Analysis Topic: Politics & Social Trends
The analysis published under this topic are as follows.
Tuesday, December 09, 2014
U.S. CIA Torture Report Released - Full 525 Pages / Politics / Intelligence Agencies
By: Submissions
In our system, no one should be above the law or beyond the law’s reach, no matter how senior the official. The record has long been clear that the Bush administration’s torture program was devised at the highest levels, with the involvement of the White House, the Department of Justice, the CIA, and the Department of Defense. The record now also shows that the architects and perpetrators of torture misled the public, Congress, and other institutions charged with oversight of government agencies about the scope and extent of torture, the significance of various prisoners, the concreteness of various alleged plots, and the significance of information obtained through torture.
Tuesday, December 09, 2014
The Collapse of US Middle Class Wealth, Consumed by the Gods of Finance / Politics / Social Issues
By: Jesse
"As flies to wanton boys are we to the gods.
They kill us for their sport." - William Shakespeare, King Lear
Let's file this under 'why aren't people buying things and saving more?'
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Tuesday, December 09, 2014
Unemployment in America: Another Fabricated Jobs Report / Politics / Unemployment
By: Paul_Craig_Roberts
Friday’s payroll jobs report is another government fairy tale or, to avoid polite euphemisms, another packet of lies just like the House of Representatives Resolution against Russia and every other statement that comes out of Washington.
Washington is averse to truth. Washington can only lie.
First let’s pretend that the 321,000 new jobs that the government claims the economy created in November are true, and let’s see where these jobs are.
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Tuesday, December 09, 2014
U.S. Declaring War on Russia? / Politics / US Politics
By: Michael_S_Rozeff
Michael S. Rozeff writes: The U.S. government is a bastion of reckless behavior, constantly and continually. The extent of damage inflicted upon the American people by U.S. governments is huge and incalculable. The latest addition to its record of recklessness is H.R. 758. This resolution passed the House with 95 percent of the House voting “yea”. The vote was 411 to 10 with 13 not voting.
The text of H.R. 758, passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on Dec. 4, 2014, is here. This resolution is directed against Russia. All quotes below are from H.R. 758.
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Tuesday, December 09, 2014
Seeking the Future of Europe in the Ancient Hanseatic League / Politics / European Union
By: STRATFOR
Mark Fleming-Williams writes: A bargain, forged in the fires of 2012's economic emergency, has defined the European Union for the past two years. It was an agreement made between two sides that can be defined in several terms — the center and the periphery, the north and the south, the producers and the consumers — but essentially one side, led by Germany, provided finance, while the other, fronted by Spain, Portugal, Ireland and Greece, promised change. In order to gauge this arrangement's chances of ultimately succeeding, it is important to understand what Germany was hoping to achieve with its conditional financing. The answer to that question lies in Germany's own history.
Monday, December 08, 2014
The Immigration=Identity Crisis Of France, UK And USA / Politics / Immigration
By: Andrew_McKillop
Raw Deal for Mohamed
The BBC Parliamentary TV channel, December 4, broadcast a panel discussion from the northern city of Doncaster with an all-English panel of MPs and ministers. The Labour party, Lib Dems and Tory party faithfuls congratulated themselves on keeping Scotland "a part of our country" before being asked by a member of the audience if they knew that "Mohamed", spelled various ways is supposedly now the most popular name in England (if not the UK) for newborn males? In fact that shock factoid came from a 'selective' survey done by the not-so-reliable but very true blue 'Daily Mail' newspaper. The real ranking, the panel was told, is about 15th., but nver mind, it was the cue for the panel to wheel out the Official List of reasons why every male child in England could be "christened" with the name "Mohamed". As long as they pay taxes, they could go on to become great statesmen like Barack "Hussein" Obama and do wonderful things for their nation like enrol in the British Army for a war in Iraq or Afghanistan – against plenty of "Mohameds" and "Husseins" we can note!
Monday, December 08, 2014
Market Regulation is Newspeak / Politics / Market Regulation
By: Dr_Jeff_Lewis
new•speak
ˈn(y)o͞oˌspēk/
noun
1. Ambiguous euphemistic language used chiefly in political propaganda.
“Don't you see that the whole aim of Newspeak is to narrow the range of thought? In the end we shall make thought-crime literally impossible, because there will be no words in which to express it. Every concept that can ever be needed will be expressed by exactly one word, with its meaning rigidly defined and all its subsidiary meanings rubbed out and forgotten. . . . The process will still be continuing long after you and I are dead. Every year fewer and fewer words; and the range of consciousness always a little smaller. Even now, of course, there's no reason or excuse for committing thought-crime. It's merely a question of self-discipline, reality-control. But in the end there won't be any need even for that. . . . Has it ever occurred to you, Winston, that by the year 2050, at the very latest, not a single human being will be alive who could understand such a conversation as we are having now?” ― George Orwell, 1984
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Monday, December 08, 2014
Euroland on the Brink of Reason / Politics / Euro-Zone
By: Submissions
Tom Naysburn writes: Lets be under no illusions, Quantitative Easing QE is monetisation of sovereign government deficits, lets be even clearer, QE is government printing potentially limitless amounts of paper money to pay for its own hubris, incompetence and overspending. History tells us it always starts small and controllable but quickly as the drug takes hold, diversions and side shows are created to allow its continued consumption, welcome to our brave new world where everything you thought was untrue or impossible is now possible and very real. Maybe QE is the government and bankers financial Soma.
At this fork in the road, one path requires the Euro to face its problems, either form a fiscal union or disband the currency, the second path is potholed with denial, QE and the inevitable destructive forces it unleashes.
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Monday, December 08, 2014
U.S. House Chooses New Cold War With Russia / Politics / New Cold War
By: Dr_Ron_Paul
Last week the US House voted overwhelmingly in favor of an anti-Russia resolution so full of war propaganda that it rivals the rhetoric from chilliest era of the Cold War. Ironically, much of the bill condemns Russia for doing exactly what the US government has been doing for years in Syria and Ukraine!
For example, one of the reasons to condemn Russia in the resolution is the claim that Russia is imposing economic sanctions on Ukraine. But how many rounds of sanctions has US government imposed on Russia for much of the past year? I guess sanctions are only bad when used by countries Washington doesn't like.
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Sunday, December 07, 2014
Putin Gobsmacks Obama and Euro-Leaders with Surprise Natural Gas Deal / Politics / GeoPolitics
By: Mike_Whitney
On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin clinched a groundbreaking deal with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan that will strengthen economic ties between the two nations and make Turkey the major hub for Russian gas in the region. Under the terms of the agreement, Russia will pump additional natural gas to locations in central Turkey and to a “hub at the Turkish-Greek border” which will eventually provide Putin with backdoor access to the lucrative EU market, although Turkey will serve as the critical intermediary. The move creates a de facto Russo-Turkey alliance that could shift the regional balance of power decisively in Moscow’s favor, thus creating another formidable hurtle for Washington’s “pivot to Asia” strategy. While the media is characterizing the change in plans (Putin has abandoned the South Stream pipeline project that would have transported gas to southern Europe) as a “diplomatic defeat” for Russia, the opposite appears to be the case. Putin has once again outmaneuvered the US on both the energy and geopolitical fronts adding to his long list of policy triumphs. Here’s a brief summary from Andrew Korybko at Sputnik News:
Sunday, December 07, 2014
Russia Has Western Enemies, Not Partners / Politics / New Cold War
By: Paul_Craig_Roberts
The US House of Representatives has joined Hillary Clinton, Obama, the neoconservatives, Washington’s vassals, and the American and European presstitutes in demonizing Russia and President Putin. The House resolution against Russia is a packet of lies, but that did not stop the resolution from passing by a vote of 411 for and 10 against.
The entire world should take note that the American people are capable of electing only ten intelligent representatives. Ten people out of 435 is 2 percent. And yet Washington declares itself to be the “exceptional,” “indispensable” country empowered to exercise hegemony over the world!
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Sunday, December 07, 2014
Dangerous Slope – Anti-Russian Propaganda At Record Heights / Politics / GeoPolitics
By: Andrew_McKillop
The Wounded Russian Bear
Russians themselves are not particularly fascinated by bears, and like Americans feature eagles in their animal iconology – but for western pap-news journalists and broadcasters bears always figure in the output of their anti-Russian propaganda cottage industry. But not polar bears, of course.
Friday, December 05, 2014
Deck the Malls - It' Christmas! / Politics / Social Issues
By: Anonymous
It’s now been about a week after Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday.
During the four-day spree, about 133.7 million shoppers spent about $50.9 billion, according to AP and TIME magazine.
The psychological necessity to push, shove, and trample strangers while fighting for the right to purchase overpriced merchandize made in China has just begun. Thanksgiving—a day when Americans give thanks the Native Americans didn’t have immigration quotas—begins a 30-day frenzy to buy whatever corporate America is selling. It’s an American tradition to give presents to relatives, friends, business associates, and mistresses, all of whom will also give you presents, which will be opened, sometimes enjoyed, and often returned within a week for something better.
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Friday, December 05, 2014
The UK Smoke And Mirrors Economic Miracle / Politics / UK Economy
By: Andrew_McKillop
Abenomics Comes (Back) to Britain
We can easily argue that the UK has outdone Japan in financializing and destroying its economy using “pure Keynesian logic”. Its degutted empty-shell economy is fated to grow debt faster than the UK's real economy, and then implode - well suited to its pseudo multicultural, pseudo meritocratic society. Keynes, who was English, bisexual and a paid-in member of its degenerate elite said that central bank QE and debt growth are a lovely idea, but expecting the real economy to react and respond only to money printing and a debt binge is like a man who wants to become fat thinking the best way is to buy a large sized belt for his trousers! Fatuous hope is all.
Friday, December 05, 2014
U.S. Police Badge a License To Kill / Politics / Social Issues
By: Paul_Craig_Roberts
Another goon thug gratuitous murderer has been let off by a grand jury and a prosecutor. Read the condolences offered by NY mayor Bill de Blasio, officer Pantaleo and the Obama Puppet. They are so sorry about the collateral damage of protecting the public from criminals and terrorists. But our society would collapse if people are allowed to sell on the street untaxed individual cigarettes out of a pack. Without the death of innocents, none of us would be safe. Our safety depended on the NYPD murder of Eric Garner, a father of six who was a threat to no one.
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Friday, December 05, 2014
Yet Another Washington “Watchdog” Is Nothing But a Beltway Pussycat / Politics / Market Regulation
By: Money_Morning
Shah Gilani writes: In Monday’s Wall Street Insights & Indictments column “What Happens When There’s Nowhere Left to Run,” I detailed the dangers posed by the scary move the U.S. Treasury bond market made back on Oct. 15.
My cautionary tale was totally justified.
Indeed, in yesterday’s Wall Street Journal, the lead article in the Global Finance portion of the “Money & Investing” section was “Watchdog Warns of Risk in Markets.”
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Thursday, December 04, 2014
Europe: When the Unthinkable Becomes Possible / Politics / European Union
By: STRATFOR
Europe's economic crisis is slowly but steadily eroding the political systems of many countries on the Continent. New actors are emerging and threatening the supremacy of the traditional players. Alliances and events that seemed impossible only a few years ago are now being openly discussed across Europe. On Dec. 3, for example, Sweden announced it would hold early elections, partially because of political moves from the far right. In Spain, the ruling center-right party is openly discussing the possibility of entering an alliance with its traditional center-left rivals to prevent a protest party from taking over. Key members of the European Union, including Sweden, Spain, the United Kingdom and possibly Greece, will hold elections in 2015. In most cases, these countries will see outcomes nobody would have thought possible in 2008.
Thursday, December 04, 2014
The Beautiful Death of CNN, Mainstream New Media / Politics / Mainstream Media
By: Jeff_Berwick
I grew up behind the iron curtain in the 1970s in communist northern Canada with a black and white TV that you actually had to get up to change the channel on the knob. The knob had theoretically 13 channels but only 4 of them actually had anything on them.
One was the government propaganda channel, CBC, the other was CTV and then there was some sort of local channel and there was also something on channel 13, if memory serves, but it mostly looked like a snowstorm through the rabbit ears.
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Wednesday, December 03, 2014
Judge This Country by Its Enemies / Politics / Taxes
By: Casey_Research
By Nick Giambruno
Pop quiz: can you name this free-market jurisdiction in the Western hemisphere?
Here are some of its attributes:
- Personal income tax: NONE
- Corporate income tax: NONE
- Capital gains tax: NONE
- Taxation of dividends: NONE
Wednesday, December 03, 2014
Princes of the Yen: Central Banks and the Transformation of an Economy / Politics / Central Banks
By: Jesse
"Central banks have the power to create economic, political and social change. This is how they do it."
While I cringed at some of the early parts of the film and the mid-century American attitudes towards the Japanese, even if it was in the aftermath of a long and viciously fought war, I think this documentary provides some valuable insights into the evolution of the modern economy that is Japan. I direct your attention to the things that we are often saying about different peoples today.
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