Analysis Topic: Politics & Social Trends
The analysis published under this topic are as follows.Sunday, July 05, 2015
United States Celebrates the Disastrous Secession From Great Britain / Politics / US Politics
Remnant Review
Lots of people celebrate July 4. I do not.
The Declaration of Independence justified armed secession. It was signed by a handful of lawyers on July 4, 1776. Secession was a way of transferring a great deal of power to colonial legislatures, where most of these lawyers were members. It was a way of replacing governors appointed by the King with governors elected by men of the colonies.
Read full article... Read full article...
Sunday, July 05, 2015
Why is Turkey Taking in so Many Syrian refugees? / Politics / Turkey
The UN can´t stop praising the Turkish government for hosting around 2 million Syrians. The Turks have indeed been generous, more than any other country in the region. Actually, too generous. Why is Ankara so keen to help the Syrians fleeing into Turkey?
This “generosity” is actually not that generous. The Turkish government has strong reasons to want the Syrians in.
Read full article... Read full article...
Sunday, July 05, 2015
A Serious Case of Déjà vu / Politics / Credit Crisis 2015
Everyone is going to have to cut me a little slack on the eve of the celebration of American independence. No, this isn’t about that video that came out a few days ago that demonstrated exactly how ignorant Americans are about the significance of tomorrow or how the accomplishment that day has been eroded over the past 2+ centuries by those eager to ‘re-create’ America in their own twisted image. This one is a companion piece to a series of ‘Two Cents’ articles that have been released over the past few years relating to the bail-in. I know, I know. He’s at it again. The Pessimist of Pennsylvania is going to go on another rant about those rotten banks and how they’re conspiring to rip everyone off.
Read full article... Read full article...
Saturday, July 04, 2015
Will Greece Commit Suicide? Syriza Propaganda and Greek Mass Delusion / Politics / Eurozone Debt Crisis
The countdown to Sunday's Greek gobbledygook question Referendum that few understand is resulting in ever increasing intensity of propaganda that flows from the game playing marxist Syria government that long since left reality behind as the lies of what the crisis is all about keep compounding so as to convince an increasingly delusional Greek electorate that they are the victims of an evil Troika when the truth is the exact opposite. Firstly, the Greek crisis is NOT about debt! For if it were then Greece would have gone bankrupt 5 years ago!
Read full article... Read full article...
Friday, July 03, 2015
The Troika Turns Europe Into A Warzone / Politics / Eurozone Debt Crisis
So now they do it. Now the IMF comes out with a report that says Greece needs hefty debt restructuring.
Mind you, their numbers are still way off the mark, in the end it’s going to be easily double what they claim. Not even a Yanis Varoufakis haircut will do the trick.
Read full article... Read full article...
Friday, July 03, 2015
Xi’s Anti-Corruption Campaign Is Key to China’s Prospects / Politics / China
George Magnus is one of the most influential economists in the world today. From his position as chief economist at UBS for a number of years, he enjoyed a front-row seat to growth miracles, credit booms, and financial crises in major economies around the world and is widely credited with identifying the trigger points that eventually led to the global financial crisis in 2008.
Today, he works as an associate at Oxford University’s China Center, a senior economic adviser at UBS, and an independent economic consultant to governments and private investors who can afford his limited time.
Read full article... Read full article...
Friday, July 03, 2015
Greece Bank Run - “It Could Never Happen Here” / Politics / Credit Crisis 2015
By Jared Dillian
I was watching the 6 o’clock news and saw images of closed banks in Greece and people lined up at ATMs. I’m sure you did, too.
This must seem surreal to most people because it seems so remote. But put yourself in these people’s shoes for a second. You have money in the bank. Suddenly you can’t get to it. After standing in long lines, you can only get 60 euros at a time, which isn’t going to last you very long.
Read full article... Read full article...
Friday, July 03, 2015
It Takes A Village - Avoid Hungry Dragons! / Politics / Social Issues
This is a short story. It has a purpose. Bear with me.
A long time ago and far, far away there was a village that was occasionally raided by outlaws who took food, jewels, and women. The villagers were understandably angry but could do little to protect themselves.
One day a large and fearsome dragon landed in the village square. After negotiating with the Mayor, the dragon agreed to protect the village in return for food.
Read full article... Read full article...
Thursday, July 02, 2015
Varoufakis´ Game Theory Mistake, and Why he was Wrong / Politics / Eurozone Debt Crisis
The Greek finance minister is supposed to be a master in the Game Theory. But like all other theories, the Game Theory is based on assumptions. And Varoufakis got his assumptions wrong. In this short article we explain why.
The whole Greek strategy has been based on the assumption that “if we default, Europe is screwed”. Is it? No.
Read full article... Read full article...
Thursday, July 02, 2015
Greece's Varoufakis: I will Resign if there's a 'Yes' Vote / Politics / Eurozone Debt Crisis
Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis told Bloomberg Television's Guy Johnson that he'll quit if Greece votes to accept creditors' bailout proposals in Sunday's referendum.
Johnson directly asked him "If there's a yes vote come Monday night, you will not be Finance Minister" and Varaufakis responded: "I will not."
Varoufakis also said that he would "prefer to cut my arm off" than sign a deal that fails to restructure Greece's debt.
Read full article... Read full article...
Thursday, July 02, 2015
The Power of Ideas for the Fiat Age / Politics / Fiat Currency
In every aspect of daily life people are searching for the best arguments; where to buy the cheapest and best quality washing powder, or internet provider, or car insurance or gym membership or whatever. The list of possibilities is infinite. People also like to acquire the best arguments, covet them and use them for personal gain, mostly without the consent of the owner. This is merely human nature, as the desire for intelligence sets us apart from the animals. If you don't believe me just consider the billions spent worldwide by intelligence agencies of various countries to obtain the arguments that others do not have.
Read full article... Read full article...
Thursday, July 02, 2015
Greece's Referendum / Politics / Eurozone Debt Crisis
This coming Sunday Greece will hold its referendum. The question to be asked is not, as the foreign press initially reported it, about leaving the euro. It is about accepting or rejecting the troika's bail-out terms.
Read full article... Read full article...
Thursday, July 02, 2015
Greek Marxists vs. the IMF / Politics / Eurozone Debt Crisis
With the failure of the Greek government to make a scheduled payment to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), we have moved from high drama to low farce. The Marxists who are running the show in Athens have scored a first: Greece is the first so-called advanced economy to miss an IMF payment in the Fund's 71-year history.
Read full article... Read full article...
Thursday, July 02, 2015
The Greek Stress Test & The Reality Of Incremental Changes / Politics / Eurozone Debt Crisis
With the Greek banks closing, capital controls being imposed, and the unwillingness of the European Central Bank to expand its emergency liquidity assistance program - the stability of the global financial system is officially in play. Nothing is set in stone yet, but a looming Greek default and potential economic catastrophe in Greece is setting elements into motion on a global basis that have the ability to impact many things.
Read full article... Read full article...
Wednesday, July 01, 2015
Greek Referendum on IMF Ultimatum / Politics / Eurozone Debt Crisis
This is a test. Will the internationalist banksters force extraction of their ill-gotten interest payments to bail out their reckless derivative trades gone wrong, or will a sovereign country abandon the chains of financial elite coercion and renounce their IMF and ECB debt? Make no mistake about it, Greece has lived high on the hog for decades and has serious internal problems. There is no free ride. However, the pain from the coming default is necessary to shed the yoke of a failed European Union construct.
Read full article... Read full article...
Wednesday, July 01, 2015
Definitive Solution to the Greek Crisis / Politics / Eurozone Debt Crisis
Atlantic Perspective writes: Most of the commentary on the Greek situation has focused on whether Greece should leave or stay in the Eurozone, and the dire consequences for Greece and the world´s financial markets should Greece default.
But has anyone come up with a credible solution? We believe we have one.
Before laying down the proposal, we need to check a few critical facts:
Read full article... Read full article...
Wednesday, July 01, 2015
Europe’s Controlled Demolition / Politics / Euro-Zone
I have plenty to say on the topic of this essay. But the most important thing I think is that I know the EU is blowing up itself by trying to exert far too much influence on the very member nations that made its existence possible. Brussels is a blind city. To see it blowing itself to smithereens makes me very happy.
The flipside is that it will take a lot of pain, and probably even the very wars the EU was originally founded to prevent, to figuratively burn it to the ground. But that, if you’ll alow me, is for another day:
Read full article... Read full article...
Wednesday, July 01, 2015
Athens Mayor: Greek Government Should Resign / Politics / Eurozone Debt Crisis
Athens Mayor George Kaminis spoke with Bloomberg Television's Erik Schatzker who is reporting from Athens. He discussed the Greek debt crisis and the likelihood of the country staying in the euro zone.
On the Greek government, Mayor Kaminis said: "I think they should resign...The government, if it loses this vote -- that means it has lost the confidence of the people, and I think they will understand it. So I think that the more natural development will be to have elections, general elections."
Read full article... Read full article...
Tuesday, June 30, 2015
Beyond the Greek Impasse / Politics / Eurozone Debt Crisis
George Friedman writes: The Greek situation — having perhaps outlived the term "crisis," now that it has taken so long to unfold — appears to have finally reached its terminal point. This is, of course, an illusion: It has been at its terminal point for a long time.
The terminal point is the juncture where neither the Greeks nor the Germans can make any more concessions. In Greece itself, the terminal point is long past. Unemployment is at 26 percent, and more than 50 percent of youths under 25 are unemployed. Slashed wages, particularly in the state sector, affecting professions including physicians and engineers, have led to massive underemployment. Meanwhile, most new economic activity is occurring in the untaxable illegal markets. The Greeks owe money to EU institutions and the International Monetary Fund, all of which acquired bad Greek debts from banks that initially lent funds to Greece in order to stabilize its banking sector. No one ever really thought the Greeks could pay back these loans.
Read full article... Read full article...
Monday, June 29, 2015
Obamacare's Best Allies: The Courts and the Republicans / Politics / US Politics
By ruling for the government in the case of King v. Burwell, the Supreme Court once again tied itself into rhetorical and logical knots to defend Obamacare. In King, the court disregarded Obamacare's clear language regarding eligibility for federal health care subsides, on the grounds that enforcing the statute as written would cause havoc in the marketplace. The court found that Congress could not have intended this result and that the court needed to uphold Congress's mythical intention and ignore Obamacare's actual language.
Read full article... Read full article...