Analysis Topic: Politics & Social Trends
The analysis published under this topic are as follows.
Friday, November 04, 2016
This US Election is a Chance for the Republicans to Build a New Coalition / Politics / US Politics
By: John_Mauldin
BY GEORGE FRIEDMAN : The election is far from over, and given the pattern of this election, nothing can be taken for granted. So while (at the moment) Hillary Clinton appears to be winning, less than two weeks remain.
I generally focus on the broad geopolitical forces that shape and reshape the world. But, there are two reasons to be interested in this US election.
First, shifts in the behavior of the US affect geopolitics globally. Second, this election has revealed some profound changes in the underlying dynamics of American politics.
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Friday, November 04, 2016
Russia–US Tensions Likely to Rise in 2017 / Politics / GeoPolitics
By: John_Mauldin
There will be increased tensions between Russia and the US in the near future. That is the opinion of Jacob Shapiro, director of analysis for Geopolitical Futures. He argues that a Clinton win means the relationship between the US and Russia is going to worsen.
In an interview with Mauldin Economics, Shapiro begins by calling the Clinton campaign email leaks a “political sideshow.” He does not think it is a big deal, even if it was done by Russian hackers.
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Friday, November 04, 2016
Very Tough Session for Wall Street / Politics / Stock Markets 2016
By: Harry_Boxer
The stock market indices had a tough session again. The day started out on the downside, they formed some morning consolidation bear wedges, dropped late morning, and continued down for the rest of the session, finishing near the lows for the day going away.
Net on the day, the Dow was down 28.97 at 17,930.67. The S&P 500 was down 9.28 at 2088.66. The Nasdaq 100 was down another 47.80.10 at 4679.10.
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Friday, November 04, 2016
American Civil War II - Fourth Turning Intensifying (Part I) / Politics / US Politics
By: James_Quinn
"History offers even more sobering warnings: Armed confrontation usually occurs around the climax of Crisis. If there is confrontation, it is likely to lead to war. This could be any kind of war - class war, sectional war, war against global anarchists or terrorists, or superpower war. If there is war, it is likely to culminate in total war, fought until the losing side has been rendered nil - its will broken, territory taken, and leaders captured." - The Fourth Turning - Strauss & Howe -1997
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Friday, November 04, 2016
Establishment Judges, Bankers Attempt to Subvert Brexit Will of the People Risking Civil War! / Politics / BrExit
By: Nadeem_Walayat
In craftily worded judgment the establishment elite comprising city bankers, business owners and elite judges have attempted to subvert the will of the British people who voted to LEAVE the European Union in their first real opportunity to vote against the establishment elite who have tended to play pass the parcel amongst themselves at each general election for at least the past 40 years!
Friday, November 04, 2016
The Office of the President of the United States / Politics / US Politics
By: Raul_I_Meijer
Amidst the epic flood of political statements and media commentary that keeps on rolling in and on, there’s something that doesn’t seem to occur to most people, and it should. That is, the unfortunate but apparently inevitable discussion about all the unfortunate and/or illegal things that either candidate may or may not have done, must be seen in the light of the capacity in which -perceived- errors or even crimes are committed. It is essential to this issue.
Wednesday, November 02, 2016
The Demise of the U.S. Middle Class / Politics / Social Issues
By: Harry_Dent
Our middle class has been shrinking substantially since the 1960s and ’70s. Today, their share of wealth is the lowest in the world at a mere 19.6%!But what exactly is to blame for the demise of the middle class?
Could it be the outsourcing of manufacturing jobs to China and other Asian countries?
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Wednesday, November 02, 2016
Regardless of Who Wins the US Election, Confidence in Washington DC Is ALREADY Shattered / Politics / US Politics
By: MoneyMetals
It just doesn't matter much whether Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump wins the election, at least in terms of gold and silver market fundamentals. That said, the contest itself is signaling something important precious metals investors should be watching intently.
This campaign is dragging whatever prestige is still associated with the Office of President into the mud. Few voters on either side bother to spend much time arguing the greatness of their candidate. When both Trump and Clinton carry more baggage than American Airlines, it's easier to focus on their opponent's shortcomings.
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Tuesday, November 01, 2016
The Fight Against The North American Union And Globalism Is In Standing Rock / Politics / US Politics
By: Jeff_Berwick
If you are one of the few people left watching the mainstream media, you’d think that the only thing currently going on has to do with Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton.
There is much more going on than that, however. Aside from the ongoing military tensions with Russia and the faltering economy, there is a stand-off currently happening that is barely being reported on in the mainstream.
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Monday, October 31, 2016
Blame Government, Not Markets for Monopoly / Politics / Government Intervention
By: Dr_Ron_Paul
When Time-Warner announced it planned to merge with another major communications firm, many feared the new company would exercise near-total monopoly power. These concerns led some to call for government action to block the merger in order to protect both Time-Warner's competitors and consumers.
No, I am not talking about Time-Warner's recent announced plan to merge with AT&T, but the reaction to Time-Warner's merger with (then) Internet giant AOL in 2000. Far from creating an untouchable leviathan crushing all competitors, the AOL-Time-Warner merger fell apart in under a decade.
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Monday, October 31, 2016
Divergent Themes in Late 2016 / Politics / GeoPolitics
By: Andy_Sutton
Despite the arrogance, hubris, and lying (obviously – its election season!), we have never seen a cycle that has be more absent in terms of policy details worthy of analysis. Outrageous claims about job creation, making America strong, and so forth are issued, but there is no substance. We have tried on numerous occasions to find enough specifics to even perform cursory analysis and it is just not there. It is very reminiscent of Nancy Pelosi telling America in 2010 that if they wanted to read the healthcare bill they had to pass it first. This is what passes for economic jurisprudence in the Republic the founders gave us all those years ago.
Saturday, October 29, 2016
Washington Prepares For EMP While Internet Under Attack Since Transfer to the UN / Politics / Internet
By: Jeff_Berwick
Remember how we pondered whether the internet would be shut off (or highly censored) upon being transferred to the UN on October 1st? Just a few weeks later, large swathes of the internet went down. Coincidence or trial run?
We’ll get into that below.
Beforehand, however, there have been a number of new “Executive Orders” straight from the e-pen of Barack O’Bomber in the last few months of a “very strange” variety.
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Thursday, October 27, 2016
Obamacare Is Draining Our Financial Reserves / Politics / Healthcare Sector
By: John_Mauldin
Barack Obama will stop being president on January 20. He will leave behind the signature accomplishment of his eight years in office: Obamacare. Some see it is a disaster, and others see it as a triumph. But I think everybody agrees that there needs to be changes.
Yes, millions more people now have access to health insurance. That’s a very good thing—but access to health insurance is not the same as access to healthcare. And access to healthcare is not the same as access to affordable healthcare.
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Thursday, October 27, 2016
The US Is an Island of Stability in a Destabilizing World / Politics / GeoPolitics
By: John_Mauldin
Yet more proof that the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. Despite Americans’ pessimism, world-famous strategic analyst George Friedman thinks that the US is in pretty good shape while “the entire Eurasian landmass is in a state of failure.”
Wednesday, October 26, 2016
The US Sent a Warning Message to Putin / Politics / GeoPolitics
By: John_Mauldin
BY JACOB L. SHAPIRO : US Vice President Joe Biden went on NBC’s “Meet the Press” recently and said the US was sending a message to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Biden’s words come after the US released a statement that it was “confident that the Russian Government directed the recent compromises of e-mails from US persons and institutions, including from US political organizations.”
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Monday, October 24, 2016
The US Is NOT a Low-Tax Jurisdiction / Politics / Taxes
By: John_Mauldin
BY JARED DILLIAN : Trump has been running his mouth about how the US is one of the highest-taxed countries in the world. This really makes the journalists upset. They say that it’s false. Every time he says this, they have a conniption.
How can it be true? How can we have higher taxes than Sweden—where taxes are so high that everything is free, there are ponies everywhere, and everyone is happy?
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Monday, October 24, 2016
Obama's Pivot to Asia Hits a Roadblock in the Philippines / Politics / GeoPolitics
By: Dr_Ron_Paul
While the mainstream media continues its obsessive reporting on the mud-slinging campaign for the White House, a dramatic development in China last week brought President Obama's "pivot to Asia" to a sudden halt. Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte, while in Beijing, announced his country's "separation" from the United States. He told his Chinese audience, "Your honors, in this venue, I announce my separation from the United States ... both in military, but also economics."
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Monday, October 24, 2016
Ungovernability / Politics / Social Issues
By: Raul_I_Meijer
Over the summer I introduced a two-fold assertion: 1) global economic growth is over (and has been for years and won’t come back for many more years) and 2) the end of growth marks the end of all centralization, including globalization. You can read all about these themes in “Globalization Is Dead, But The Idea Is Not” and “Why There is Trump” There are also extensive quotes of the second essay in wicked former UK MI6 spymaster Alastair Crooke’s “‘End of Growth’ Sparks Wide Discontent”.
When I say ‘the end of growth’, I don’t mean that in a Limits to Growth kind of way, or peak oil or things like that. Not because I seek to invalidate such things, but because I mean economics, finance only. Our economies simply ceased growing, and quite a few years ago. The only reason that is not, and very widely, recognized is the $21 trillion and change that central banks have conjured up ostensibly to kickstart a recovery that always remains just around the corner.
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Monday, October 17, 2016
Iceland Today, the US Tomorrow? / Politics / US Politics
By: Dr_Ron_Paul
During the 2008 economic crisis, Iceland's government froze offshore accounts held by foreign investors in that country's currency, the krona. Recently, the government of Iceland announced it would unfreeze the accounts if the account holders paid a voluntary "departure tax," which could be as high as 58 percent. Investors who choose not to pay the departure tax would have their investment "segregated" into special funds that only invest in CDs issued by Iceland's central bank. These CDs are expected to only provide a rate of return of at most 0.5 percent a year. So investors in offshore accounts can thus choose between having their money directly seized via the departure tax or indirectly seized via the inflation tax.
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Monday, October 17, 2016
From Piety to Pride to Pity, America's Racial Divide / Politics / Social Issues
By: Stephen_Merrill
As a boy growing up in northern Iowa in the early 60’s, I truly sympathized with the plight of Negro people in the United States. As an altar boy, I knew from Catholic teachings that all men are created equal.
The violence of white racism in other parts of the nation was plain for Americans to see on their home television screens. The injustice of Jim Crow laws was disturbing and outrageous. The brave nonviolent marches of the time seeking racial justice were inspiring to me. I was appalled and angered by the murder of three civil rights workers in Mississippi and then by the assassination of Martin Luther King.