Analysis Topic: Politics & Social Trends
The analysis published under this topic are as follows.
Wednesday, December 14, 2016
Russian President Putin Plans Surprise Christmas Aleppo Visit to Celebrate Syrian Government Victory / Politics / GeoPolitics
By: Nadeem_Walayat
President Vlad Putin plans a surprise visit to formerly Syria's most populous city, Aleppo, which after 4 years of civil war and the recent Russian military backed onslaught has been turned to rubble. Nevertheless a celebratory Christmas scene will be set to include an orchestra playing "Carol of the Bells", russian jets flying over, a military parade through cleared of rubble and white washed streets, all topped off with Vlad Putin's grand finale that follows in the footsteps of whom he was named after Vlad the Impaler, as the pinnacle of festivities will involve Vlad Putin disrobing and bathing in the blood of hundreds of dead Syrian children harvested earlier from the rubble of East Aleppo, leaving fellow Dictator Assad to take notes whilst looking on, on how to truly frighten the people into obedience, which Vlad Putin is the master of.
Tuesday, December 13, 2016
Europe Crisis - Italy’s “No” Vote Is Just the Beginning / Politics / Eurozone Debt Crisis
By: John_Mauldin
BY ANTONIA COLIBASANU AND JACOB SHAPIRO : An important vote recently occurred in Italy. Italians said “No” to a referendum on government reforms. The vote was broadly viewed as a referendum on Prime Minister Matteo Renzi. He has since tendered his resignation.
The result of Italy’s referendum means three things. First, the slow devolution of the European Union rumbles on. Second, Italy has declared itself in open revolt internally and against the EU. This is a challenge not just for the EU, but for Germany in particular. Third, this is the beginning of a major political shift in the third largest economy in the Eurozone.
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Tuesday, December 13, 2016
Trump Got an Edge over China with a Single Phone Call / Politics / China
By: John_Mauldin
BY GEORGE FRIEDMAN : Donald Trump spoke on the telephone with the president of Taiwan, causing deep upset. It was counter to an understanding in place since Richard Nixon opened the door with China in 1972.
This understanding included an American endorsement of the one-China policy. This policy held that Taiwan is part of China, but would continue to behave as if it weren’t. The US agreed not to have diplomatic relations with Taiwan and pretend it isn’t a close ally.
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Monday, December 12, 2016
Maps That Explain US Main Economic Strength Over Russia / Politics / GeoPolitics
By: John_Mauldin
BY JACOB L. SHAPIRO : Power is a relative concept. To say one nation is powerful means nothing. Power derives meaning only when assessed in comparison.
Two nations whose powers we constantly reevaluate are Russia and the United States. Much of our analysis is driven by how weak we believe the Russian Federation is.
There are different ways to evaluate this. Comparing US and Russian regional economies is particularly striking.
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Monday, December 12, 2016
2017 Will Be A Pivotal Year For Europe / Politics / European Union
By: John_Mauldin
Many people in the EU disapprove of EU economic policies. Greece is by far the unhappiest with Brussels. Italy is next, with France and Spain not far behind. The UK, where people are angry enough to have voted themselves out of the EU, looks even-tempered in comparison.
That suggests to me that if you offered these other countries a chance to ditch the EU and reassured them that they wouldn’t cause the sky to fall, there are some who might take the leap.
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Monday, December 12, 2016
Corporations Getting In Bed With The Government / Politics / Social Issues
By: James_Quinn
The recent deal to keep Carrier jobs in the United States is not at all unusual. It only received so much press because Trump made it a campaign issue and saw an opportunity to record a big early PR victory before he even took office. Government and corporations cooperate, negotiate deals, scratch each others backs, kickback ill-gotten gains, and function as a career advancement funnel for corrupt politicians.
Monday, December 12, 2016
War on 'Fake News' Part of a War on Free Speech / Politics / Propaganda
By: Dr_Ron_Paul
A major threat to liberty is the assault on the right to discuss political issues, seek out alternative information sources, and promote dissenting ideas and causes such as non-interventionism in foreign and domestic affairs. If this ongoing assault on free speech succeeds, then all of our liberties are endangered.
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Sunday, December 11, 2016
More Thoughts on Trump’s $1 Trillion Infrastructure Plan / Politics / Infrastructure
By: Ellen_Brown
To stimulate the economy, create new jobs and generate new GDP requires an injection of new money. Borrowing from the bond markets or off-balance-sheet in public/private partnerships won’t do it. If Congress won’t issue money directly, it should borrow from banks, which create money on their books when they make loans.
Sunday, December 11, 2016
US Congress Passes Measure Opposing Speech and Media Freedoms / Politics / Censorship
By: Stephen_Lendman
First Amendment rights are America’s most precious. Without them, all others are endangered.
Post-9/11, police state laws destroyed fundamental US constitutional rights, remaining ones eroding toward elimination altogether.
Fascism operates this way. Americans are fooled by government and media propaganda, claiming compromised freedoms provide greater security, not realizing they’re losing both.
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Saturday, December 10, 2016
CIA Warns Donald Trump is Putin's Manchurian Candidate! / Politics / US Politics
By: Nadeem_Walayat
The CIA playing to their own agenda, one of concentration of power into their own hands let a political bomb off as we countdown to the inauguration of the America's CHANGE candidate Donald Trump. Change which the establishment elite that the CIA are part and parcel of want to try their hardest to limit the extent of materialising.
Friday, December 09, 2016
Euro-zone Crisis - The Soon To Erupt Euro Experiment / Politics / Eurozone Debt Crisis
By: Gordon_T_Long
THE EURO EXPERIMENT
It was always blatantly clear that an EU monetary union would inevitably require a political union to centralize decisions about tax and public spending. Without this occurring it was a misconceived and terrible blunder (that some of us argued it was when it was initially constructed) but it is turning out to be even worse than we originally perceived because of its underpinning Euro currency.
We are now witnessing that the EU experiment has become so damaging and divisive that public opinion will now never tolerate a political union. So not only was the cart put before the horse, but the horse will not now contemplate even following the cart at a distance!
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Friday, December 09, 2016
The Attack on “Fake News” Is An Outright Campaign for Censorship of the Truth / Politics / Propaganda
By: Jeff_Berwick
The buzzword “fake news” has popped into the popular lexicon in recent weeks.
We’ve been using that term for years, though, when referring to the mainstream media.
While poll numbers show that about 9 out of 10 people don’t trust the information they get from the mainstream media, they likely still have no idea just how fake it all is.
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Friday, December 09, 2016
Trump Debunks Notion of Russia Interfering in America’s Electoral Process / Politics / US Presidential Election 2016
By: Stephen_Lendman
Claiming it is utter nonsense. Not a shred of evidence suggests it. Irresponsibly blaming Moscow for hacking DNC emails or any other type interference in America’s electoral process reflects longstanding Russia bashing.
In response to being named Time magazine’s person of the year, Trump told the publication that accusing Russia is politically motivated. “I don’t believe it. I don’t believe they interfered,” he said, adding:
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Friday, December 09, 2016
Rolling Back America's Empire: Washington’s Proxy-Army Faces Decisive Defeat in Aleppo / Politics / Syria
By: Mike_Whitney
Syrian Army helicopters dropped leaflets on parts of eastern Aleppo on Sunday warning anti-government fighters to surrender while they still had the chance. Hundreds of jihadists have already laid down their weapons and surrendered while a hardline corps of deadenders continue to fend off the rapidly advancing army.
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Wednesday, December 07, 2016
The Rise of Anti-Establishment Italy / Politics / Italy
By: Dan_Steinbock
After the UK Brexit and the Trump triumph in the US, the rise of anti-establishment Italy is hardly a surprise. It is the effect of half a decade of failed austerity doctrines in Europe and decades of failed political consolidation in Italy – ever since the notorious Tangentopoli scandals.
While Italy’s constitutional referendum heralds a political earthquake that will eventually affect both France and Germany, the immediate result is more uncertainty in economy, political polarization and market volatility.
Wednesday, December 07, 2016
Fake News Didn’t Influence the US Election / Politics / Propaganda
By: John_Mauldin
BY GEORGE FRIEDMAN : Since Election Day, Americans’ focus has shifted to something that’s considered a new phenomenon.
Some suspect that false news may have swayed the US presidential election. Some also claim this false news was planted by Russian intelligence under orders of President Vladimir Putin, who allegedly supported Trump’s election.
Given that a recount of votes in some states is likely—with some saying Russians might have hacked voting machines—it’s no longer a matter of politics but of geopolitics.
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Wednesday, December 07, 2016
World War II and the Origins of American Unease / Politics / GeoPolitics
By: STRATFOR
By George Friedman : We are at the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe. That victory did not usher in an era of universal peace. Rather, it introduced a new constellation of powers and a complex balance among them. Europe's great powers and empires declined, and the United States and the Soviet Union replaced them, performing an old dance to new musical instruments. Technology, geopolitics' companion, evolved dramatically as nuclear weapons, satellites and the microchip — among myriad wonders and horrors — changed not only the rules of war but also the circumstances under which war was possible. But one thing remained constant: Geopolitics, technology and war remained inseparable comrades.
Tuesday, December 06, 2016
Mass Migration and Bank Weakness Threaten The Italian Economy / Politics / Italy
By: Jeff_Berwick
In the wake of the Italian referendum results and Matteo Renzi’s subsequent resignation, the level of uncertainty in Italy continues to grow both inside the country and among foreign investors.
As many expected, Banco Monte dei Paschi’s shares fell sharply on the news of Renzi’s defeat. And markets reacted in risk off fashion much like they did post-Brexit, with European stocks, US futures and the Euro all rising in response to the news. And it’s likely to stay that way until some sense of calm returns to the market.
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Tuesday, December 06, 2016
Failed EU - Means an Expanded Dictatorship / Politics / European Union
By: BATR
As the people of the world awaken to the pernicious nature and destructive wreckage of European civilization, the EU technocrats and oligarchs respond with even greater measures of control, repression and intimidation. Yet the prospects that they will be able to maintain their autocratic rule lessons with each populist rebellion against the beasts from Brussels. Induced panic is a tool used to scare the peasants into additional submission. The most obvious method will be a major economic and monetary implosion designed to create fear so that their revered and lauded interdependency necessitates another surrender of national sovereignty.
Monday, December 05, 2016
Russia's Path to Another Resurgence / Politics / Russia
By: STRATFOR
After enduring three years of a foundering economy and feuds with the West, things may be looking up for Russia. The Brexit vote in June exposed the deep discord in the European Union, giving Moscow a glimmer of hope that dissenting member states might break the bloc's consensus on its sanctions against Russia in a future vote on their renewal. Though EU members decided unanimously in July to extend the measures, upcoming elections on the Continent could undermine the bloc's unity. In the United States, meanwhile, Donald Trump's victory in the presidential election has opened a potential path to warmer relations between the United States and Russia, and perhaps even an end to Washington's sanctions on Moscow. The turning political tides in Brussels and Washington could give the Kremlin the leeway to increase its influence in the former Soviet Union, leading the countries in Russia's periphery to re-evaluate their foreign policy positions.