Analysis Topic: Politics & Social Trends
The analysis published under this topic are as follows.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
The Shock Doctrine: Lost in Transition: Slamming the Door on History - Part 4 / Politics / Global Financial System
By: Stephen_Lendman
Before the Berlin Wall fell, Lech Walesa became a labor hero in Poland and the West by defying the Moscow-controlled government and getting away with it. Solidarnosc (Solidarity) spread from its Gdansk roots to the country's mines, shipyards and factories and within a year had 10 million members. They won the right to bargain but wanted more. They aspired to take over the state and institute their own alternative economic and political program. It's radical centerpiece was to transform huge state-run companies into worker-run cooperatives so Solidarity members could be empowered in their own "socialized enterprise."Read full article... Read full article...
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Why Did Israel Attack Syria? / Politics / Middle East
By: John_Mauldin
One of the things I found out in my recent survey of readers is that many of you really like the special Outside the Box I send every now and then from George Friedman and Stratfor. I share your enthusiasm for the really unique world view that George and his team bring to us. This week's special Outside the Box is no exception to the quality and uniqueness of analysis that George brings to us.
I have found it very strange that no government is talking about the air strike that Israel did a few weeks ago into Syria. Why isn't Syria screaming? Israel bragging? Turkey's air space was used. It now seems that there were more than a few planes. Something happened, and as George points out, it is serious. But at what level. This whole thing needs to examined carefully for its implications, but I will let George do that.
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Wednesday, September 26, 2007
The Shock Doctrine: Surviving Democracy - Part 3 / Politics / Global Financial System
By: Stephen_Lendman
Chicago School dogma became known as Thatcherism in Britain, but its prime minister wasn't an early adherent. Margaret Thatcher thought Chilean shock therapy wasn't possible in a democracy like the UK because voters wouldn't buy it. Three years into her first term, her approval rating was lower than George Bush's. She was in danger of not being reelected and didn't dare risk imposing bitter economic medicine that would sink her chances. That is, until destiny intervened on April 2, 1982 when Argentina invaded the British-held Falkland Islands off its coast that was unimportant to either country except for the political hay to gain from war.Read full article... Read full article...
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Iranian President's Visit Uncovers Western Hypocrisy, Prejudice and Hysteria! / Politics / Iran
By: Ian_Brockwell
The visit of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to Columbia University on Monday, where he will give a lecture, has created protests from a wide variety of directions.Read full article... Read full article...
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Chile The First Test - The Bloody Birth of the Counterrevolution - Part 2 / Politics / Global Financial System
By: Stephen_Lendman
Reviewing Naomi Klein's "The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism" - Introduction ,
Part 1 - Two Doctor Shocks - Torture and Chicago School Fundamentalism
Counterrevolution began 34 years ago in Chile on another September 11 that should have been unimaginable and had to seem surreal. There were tanks in the streets and fighter jets attacking government buildings in a scene all too real and deadly. It played out in Santiago and around Chile and was just the beginning of a long nightmare.
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Saturday, September 22, 2007
Two Doctor Shocks - Torture and Chicago School Fundamentalism - Part 1 / Politics / Global Financial System
By: Stephen_Lendman
Reviewing Naomi Klein's "The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism" - IntroductionFollowing a crisis shock, another quickly follows. The corporate piranhas exploit disorientation with economic "shock therapy" along with "police, soldiers and prison interrogators" with torture their method of choice "to build a model country (by) erasing people and then trying to remake them from scratch."
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Friday, September 21, 2007
The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism / Politics / Global Financial System
By: Stephen_Lendman
Reviewing Naomi Klein's "The Shock Doctrine" - Naomi Klein is an award-winning Canadian journalist, author, documentary filmmaker and activist. She writes a regular column for The Nation magazine and London Guardian that's syndicated internationally by the New York Times Syndicate that gives people worldwide access to her work but not its own readers at home.Read full article... Read full article...
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Greenspan Blames Bush for Subprime Credit Crunch / Politics / Credit Crunch
By: Mike_Whitney
Alan Greenspan's appearance on 60 Minutes was preceded with all the pomp and ceremony of a royal wedding. The public relations blitz dragged out for a whole week.
What profound truisms would the elusive former-fed master divulge to the News Magazine's withered-coquette, Leslie Stahl? Would he produce his crystal ball and forecast America's blurry economic future in mangled Fed-speak? Or would he focus on the startling gyrations in the stock market and the “frothy” conditions in the slumping housing market? The suspense was nearly unbearable.
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Monday, September 17, 2007
Who is Putin Rooting for to be the Next Russian President? / Politics / Russia
By: Ian_Brockwell
The recent sacking of the Russian Prime Minister, Mikhail Fradkov, was perhaps less of a surprise than President Putin's choice to replace him. Fradkov was also an unusual selection when he was appointed to the position, and his profile has been so low he was almost invisible.Read full article... Read full article...
Monday, September 17, 2007
Middle East Madness - Occupation of Iraq and Plans to Attack Iran / Politics / Middle East
By: Stephen_Lendman
Administration rhetoric is heated and the dominant media keep trumpeting it. It signals war with Iran of the "shock and awe" kind - intensive, massive and maybe with nuclear weapons. Plans are one thing, action another, and how things play out, in fact, won't be known until the fullness of time that may not be long in coming. For now, waiting and guessing games continue, and one surmise is as good as another. The more threatening they are, the less likely they'll happen, or at least it can be hoped that's so.Read full article... Read full article...
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Greenspan : Iraq War Was for Oil - The Age of Turbulence / Politics / US Politics
By: John_York
Former Fed Chairman, Alan Greenspan states that the Iraq War was for primarily for Oil.
You may ask why is Greenspan now some 4 years after the invasion of Iraq making such statements ?
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Saturday, September 15, 2007
Harakiri - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Resignation / Politics / Japan Economy
By: Yiannis_G_Mostrous
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe finally resigned, apparently unable to withstand the pressure from the anti-reform factions of his party. It looks like he walked into the trap after promoting a lot of anti-reform party members to key positions in the cabinet in the last government reshuffling.Read full article... Read full article...
Friday, September 14, 2007
USAF Stand Down on September 14 and a “Broken Arrow” Missing Nuclear Warhead? / Politics / Iran
By: Ian_Brockwell
Although there is very little news available from the mainstream media concerning the stand down by the USAF this Friday, some areas of the internet are positively buzzing about the decision and the possibility of a “Broken Arrow”
For those of you who saw the 1996 film (or are not familiar with the term already), a “Broken Arrow” refers to a missing nuclear device.
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Friday, September 14, 2007
War on Terror, Iraq, Psychology and Time / Politics / Iraq War
By: John_Mauldin
This week in a Special Outside the Box, George Friedman of Stratfor reflects upon September 11th, a monumental date in our country's history. George strives to discern the current and future ramifications of US military presence in the Orient, posits what - if any - reasoning stands to support and drive Osama Bin Laden's underlying motives and actions, and the impact the tragic event and our response have upon the American psyche.Read full article... Read full article...
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Iraq Troop Surge and US-Iran Policy Dynamics / Politics / Iran
By: Noam_Chomskey
In crude and brutal societies, the Party Line is publicly proclaimed, and it must be obeyed, or else. What you believe is your own business, of lesser concern. In societies where the state has lost the capacity to control by force, the Party Line is not proclaimed. Rather, it is presupposed, and then vigorous debate is encouraged within the limits imposed by unstated doctrinal orthodoxy.Read full article... Read full article...
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
New Osama bin Laden Video – Is this a joke? / Politics / Middle East
By: Ian_Brockwell
It has been claimed that this is the first appearance of Osama bin Laden (in a new video) since 2004, although his voice has apparently been heard on a tape more recently. As most will clearly see at a glance, his beard shows no sign of grey hairs anymore (the result of dye we are told), and seems to be more curly/bushy than before. There are of course other facial differences, like the position of his ears, mouth and eyebrows, and if I am not mistaken, his nose looks like it belongs to a boxer who has been on the receiving end of far too many punches! Talking of boxers, can anyone else see a resemblance to Rocky Balboa?Read full article... Read full article...
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Sept 11th Video Address - Bin Laden's Final Call To Islam / Politics / Middle East
By: Emil_Bailey
The anniversary address of Osama bin Laden to mark the attacks of September 11th should be raising alarm bells; however, the Department of Homeland Security is not issuing any new warnings, and instead seems focused on ramping up security for airliners as if to prevent the attack of six years ago. Read full article... Read full article...
Sunday, September 09, 2007
Macro Musings: The Dogs of War / Politics / Russia
By: Justice_Litle
Invisible transfers and long distance calls Hollow laughter in marble halls Steps have been taken, a silent uproar Has unleashed the dogs of war... -- Pink Floyd, Dogs of WarRead full article... Read full article...
Saturday, September 08, 2007
Painful 9/11 Truth / Politics / US Politics
By: Joel_S_Hirschhorn
Many technical analyses cast doubt on the official explanation of the collapse of three World Trade Center buildings, including those presented by an impressive new group: Architects and Engineers for 9/11 Truth. More difficult than discovering the truth, however, is convincing most of the public to accept the bitter truth.Read full article... Read full article...
Monday, September 03, 2007
CIA Faked Photos Helped Lead US to Invade Iraq / Politics / Iraq War
By: Walter_Brasch
Add faked photos to the list of lies told by the Bush–Cheney Administration before its invasion of Iraq.
In a town hall meeting in Bloomsburg, Pa., this week, Rep. Paul Kanjorski, a 12-term congressman, said that shortly before Congress was scheduled to vote on authorizing military force against Iraq, top officials of the CIA showed select members of Congress three photographs it alleged were Iraqi Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), better known as drones. Kanjorski said he was told that the drones were capable of carrying nuclear, biological, or chemical agents, and could strike 1,000 miles inland of east coast or west coast cities.