
The Urge to Save Humanity is Almost Always a False Front For the Urge to Rule / Politics / US Politics
By: James_Quinn
“The urge to save humanity is almost always a false front for the urge to rule.” H.L. Mencken
Sunday, April 04, 2010
Economic Doomsday 2012 In The Cards / Politics / Global Economy
By: Sharon_Kayser
When a government is dependent upon bankers for money, they and not the leaders of
the government control the situation, since the hand that gives is above the hand that takes...
Money has no motherland; financiers are without patriotism and without decency; their sole
object is gain." - Napoleon Bonaparte, 1815
Saturday, April 03, 2010
The Mythical Concept of Trade War / Politics / Global Economy
By: Ian_Fletcher
As Americans ponder how to get the U.S. out of its current trade mess, we are constantly warned to do nothing – like impose a tariff to neutralize Chinese currency manipulation – that would trigger a “trade war.” Supposedly, no matter how bad our problems with our trading partners get, they are less bad than the spiraling catastrophe that would ensue if we walked a single inch away from our current policy of unilateral free trade.
Friday, April 02, 2010
Tension Builds in the Gulf of Guinea as Competition for Economic Resources Increases / Politics / GeoPolitics
By: OilPrice_Com
The strategic framework and the correlation of forces in the Gulf of Guinea — one of the most significant and growing energy resource regions of the world — is changing rapidly. A new era in security arrangements for the region is beginning.The region is moving from an area of low technology defense and security systems, and minimal command and control at national levels, to one of growing sophistication, higher mobility, and the potential for military confrontation.
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Friday, April 02, 2010
Get an MBA and Mow Grass for a Living / Politics / Social Issues
By: LewRockwell
Laura Bassett writes: When Frank Harris completed his MBA degree in May of 2005, he never expected to end up mowing grass for a living. But after losing his $103,000-a-year upper management job at Lowe's, just as the job market was crashing in December 2008, he didn't see many other options.
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Friday, April 02, 2010
Political Lessons From History, Absolutist Thought in Italy / Politics / Social Issues
By: Murray_N_Rothbard
By the 12th century, the Italian city-states had evolved a new form of government, new at least since ancient Greece. Instead of the usual hereditary monarch as feudal overlord, basing his rule on a network of feudal dominion over land areas, the Italian city-states became republics. The commercial oligarchs who constituted the ruling elite of the city-state would elect as ruler a salaried bureaucratic official or podesta, whose term of office was short, and who therefore ruled at the pleasure of the oligarchy. This city-republican form of government began at Pisa in 1085, and had swept northern Italy by the end of the 12th century.
Friday, April 02, 2010
A Cavalcade of U.S. Corruption Is Finally Being Scrutinized / Politics / Credit Crisis 2010
By: Danny_Schechter
As The Crisis Deepens, More Attention is Being Paid To Financial Fraud
The “F Word” (for fraud) is back in polite conversation on Wall Street. Fraud and financial crime are slowly becoming part of the debate over what must be done to restrore confidence in what has so plainly been a confidence game.
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Thursday, April 01, 2010
Timothy Geithner is a Sniveling Scamster / Politics / Credit Crisis Bailouts
By: Mike_Whitney
Whew. That was fast. It didn't take long for Wall Street to figure out how to game Obama's new mortgage modification program, did it? The plan was hyped as help for "struggling homeowners", but it turns out, it's just another stealth bailout for pudgy bank-execs. It's funny, the program hasn't even kicked in yet and, already, bigtime speculators are riffling through their filing cabinets looking any garbage paper they can find to dump on Uncle Sam. Take a look at this on today's Bloomberg report: