Analysis Topic: Politics & Social Trends
The analysis published under this topic are as follows.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Fortress Iran is Virtually Impregnable to a Successful Invasion / Politics / Iran
By: John_Mauldin
For nearly 30 years, long before it was a charter member of the "Axis of Evil," Iran and the US have been locked in a hate-hate relationship. Walk down the street any Friday afternoon, and you're as likely to hear "Death to America!" as "Hi Ali, how are you?" Three decades of animosity, an externally opaque society, and no trade relations between the two countries mean that many of us have just the barest understanding of what's really going on over there. But whether it's a negotiated settlement with the US over Iraq, or a war-risk premium for crude oil, to threats and counter threats with Israel and the US, Iran's decisions have enormous impact on the global economic system. All of the sudden, the picture of the "mad mullahs" you get from the papers seems expensively inadequate. Read full article... Read full article...
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
GP Annual Reviews to Weed Out Incompetent Doctors / Politics / NHS
By: Nadeem_Walayat
The government announced today an initiative that would remove licenses from incompetent GP's. In recognition of the size of the problem of incompetent doctors practicing in GP surgeries across Britain which has lead to a loss of confidence by patients in the rigid NHS GP system that treats patients virtually as ATM cards to swipe in and out of surgeries has resulted in hundreds of thousands of patients abandoning the NHS in favour of private competent diagnoses services such as those offered by BUPA. Many more patients have given up altogether on visiting their GP's after being repeatedly met by literally worthless shoulder shrug diagnoses. Read full article... Read full article...
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Fanatical Greens Seeking to Ban Convenient Plastic Shopping Bags / Politics / Climate Change
By: Gerard_Jackson
Now that it looks as if governments will succeed in banning plastic shopping bags it becomes necessary to determine how such a great boon to consumers has been successfully demonised by fanatical greens and dense journalists. In Australia green charge was led by the Victorian Labor Government, the workers' best friend. Despite the fact that it was clear from the outset that the ALP's policy would strike hardest at those on low incomes the State Liberal Party couldn't find a reason to condemn the policy.Read full article... Read full article...
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Russia 's Medvedev Makes Bold Proposal for a New Security Agenda / Politics / New World Order
By: F_William_Engdahl
Perhaps the most unsettling aspect of the current US Presidential campaign, aside from the studied avoidance of any serious proposals to address the worst economic depression since the 1930's, is the fact that both major party candidates, Barack Obama and John McCain, have to date been stone silent on the most pressing issue of future war or peace, namely the steps taken by the Bush-Cheney Administration to encircle Russia with a new Iron Curtain of NATO member states, including strenuous efforts to push Ukraine and Georgia into NATO, and to establish an advanced nuclear missile defense system which, from a standpoint of military strategy, far from defense, puts the world on a hair-trigger to nuclear holocaust in the few years ahead. Read full article... Read full article...
Monday, July 21, 2008
Barack Obama's Road to Ruin Economic Policies / Politics / US Politics
By: Gerard_Jackson
In order to deal with Obama's economic illiteracy we need to grasp some fundamental economic theory. Let's begin with Obama's ridiculous belief that increasing government expenditure and taxation can stimulate growth. First and foremost, economic growth is a process of capital accumulation. It is this process that raises real wage rates and thus living standards.
Now Keynes gave us Y=C+I+G (this is for a closed economy). It can be seen from this statement that if investment falls national income can still continue to rise so long as aggregate spending rises. This leads to the absurd conclusion that a 100 per cent profits tax would have no effect on GDP so long as it was offset by an increase in one or both remaining variables.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
John McCain is Too Old and Brain-dead / Politics / US Politics
By: Joel_S_Hirschhorn
In the over half a century that I have been politically engaged I have never seen such an unqualified presidential candidate as John McCain. There are tens of millions of Americans in their seventies and beyond that have been smart enough to become technology literate, but not McCain, who is unable to even use the Internet. The man has a medical history that makes Dick Cheney look like the picture of great health.Read full article... Read full article...
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Obama's Shangri-la Promises Worse than McCain / Politics / US Politics
By: Mike_Whitney
Every four years, liberals and progressives are expected to set aside their beliefs and stand foursquare behind the Democratic Party candidate. This ritual is invariably performed in the name of party unity. It doesn't matter if the candidate is a smooth-talking politician who's willing to toss his Pastor of 20 years overboard for a few awkward comments, or whether he refuses to defend basic civil liberties like the 4th amendment's right to privacy. All that matters is that there's a big "D" following his name and that he shows he's willing to engage in some meaningless verbal jousting with his Republican opponent.Read full article... Read full article...
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
President Bush Has been a Disaster for the US Economy / Politics / US Politics
By: Walter_Brasch
George W. Bush looked into the TV camera, Tuesday morning [July 15] and tried to assuage the fears of about 300 million Americans who believed they were in the middle of a Recession. “The economy is growing,” said the President. “Productivity is high,” he told us. “Trade's up. People are working,” he said. In the Bush White House, the “R Word” is just a myth. Of course, the man who once wanted to be known as the Compassionate Conservative did say he knew “It's been a difficult time for many American families.”
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Monday, July 14, 2008
The McCain Tax Reform Plan For Long Term Economic Growth? / Politics / US Politics
By: Steve_Selengut
The writing is on the wall (street, that is), and it is telling us that we need to reaffirm the United States as the dominant force in the global economy, and that we have to do more to protect our citizens' retirement and investment programs.Most economic research suggests that tax code replacement surgery is essential for long-term economic progress. The goal of my plan is to make sure that you are not grumbling ten years from now about the same things that trouble you today. Here's a fifteen-point plan to end the cycles of economic frustration and global disrespect during this administration:
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Saturday, July 12, 2008
McCain's Nomination at Risk as Republicans Start to Panic / Politics / US Politics
By: Stephen_Lendman
Party conventions are less than two months off, and already rumors are circulating. When the Democrats hold theirs from August 25 - 28, Obama is the virtually sure nominee. According to some, however, things aren't settled for Republicans a week later. Presumptive nominee John McCain may not be as certain as most people think, and why so should be asked. For one thing, he trails in the polls (including in key battleground states like Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania) but not enough to be worrisome (in most of them), and the latest June Reuters/Zogby one is typical. It shows Obama ahead by about five points, and in recent months he's been up by from 6 to 10 and in one poll down six to McCain.
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Thursday, July 10, 2008
Global Geopolitics: Saudi Arabian Petrodollars Driving Containment of Iran / Politics / Emerging Markets
By: John_Mauldin
As we begin the new quarter, now is an excellent time to take stock of your basic investment thesis. Ask yourself if your allocations still reflect what you think the world is going to look like over the next several months. And as part of that process, I'm here to tell you that making "financial" decisions based solely on "financial" inputs grossly oversimplifies the way the world really works. As I've said before, investing in debt, equity, or commodity markets without geopolitical intelligence is like trading juice futures without getting a weather forecast. You can do it, but good luck to you. Read full article... Read full article...
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Road Car Tax Hikes- Gordon Browns Next Tax U-Turn? / Politics / Taxes
By: Nadeem_Walayat
Gordon Brown's Labour government looks set to march towards another humiliating tax u-turn as the proposed changes to the Road Tax to make it 'Greener', that will result in 9 million motorists paying more tax, totaling over £1 billion, many of those that will be hit the hardest are the poorest motorists that could see tax hikes of more than 50%. This is contrary to Gordon Browns statement made at the House of Commons that the majority of car drivers would benefit from the changes. Whilst it is estimated that less than 19% will actually pay less tax.Read full article... Read full article...
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
Investor Politics - Corporate Income Tax Reform / Politics / US Politics
By: Steve_Selengut
The investor's eye view of politics is a simplistic, practical, dot-connecting approach to sorting things out so that win/win change can be considered. Real world politics is not concerned with such things, and that is one of the most serious problems facing investors today. There are at least ten issues that require government action if we are to maintain our competitive position in the world economy. Most of these are interrelated and need to be acted upon simultaneously--- thus causing a major political dilemma.Read full article... Read full article...
Sunday, July 06, 2008
Is Barack Obama Patriotic? Is Any Politician? / Politics / US Politics
By: Walter_Brasch
Barack Obama spent the Fourth of July in Montana. A Red State. A state that few think he can win. A state that gave huge margins to George Bush the past two elections.Read full article... Read full article...
Saturday, July 05, 2008
NHS 60 Today! Reform or Die? / Politics / NHS
By: N_Walayat
The NHS celebrates its 60th birthday today. The government has been marking the landmark event through a string of announcements of initiatives aimed at bringing the ageing and bureaucratic institution into the 21st century.
Following New Labour's 1997 victory the cry went out for more spending on the NHS in real-terms. i.e. above the rate of inflation as the NHS had been under funded for the duration of the preceding Conservative government. Labour more than fulfilled this election pledge by delivering a whopping £300 billion (est.) of extra real terms spending, as an example of the magnitude of the increase, £300 billion is more than the amount the government has earned from North Sea Oil and Gas since 1997 and has resulted in the NHS expansion from approx 4.8% of the UK's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to 8% of GDP and is destined to continue to grow under New Labour towards a target of 11% of GDP by 2020.
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Thursday, July 03, 2008
Putting the 'Independence' Back in Independence Day / Politics / US Politics
By: Michael_S_Berliner
Jefferson and Washington fought a war for the principle of independence , meaning the moral right of an individual to live his own life as he sees fit.
America's cities and towns will soon fill with parades, fireworks, and barbecues in celebration of the Fourth of July, the 232nd birthday of America. But one hopes that the speeches will contain fewer bromides and more attention to exactly what is being celebrated. The Fourth of July is Independence Day, but America's leaders and intellectuals have been trying to move us further and further away from the meaning of Independence Day, away from the philosophy that created this country.
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Wednesday, July 02, 2008
The Presidential Election and What the Gold Price is Saying? / Politics / US Politics
By: David_Vaughn
Who is Going to be the Next President of the United States ?
Beats me. But I do know that both runners up, Republican and Democrat scare the fool out of me. Bring back the good old days. Reagan was a good president, a motivator and an excellent orator. Clinton was always entertaining. You woke up in the morning just to see what mischief he had gotten into the day before. Actually, I believe its going to be fun watching both Obama and McCain duke it out against one another. And whoever wins will still bring a witches brew of political excitement.
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Monday, June 30, 2008
Personal Freedoms and the Internet / Politics / US Politics
By: Dr_Ron_Paul
The most basic principle to being a free American is the notion that we as individuals are responsible for our own lives and decisions. We do not have the right to rob our neighbors to make up for our mistakes, neither does our neighbor have any right to tell us how to live, so long as we aren't infringing on their rights. Freedom to make bad decisions is inherent in the freedom to make good ones. If we are only free to make good decisions, we are not really free.Read full article... Read full article...
Sunday, June 29, 2008
The End of the Anglo-American Empire? / Politics / US Interest Rates
By: Richard_C_Cook
Much of the world's history over the last century has been dominated by the United States. But by the turn of the millennium in 2000-2001, the “American Century” had begun to descend into a chamber of horrors.
The years since then have been marked by the huge financial bubbles engineered by the U.S. Federal Reserve System and the virus of predatory global capitalism. We have the looming worldwide economic crisis with rising bankruptcies, credit disruptions, and soaring fuel and food prices. Alongside has been the thinly-disguised but continuing attempt by the U.S. to conquer the Middle East by force of arms under the heading of the “War on Terror.”
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Friday, June 27, 2008
Financial Markets Intelligence Report / Politics / Emerging Markets
By: John_Mauldin
This week I want to share with you one of the more important tools in my arsenal for keeping up with what is going on in the world. As I've told you before, George Friedman and his team at Stratfor are my go-to guys for geopolitical intelligence. Their insights into this facet of the world are simply without peer. Now I want you to see their Intelligence Guidance which they publish each Friday for the upcoming week; last week's edition is below. Read full article... Read full article...