Analysis Topic: Politics & Social Trends
The analysis published under this topic are as follows.
Saturday, March 02, 2013
Bernanke the Comedian Addicted to Asset Bubbles / Politics / US Federal Reserve Bank
By: Joseph_T_Salerno
Ben Bernanke confided on January 14 that he is unaware of any new method of stimulating economic growth. Bernanke said: “As far as I’m aware, there’s no completely new method that we haven’t [already tapped].” So Helicopter Ben has run out of innovative and unconventional ways to create new money. Lest you be tempted to breathe a bit easier, however, rest assured that the now conventional method of quantitative easing, involving the Fed’s monthly purchase of $85 billion worth of mortgage-backed and U.S. government securities, seems to be working just fine according to Bernanke and he foresees its continuation. Noting the stubbornly high unemployment rate combined with the low inflation rate in the U.S. economy, Bernanke stated, “That is the case for being aggressive, which we are trying to do.” Although he is “cautiously optimistic,” he does promise to closely monitor the risks, efficacy, costs, and benefits of this inflationary policy.
Friday, March 01, 2013
Washington's Biggest Sequestration Lies / Politics / US Politics
By: Money_Morning
David Zeiler writes: Though we've come to expect no better from our leaders in Washington, the sequestration lies rank among the most blatant whoppers ever to come out of the nation's capital.
Sequestration, of course, is the $85 billion in across-the-board spending cuts scheduled to go into effect at midnight Friday.
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Friday, March 01, 2013
Crony Capitalists Are the Ruling Class, the Forgotten Cause of Free Markets and Sound Money / Politics / Financial Markets 2013
By: LewRockwell
The Henry Hazlitt Memorial Lecture, Austrian Scholars Conference,
ROCKWELL: Well, it's great to have as our Henry Hazlitt Memorial lecturer this year, Mr. David Stockman. David is a graduate of Michigan State University. He did graduate work at Harvard University. He was elected to Congress three times from the state of Michigan.
And back when I first went to work for Ron Paul in the reign of Jimmy I –
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Friday, March 01, 2013
U.S.A A.D. 2013 - The Worst of Times? / Politics / US Politics
By: Andy_Sutton
We got a rare moment today – it’s what I’m going to call a truth nugget. Anyone who reads this column or any one of several hundred others already knows this, but as you all well know there is nothing to see until the mainstream press declares it to be so. Today we were finally told that no, there will be no exit from the not-so-USFed’s quantitative easing program. Ever. Like I said before, this is no revelation; anyone with even the slightest of brainwaves could easily figure this out without the watchful, benevolent guidance of CNBC.
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Be Careful: Russia is Back to Stay in the Middle East / Politics / GeoPolitics
By: OilPrice_Com
Russia is back. President Vladimir Putin wants the world to acknowledge that Russia remains a global power. He is making his stand in Syria.
The Soviet Union acquired the Tardus Naval Port in Syria in 1971 without any real purpose for it. With their ships welcomed in Algeria, Cuba or Vietnam, Tardus was too insignificant to be developed. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia lacked the funds to spend on the base and no reason to invest in it.
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Thursday, February 28, 2013
Eurozone Dangling by a Thread, Another Fine Italian Mess / Politics / Eurozone Debt Crisis
By: Money_Morning
Martin Hutchinson writes: Four days after the Italian elections only one thing is clear: A majority of Italian voters have rejected austerity.
The problem is their victory came up short by the slimmest of margins.
0.36%. That's the difference between a firm new government that could move Italy out of the Eurozone and the constitutional logjam Italian voters woke up to the next day.
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Thursday, February 28, 2013
U.S. Healthcare Blues, Our Medical Bills Are Killing Us / Politics / Healthcare Sector
By: John_Mauldin
It has been some time since we peeked into my worry closet. A few questions this weekend prompted me to think about things I am paying attention to but have not written about, and one thing that I am not worried about at all, despite the apparent media hysteria.
But first, a quick note. My tenth annual Strategic Investment Conference (May 1-3 in Carlsbad, California) seems to be filling up nicely. The speaker lineup is exceptional: Kyle Bass; Ian Bremmer; Mohamed El-Erian; Niall Ferguson and his wife, Ayaan Hirsi Ali; Lacy Hunt; Charles and Louis Gave; Jeff Gundlach; Anatole Kaletsky; David Rosenberg; Nouriel Roubini; and Gary Shilling.
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Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Vampire Squid Reform And The Demise Of The Technocrats / Politics / Euro-Zone
By: Andrew_McKillop
VAMPIRE SQUID TO DAMP SQUIB
When Mario Monti resigned in December 2012 saying he "would not seek a second term" as Italy's prime minister the technocratic, reform-minded, former Goldman Sachs adviser was of course lying. He stood for election - after his first and only unelected stint as prime minister - and lost. Goldman Sachs, nicknamed "The Vampire Squid" along Wall Street, lost another key pawn in its Eurozone power play.
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Inflation and Taxes…More and More Coming / Politics / US Politics
By: Jeff_Berwick
Ed Bugos writes: “Every Communist must grasp the truth: Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun.” — Chairman Mao Zedong (The Little Red Book, 1964)
I don’t think anyone can truly understand the idea of freedom without understanding why a shrinking group of Americans cherish their 2nd amendment rights so passionately. Obama says that the voices of dead children compel change, by which he means to disarm Americans at a faster pace.
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Tuesday, February 26, 2013
The Italian Election Farce and Not So Super Mario / Politics / Euro-Zone
By: Andrew_McKillop
SUPER MARIO BOMBS
As of February 25, exit polls and analysts' reviews of voter trends showed a total collapse in support for Mario Monti, called "Super Mario" for a while by government-friendly media. The 'technocrat' parachuted in by Europe's elite to apply a classic austerity programme as Italy's Brussels-approved unelected Prime Minister from late 2011, scored around 7% to 9% of votes cast. He is finished.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Split Italian Elections Votes is "Worst-Case" Result for Eurozone / Politics / Euro-Zone
By: Money_Morning
David Zeiler writes: If preliminary results prove accurate, the Italian elections will result in a "hung" parliament, meaning no party will have enough seats to form a government.
The lack of a definitive result could temporarily paralyze the Eurozone's third-largest economy and revive fears that Italian voters will ultimately reject austerity and the euro itself.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
America's Middle Class Caught in a Vice / Politics / Social Issues
By: Money_Morning
Shah Gilani writes: This is a chicken and egg kind of discussion about what caused the housing crash.
It's not that there's a right answer (but I am right) or a wrong answer, it's about looking at what happened to determine whether it's going to happen again. It is.
I'm always right.
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Tuesday, February 26, 2013
China Tests Japanese and U.S. Patience / Politics / GeoPolitics
By: STRATFOR
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has warned Beijing that Tokyo is losing patience with China's assertive maritime behavior in the East and South China seas, suggesting China consider the economic and military consequences of its actions. His warning followed similar statements from Washington that its patience with China is wearing thin, in this case over continued Chinese cyberespionage and the likelihood that Beijing is developing and testing cybersabotage and cyberwarfare capabilities. Together, the warnings are meant to signal to China that the thus-far relatively passive response to China's military actions may be nearing an end.
Monday, February 25, 2013
Machine Gun Economics / Politics / US Politics
By: Investment_U
Andrew Snyder writes: The soldier’s hands never moved from the butt of the machine gun as his patrol slowly passed by. And yet nobody in the camo-clad group would make eye contact with me. It was a sign their duty was symbolic – true killers wouldn’t mind the life behind a person’s eyes; they only see a target.
But the patrol did its job. As the soldiers drove off into the dusty Mexican countryside, I was intimidated. I knew the government controlled the streets. And somebody was willing to kill to keep it that way.
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Monday, February 25, 2013
Osborne Cornered as Sterling Slides / Politics / UK Economy
By: Alasdair_Macleod
On 20 March George Osborne, the UK's Chancellor, will present his budget. So far he has made a valiant attempt to cap public sector spending, particularly when compared with other finance ministers who were slow to adopt austerity. He has reduced public sector spending from what it would otherwise be, but has not managed to cut the total figure. His strategy now for controlling the budget deficit increasingly depends on higher tax revenues from a combination of forecast economic growth and more aggressive tax collection.
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Monday, February 25, 2013
How the Fed Could Fix the Economy—and Why It Hasn’t / Politics / Central Banks
By: Ellen_Brown
Quantitative easing (QE) is supposed to stimulate the economy by adding money to the money supply, increasing demand. But so far, it hasn’t been working. Why not? Because as practiced for the last two decades, QE does not actually increase the circulating money supply. It merely cleans up the toxic balance sheets of banks. A real “helicopter drop” that puts money into the pockets of consumers and businesses has not yet been tried. Why not? Another good question . . . .
Monday, February 25, 2013
Ron Paul on U.S. Tyranny for the Good of its Victims / Politics / US Politics
By: Dr_Ron_Paul
When They Came for the Raw Milk Drinkers...
While I oppose most gun control proposals, there is one group of Americans I do believe should be disarmed: federal agents. The use of force by federal agents to enforce unjust and unconstitutional laws is one of the major, albeit overlooked, threats to liberty. Too often Americans are victimized by government force simply for engaging in commercial transactions disproved of by Congress and the federal bureaucracy.
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Sunday, February 24, 2013
Zero Dark Thirty Wins Oscar For Best Propaganda Picture / Politics / Propaganda
By: Patrick_Henningsen
One of the most pervasive trends in 21st century western culture has become somewhat of an obsession in America. It’s called “Hollywood history”, where the corporate studio machines in Los Angeles spend hundreds of millions of dollars in order to craft and precisely tailor historical events to suit the prevailing political paradigm.
‘Hollywood history’ is very much in fashion these days. From Linclon to Dubya, and from Blackhawk Down to The Iron Lady, they constitute a significant portion of today’s major releases. There’s only one problem, however, with tailoring a story to fit neatly into a prevailing political paradigm… and over the last 100 years, the Germans and the Soviets did this too – with devastating effect, but back then we just called it propaganda.
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Sunday, February 24, 2013
Leaders? We Don't Need No Stinkin' Leaders / Politics / Social Issues
By: Bill_Bonner
Leaders – you're better off without them!
The problem with the Fed-fueled stock market rally is that you can't trust it. It's not based on anything solid. Investors are not really investing in solid companies that are expected to produce solid growth and profits in the years ahead. They're speculating that the Fed's EZ money will boost share prices.
Maybe it will. And maybe it won't.
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Saturday, February 23, 2013
Zen And The Decline Of Innovation / Politics / Social Issues
By: Andrew_McKillop
BOEING DREAMLINER
The Dreamliner is grounded but Boeing CEO Jim McNerney says that redesign of its faulty lithium-ion batteries is moving ahead in a bid to satisfy regulators’ safety concerns and the jet can get back into the air "within weeks". The Boeing battery crisis is however just a part of Boeing's corporate troubles, and critics of Boeing attack its record on innovation - from both sides, for and against innovation.