Analysis Topic: Politics & Social Trends
The analysis published under this topic are as follows.
Saturday, May 30, 2015
Pivot Insanity Risking Nuclear War - Why is Obama Goading China? / Politics / GeoPolitics
By: Mike_Whitney
US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter is willing to risk a war with China in order to defend “freedom of navigation” in the South China Sea. Speaking in Honolulu, Hawaii on Wednesday, Carter issued his “most forceful” warning yet, demanding “an immediate and lasting halt to land reclamation” by China in the disputed Spratly Islands.
Carter said: “There should be no mistake: The United States will fly, sail, and operate wherever international law allows, as we do all around the world.” He also added that the United States intended to remain “the principal security power in the Asia-Pacific for decades to come.”
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Friday, May 29, 2015
How Rich Countries Get Rich - Freedom, Global Poverty, and the Failure of Foreign Aid / Politics / Social Issues
By: MISES
Andrew Syrios writes: Andrew Syrios writes: ity to refer to Honduras as a “modern day libertarian dystopia.” As the author states, “Eliminate all taxes, privatize everything, load a country up with guns and oppose all public expenditures, you end up with Honduras.” A country where “the police ride around in pickup trucks with machine guns, but they aren’t there to protect most people. ... For individual protection there’s an army of private, armed security guards.”
Thursday, May 28, 2015
George Soros Warns of “Third World War” / Politics / GeoPolitics
By: GoldCore
- War “inevitable” if U.S. meddles in South China Sea – Global Times
- Senior NATO official warns that “we’ll probably be at war this summer”
- Soros warns of ‘New World Order’ and war with China
- Soros warns could be “on the threshold of a Third World War”
- Many countries in Pacific lay claim to strategically important and mineral rich islands
- Tensions between U.S. and China and Russia escalating
- War would have many facets including cyber-warfare and currency wars
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
Adjustable Government Economic Data - What is Residual Seasonality? / Politics / Propaganda
By: Michael_Pento
At the beginning of every quarter Wall Street places its overly optimistic GDP forecasts on parade. And by the end of the quarter, those same carnival barkers line up a myriad of excuses as to why the numbers fell short. Port strikes, a stronger dollar and snowier winters (caused by global warming?) are among their current favorites.
But the anemic data in the first quarter of 2015, followed by the not so much better data in the first month and a half of Q2, has rattled the optimism of not only the usual Wall Street cheerleaders, but even many at the Federal Reserve.
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Tuesday, May 26, 2015
The Bait-and-Switch Behind Economic Populism / Politics / Economic Theory
By: MISES
Nicolás Cachanosky writes: Argentina will hold elections this year, and a number of provinces will be electing governors. Buenos Aires, the capital city, is holding elections for mayor, and Mauricio Macri, who is stepping down as mayor, is a favorite to become the next president. Toward the end of the year, a presidential election will be held and Cristina Kirchner, after two consecutive mandates, will have to step down because she cannot be re-elected.
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
A Geopolitical Net Assessment of Europe / Politics / European Union
By: STRATFOR
Last week I began this series with a Net Assessment of the World, in which I focused on the growing destabilization of the Eurasian land mass. This week I continue the series, which will ultimately analyze each region in detail, with an analysis of Europe. I start here, rather than in the Middle East, because while the increasing successes of the Islamic State are significant, the region itself is secondary to Europe in the broader perspective. The Middle East matters, but Europe is as economically productive as the United States and, for the past 500 years, has been the force that has reshaped the world. The Middle East matters a great deal; European crises can destabilize the world. What happens between Greece and Germany, for example, can have consequences in multiple directions. Therefore, since we have to start somewhere, let me start with Europe.
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
U.S. Congressional Sellout on TPP Fast Track / Politics / US Politics
By: BATR
There is a simple reason why the Congress is held is such ill repute. Leadership in both parties are total agents for the Plutocrats that have systematically destroyed our economy with their globalist corporatist model that results in national impoverishment. The only startling pattern to this bipartisan betrayal is that the public continues to accept their excruciating fraud with only a whimper of discontent. BATR has covered the TPP Fast Track issue intensively. The most consistent observation is that the public, in this sinking economy, has ignored the impact that will accelerate, as the leaks from this secretive agreement become known.
Monday, May 25, 2015
What Memorial Day Do You Honor? / Politics / US Politics
By: BATR
Many accounts will praise the sacrifices and deeds of those who fought in the American wars. Some versions will emotionally express their thanks and respect, while others will list their heroic actions. There is another viewpoint that seldom gets the attention that it deserves. Simply put, what is the true reason that all this blood was shed and the meaning of continued torment that follows, when the guns are silenced? Some will say, we just need to revere those who served. Others may dare to ask, why and what for?
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Sunday, May 24, 2015
Rethinking Edward Snowden: Unwitting Enabler of the Corporate-Libertarian-Technocratic State? / Politics / US Politics
By: Michael_T_Bucci
Simply, I think the conundrum of enigmatic Edward Snowden is beginning to offer glimpses that somewhat validate an early and tentative hypothesis of mine. I supported his actions and even called him another "Paul Revere" (of sorts), a "hero"; but I also suspected his political philosophy would shape an outcome altogether undemocratic and oligarchic. Having voted for an unidentified 3rd party candidate in 2008; Ron Paul in 2012; and is now supporting Rand Paul, Snowden is promoting capitalistic/libertarian movements. Such movements, often wrapped in the flag of the "Republic", singing anthems to "Liberty" and demonizing central government, are enterprises - including those created around Snowden (e.g., Glenn Greenwald) - that exploit anti-government sentiments while whitewashing, even omitting the dangers neoliberalism poses; denouncing government surveillance but silent about the corporate side of the totalitarian state.
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Saturday, May 23, 2015
Is Greece Still A Country If Someone Else Owns Its Assets? / Politics / Eurozone Debt Crisis
By: John_Rubino
This story isn’t actually about Greece, but it begins there.
After the country went functionally bankrupt a few years ago, the solutions proposed by its creditors (mostly European banks and governments) included the impoverishment of its current citizens through cutbacks in wages and pensions, the impoverishment of its future citizens through the borrowing of even more money from the IMF and European Central Bank, and the sale of major state-owned assets to foreign companies to raise cash with which to make upcoming loan payments.
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Friday, May 22, 2015
Time To Get Real About China / Politics / China
By: Raul_I_Meijer
The present Chinese leadership appears to be trying to gain (regain?) more -if not full- control over the country’s economic system, while at the same time (re-)boosting the growth it has lost in recent years.
President Xi Jinping, prime minister Li Keqiang and all of their subservient leaders – there are 1000′s of those in a 1.4 million citizens country- apparently think this can be done. Yours truly doubts it.
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Friday, May 22, 2015
The Great Un-Participation / Politics / Social Issues
By: Dr_Jeff_Lewis
“If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking.” ―George S. Patton, Jr.
“Without any censorship, in the West, fashionable trends of thought and ideas are carefully separated from those which are not fashionable; nothing is forbidden, but what is not fashionable will hardly ever find its way into periodicals or books or be heard in colleges. Legally, your researchers are free, but they are conditioned by the fashion of the day.”
―Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
Friday, May 22, 2015
UK Immigration Crisis Could Prompt BREXIT, Propelling Britain Out of EU Despite German Factor / Politics / Immigration
By: Nadeem_Walayat
The latest immigration statistics once more bring home the stark reality that the UK has no control over its borders, where rather than annual net immigration in the tens of thousands as David Cameron promised at the start of his 2010 Premiership, instead it has once more soared by 50% to 318,000 for 2014, which makes a mockery of every promise and pledge that the Conservatives have made for the past 5 years of not just controlling immigration but on public services and housing, for none of the promises will be fulfilled if the nations population is being artificially inflated by over 300,000 per year which is in addition to the 250,000 natural growth (births-deaths).
Thursday, May 21, 2015
America Superpower 2016 / Politics / US Military
By: John_Mauldin
Ian Bremmer’s new book on the future of the US and geopolitics, Superpower, just hit the streets yesterday, and it’s already creating quite a buzz. It draws on Bremmer’s remarkable understanding of politics, America, and the world. I first ran into Ian at a conference about four years ago, where he was the after-dinner keynote speaker. It was one of those dinners where I had to go (I had spoken earlier), and I confess I had no knowledge of Ian other than his official bio. A professor of geopolitics. From New Yawk. So this Texas boy settled in while Ian walked on stage … and in three seconds I realized that this was an uber-nerd. Total geek. Seriously, when Hollywood wants to type cast a brilliant super-nerd, they should use Ian as the model. He hit all my stereotype buttons, and I of all people should know better.
Thursday, May 21, 2015
The Russia-West Rivalry in the Balkans / Politics / GeoPolitics
By: STRATFOR
Russia, Turkey and the West all share one rival in the Balkans: political instability. Located at the confluence of three historic empires, the strip of land between the Mediterranean and the Black Sea has long been the focus of competition among global powers. Now it is just one arena in the standoff between Russia and the West. Yet, with both sides attempting to buy influence with investments and energy projects, and with Turkey struggling to keep pace, internal political challenges threaten to undermine outside efforts to develop and shape the region. As major powers use their financial and political clout to gain influence in the Balkans, weak local governments will continue to balance among competing nations.
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Countdown to Global Financial Collapse / Politics / Credit Crisis 2015
By: Submissions
Raymond Matison writes: It is a well established practice of market and economic observers to either predict the direction of a company, financial market or the economy, or the expected timing of an event –but not both. The reason for this is that past experience has made such prognosticators humble in attempting to predict both. However, since many experienced observers have already predicted a continued decline in our economy, the likely collapse of our currency and banking system, and a consequent global depression, what remains is only to answer the question of timing. No longer are we required to forecast both events; we can now concentrate on predicting just the timing of this event. Famous economists and market commentators have valuable reputations to shield, and so they are not likely to forecast the window in time when the likely rapid collapse is to begin. This can only be risked by others.
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Greece Debt Crisis - Obama Has A Big Fat Greek Finger / Politics / Eurozone Debt Crisis
By: Raul_I_Meijer
Will this Greek stuff ever stop? Probably, but don’t hold your breath. I was reading up on China, but that will have to wait till tomorrow. A friend just sent me a Sputnik story -they’re a Russian news channel, so they can’t be trusted, right?!- that adds more juice to the Syriza vs troika tale. And whaddaya know, the king of Greece leaks, Paul Mason at Channel 4, is involved once again.
Let’s do Mason first. He’s in Athens and, wait for it, he scored another leak. But not a direct leak to Mason; this one concerns a European Commission document leaked to Greek newspaper To Vima. There are some useful numbers here. Mason:
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Tuesday, May 19, 2015
The Patriot Act is now USA Freedom Act / Politics / Intelligence Agencies
By: BATR
How many times has the mainstream media mentioned the USA Freedom Act? Well, if you did hear of this legislation, you must have been watching C-SPAN or a foreign press channel. Read a report from NPR, that government funded broadcast, which never fails to present a known editorial viewpoint.
Monday, May 18, 2015
The IMF Leaks Greece, Institutions Forcing a Debt Default / Politics / Eurozone Debt Crisis
By: Raul_I_Meijer
Whenever secret or confidential information or documents are leaked to the press, the first question should always be who leaked it and why. That’s often more important than the contents of what has been leaked. And since there’s been a lot of hullabaloo about a leaked document the past two days, here’s a closer look. Spoiler alert: the document(s) don’t reveal much of anything new, despite the hullabaloo.
Monday, May 18, 2015
New U.S. Military Spending Bill Expands American Empire But Forbids Debate on War / Politics / US Military
By: Dr_Ron_Paul
On Friday the House passed a massive National Defense Authorization for 2016 that will guarantee US involvement in more wars and overseas interventions for years to come. The Republican majority resorted to trickery to evade the meager spending limitations imposed by the 2011 budget control act - limitations that did not, as often reported, cut military spending but only slowed its growth.
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