Analysis Topic: Politics & Social Trends
The analysis published under this topic are as follows.
Monday, April 04, 2016
Vietnam War at 50: Have We Learned Nothing? / Politics / US Politics
By: Dr_Ron_Paul
Last week Defense Secretary Ashton Carter laid a wreath at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington in commemoration of the "50th anniversary" of that war. The date is confusing, as the war started earlier and ended far later than 1966. But the Vietnam War at 50 commemoration presents a good opportunity to reflect on the war and whether we have learned anything from it.
Some 60,000 Americans were killed fighting in that war more than 8,000 miles away. More than a million Vietnamese military and civilians also lost their lives. The US government did not accept that it had pursued a bad policy in Vietnam until the bitter end. But in the end the war was lost and we went home, leaving the destruction of the war behind. For the many who survived on both sides, the war would continue to haunt them.
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Sunday, April 03, 2016
Will North Korea and Cuba Ever Be Wealthy? / Politics / Social Issues
By: MISES
Ryan W. McMaken writes: After years of claiming to embrace revolutionary Marxism, the Cuban state is, for reasons of necessity and pragmatism, moving toward becoming a more traditional authoritarian state. Even once Raul and Fidel Castro are dead, it's rather unlikely that the Cuban government will suddenly turn to a political system that leans heavily in favor of relatively free markets. As has been the case with China, the ruling class of Cuba will find ways to perpetuate itself and maintain political control while keeping for itself a substantial amount of the wealth produced by the labors of the common people. It will likely loosen up on its control of the economy because it recognizes that more-free economies are more productive than less-free economies. But, don't look for Cuba to become a haven for entrepreneurship any time soon.
Sunday, April 03, 2016
Tollerance, Intollerance And Liberty / Politics / Social Issues
By: Raymond_Matison
Americans have a well-earned reputation for being tolerant. This tolerance goes back to before the very foundation of our country. The original immigrants to Britain’s American Colony often were people escaping some form of oppression in Europe, and thus were quite cognizant and very sensitive to its practice. Landing in America, these early immigrants quickly became tolerant of each other and learned not to be oppressive to others themselves.
Thursday, March 31, 2016
NYT Ignores Greatest Nuclear Threat / Politics / Nuclear Weapons
By: Stephen_Lendman
The hugely destructive power of nuclear weapons can end life on earth.
NYT editors want them kept from “terrorists,” ignoring state terrorists, especially America and Israel, an alliance posing the greatest of all threats.
An earlier article discussed the devastating effects of a thermonuclear attack on New York - likely if America launches nuclear war on Russia, an unthinkable real possibility.
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Tuesday, March 29, 2016
A European PATRIOT Act Will Not Keep People Safe / Politics / War on Terror
By: Dr_Ron_Paul
It was not long after last week's horrifying bombings in Brussels that the so-called security experts were out warning that Europeans must give up more of their liberty so government can keep them secure from terrorism. I guess people are not supposed to notice that every terrorist attack represents a major government failure and that rewarding failure with more of the same policies only invites more failure.
I am sure a frightened population will find government promises of perfect security attractive and may be willing to allow more surveillance of their personal lives. They should pause a little beforehand and consider what their governments have done so far to keep them "safe."
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Monday, March 28, 2016
Fresh Water Supply - The Greatest Climate Change Issue / Politics / Water Sector
By: Richard_Mills
Serbian astrophysicist Milutin Milankovitch is best known for developing one of the most significant theories relating to Earths motions and long term climate change.
Milankovitch developed a mathematical theory of climate change based on the seasonal and latitudinal variations in the solar radiation received by the Earth from our Sun - it was the first truly plausible theory for how minor shifts of sunlight could make the entire planet's temperature swing back and forth from cold to warm.
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Sunday, March 27, 2016
The European Union Is Not a Security Union / Politics / European Union
By: STRATFOR
In the wake of any shocking event, national governments and officials of the European Union invariably call for more cooperation between member states to prevent anything similar happening in the future. The response to the March 22 terrorist attacks in Brussels has been no different.
Following the attacks, the governments of Germany, Italy, France and members of the European Commission demanded a global response to the terrorist threat. The commission's president, Jean-Claude Juncker, even proposed the creation of a "security union" to combat terrorism at the continental level. In a March 24 meeting, ministers at the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council highlighted the need to share information among member states to fight terrorism. But despite the calls for greater cooperation among EU members, the national interests of individual member states will prevail in the long run, limiting the possibility of integration within the bloc on security issues.
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Sunday, March 27, 2016
Making Higher Education Affordable and Accessible to Millions Globally -The New Strategies / Politics / Educating Children
By: Dr_R_M_Mathew
Higher Education, especially Universities, is heading towards a crisis of identity and relevance. For many, universities are just an extension of high or higher secondary schools and hence brought under ‘tertiary’ education. However, till recently, universities were unquestionable and sacramentally holy institutions charged with higher learning. Read full article... Read full article...
Sunday, March 27, 2016
Palmyra, West More Concerned with Rubble in the Desert than Syrian 'Human' Lives, Assad Propaganda / Politics / Syria
By: Nadeem_Walayat
I am increasingly finding the mainstream press reporting on the Syria conflict as completely ridiculous, akin to something out of a third world dictatorships propaganda war. This is most clearly illustrated by the barrage of stories over the past week concerning the Assad regime fighting to save Syria's Palmyra site, which is falling straight into the Assad's monstrous regimes propaganda to appease the sheeple of the west, who apparently forgotten about thousands of barrel bombs and Russian cluster bombs dropped on civilian areas.
Thursday, March 24, 2016
Brussels Terror Attacks, Death of the European Union, BrExit Wake up Call / Politics / European Union
By: Nadeem_Walayat
The Syrian civil war is coming home to roost to a fatally flawed European Union for the fundamental fact every EU nations borders begin with the borderline third world state of Greece, which along with the rest of eastern europe should never have been allowed to join the European Union as this weeks Brussels terror attacks just represent the tip of the ice-berg of full spectrum instability that is the European Union.
Tuesday, March 22, 2016
Brussels Attacks Tear at the Fabric of the European Union / Politics / European Union
By: STRATFOR
The March 22 terrorist attacks in Brussels come as the European Union is still reeling from the November Paris attacks and scrambling to solve the migrant crisis. More important, they come as nationalist forces are challenging key principles of the Continental bloc, including the free movement of labor and the Schengen Agreement, which eliminated border controls among several member states. The atmosphere of fear and suspicion that is sure to follow will only worsen these social, political and economic crises.
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Monday, March 21, 2016
Budget 2016: Borrowing, Lifetime ISA, House Prices, Economy, Syria, Brexit and Stocks / Politics / UK Tax & Budget
By: Nadeem_Walayat
Budget 2016 and its aftermath has given a window into the politics of the Conservative Party as Britain counts down to the EU Referendum (June 23rd). The plan was supposed to be for George Osborne to play ultra safe in the run up to the vote, but he appears to have been well and truly duped by Ian Duncan Smith (IDS), Britain's welfare minister who apparently whilst in agreement with the proposed benefits cuts before the budget speech that includes £1billion of cuts for the disabled. Instead now, suddenly after 6 years in the job of delivering benefits cuts he apparently has developed a conscious and decided to resign as he cannot go along with the latest series of cuts.
Sunday, March 20, 2016
Even As Russians Withdraw, Their Legacy in Syria Remains / Politics / Russia
By: STRATFOR
As the departure of Russian forces from Syria announced March 14 continues, evidence of construction at Russia's main air base in the country demonstrates Moscow’s intention to maintain a military presence there. Imagery dated March 17 acquired by Stratfor of the Bassel al Assad air base in Latakia province and the naval base at Tartus highlights the ongoing Russian drawdown of its forces in Syria that Moscow contends will be largely completed by March 20.
Sunday, March 20, 2016
Erdogan Repudiates Democracy, Freedom and Rule of Law / Politics / Turkey
By: Stephen_Lendman
Tyrants operate their own way, eliminating whatever interferes with their iron-fisted rule - Erdogan one of the region’s worst, a tinpot despot in a part of the world ruled by dictators.
Anyone supporting freedom fighting Kurds he calls “terrorists” are considered enemies of the state, subject to prosecution, imprisonment or assassination.
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Saturday, March 19, 2016
Delivering Quality Education for All Under the Threats of Islamic Terrorism, Refugee Crisis and Budget Cuts / Politics / Educating Children
By: Dr_R_M_Mathew
New Roles of UNESCO, Internet, Google and FacebookThe humanity is heading towards the unprecedented growth of ignorance and denial of education to millions of children all over the world, including those of the Islamic Terror-ridden Syria, Iraq, Libya, Nigeria and several other African countries. Islamic Terrorism has emerged as the darkest force to deny knowledge and education to its targeted victims, including girls, for, it fears Knowledge, Skills, Education and above all 'Women Empowerment' as the stumbling blocks for establishing its Caliphate or Islamic Republic.
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Saturday, March 19, 2016
Syria's Civil War 5 Years On Explained - 450k DEAD! EU Failure Prompting UK BrExit / Politics / Syria
By: Nadeem_Walayat
This week marks the fifth anniversary of Syria's civil war, that started with Arab spring inspired protests in the city of Derra, that within months engulfed the whole nations and which to date has seen over 450k people killed and 4 million externally displaced as pawns in the games of dictators such as Assad, Putin and Erdoğan of Turkey who today succeeded in black mailing europe into giving access to 80 million Turks for Syrian refugees, and then there is the shame of the whole of eastern europe who having flooded the west with 15 million economic migrants in return closed their borders to refuge seeking syrian refugees.
Wednesday, March 16, 2016
George Osborne's EU Referendum Bribes Budget 2016 Full Text / Politics / UK Tax & Budget
By: Submissions
George Osborne full budget statement: Mr Deputy Speaker, Today I report on an economy set to grow faster than any other major advanced economy in the world. I report on a labour market delivering the highest employment in our history. And I report on a deficit down by two thirds, falling each year and – I can confirm today – on course for a budget surplus. The British economy is stronger because we confronted our country’s problems and took the difficult decisions.
The British economy is growing because we didn’t seek short term fixes but pursued a long term economic plan. The British economy is resilient because whatever the challenge, however strong the headwinds, we have held to the course we set out.
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Wednesday, March 16, 2016
Corporatists Mobilize to Prevent TPP Opposition / Politics / TPP
By: BATR
No better example on how the actually world operates can be found than the Corporatist argument that all the opposition to TPP is just wrong. Really ??? Understand that the record of trade agreements have been greatly beneficial to Transnational Corporations. So it is natural that enterprises that seek to crush competition, favor the term FREE, when in reality the practice of conducting commerce on highly structured agreements, eliminates upstarts and squeeze out weak rivals. TPP has finally taken off the mask for all to see.
Monday, March 14, 2016
Climate Change Deniers, Loretta Lynch, and the Government War on Free Speech / Politics / US Politics
By: Dr_Ron_Paul
During her appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee last week, Attorney General Loretta Lynch admitted that she asked the FBI to examine whether the federal government should take legal action against so-called climate change deniers. Attorney General Lynch is not responding to any criminal acts committed by climate change skeptics. Instead, she is responding to requests from those frustrated that dissenters from the alleged climate change consensuses have successfully blocked attempts to create new government programs to fight climate change.
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Wednesday, March 09, 2016
Humans Are Hard-Wired to Value Some People over Others / Politics / Social Issues
By: MISES
Andrew Syrios writes: One of the most persistent — and fallacious — argument against the libertarian or laissez-faire position is that libertarianism is an “atomistic” and “selfish” philosophy that denies the obvious truth that human beings are a “social species” who long for a strong sense of community.