Analysis Topic: Politics & Social Trends
The analysis published under this topic are as follows.
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Nigel Farage on the Rise of UKIP, the Fall of Europe, and the Parallels for the US / Politics / Eurozone Debt Crisis
By: Mike_Shedlock
Political and economic tensions are mounting in Spain. No serious economist believes the official budget forecast. Unemployment is near 25%, and tax hikes are about to make matters worse.
Moreover, a proposal from Madrid would force children in Catalonia’s schools to speak Spanish even though the dominant language is Catalan.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
The Fed's Sole Purpose is to Keep the Banks Afloat / Politics / Central Banks
By: Casey_Research
Is the Federal Reserve really doing such a bad job… or does it actually do exactly what it's supposed to do, but the average American is in the dark about what that is?
In this explosive video, Casey Summit speaker G. Edward Griffin, author of The Creature from Jekyll Island, talks about the Fed's real role in the US economy and why – contrary to common belief – it is not this banking cartel's mission to act in the best interest of the American public.
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Wednesday, October 10, 2012
U.S. Jobs Report Conspiracy Theories / Politics / Employment
By: Money_Morning
Shah Gilani writes:
Can we talk about unemployment in the U.S.? And can we talk about conspiracy theories?
I thought you'd say "yes." I can almost hear you saying, "Hell yeah, bring it on!"
So, let's have at it.
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Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Bernanke Riding Into The Sunset Or A Brick Wall? / Politics / Government Spending
By: Peter_Schiff
A month ago, I presented the case for why Fed Chairman Bernanke would have strong motivation to launch another round of quantitative easing (QE) before the election. In short, it would save him his job. Now, I didn't predict with certainty that he would do so - only the few men at the FOMC knew that for sure - but it seemed likely. Shortly thereafter, Bernanke not only announced more stimulus, but promised to keep it flowing to the tune of an additional $40 billion a month until conditions improve. As I had written, this is essentially the election platform of the Obama-Bernanke ticket: we will keep the party going indefinitely.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Government Dependency Will End in Economic Chaos / Politics / Government Spending
By: Dr_Ron_Paul
The media insists on characterizing statements about dependency on government handouts as controversial, but in truth such statements are absolutely correct. It's not that nearly half of Americans are dependent on government; it's actually more than half. If one includes not just people on food stamps and welfare, but also seniors on Medicare, Social Security and people employed by the government directly, the number is more like 165 million out of 308 million, which is 53%.
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Wednesday, October 10, 2012
U.S. Emerging Doctrine of Controlled Engagement / Politics / GeoPolitics
By: STRATFOR
Over the past weekend, rumors began to emerge that the Syrian opposition would allow elements of the al Assad regime to remain in Syria and participate in the new government. Rumors have become Syria's prime export, and as such they should not be taken too seriously. Nevertheless, what is happening in Syria is significant for a new foreign doctrine emerging in the United States -- a doctrine in which the United States does not take primary responsibility for events, but which allows regional crises to play out until a new regional balance is reached. Whether a good or bad policy -- and that is partly what the U.S. presidential race is about -- it is real, and it flows from lessons learned.
Tuesday, October 09, 2012
They Cook the Books, You Can't Trust Official Statistics / Politics / Economic Statistics
By: Lewrockwell
Jack D. Douglas writes: All official, statist statistics are only about the subjects and categories, and use only operational definitions and procedures to construct those statistics, which are determined ultimately by the politicians who control the state. All official statistics are, thus, inherently biased by the powerful individuals who run the states, so official stats. vary wildly among nation-states and other political groups. In America, for example, there are massive official stats. on the deaths the state categorizes as due to drug uses defined by the state as "illegal," almost entirely those of poorer people.
Tuesday, October 09, 2012
Barack Obama's Power Elite Roots / Politics / US Politics
By: Lewrockwell
Anthony Wile writes:
We track power elite dominant social themes large and small. As part of this effort, we've uncovered what we believe to be patterns of "directed history" leading toward ever-bigger government at both national and international levels.
Elites love government because they control society via mercantilism, the use of public power to enhance private advantages.
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Tuesday, October 09, 2012
Euro-zone Bailout, What Could Possibly Go Wrong? / Politics / Eurozone Debt Crisis
By: Raul_I_Meijer
Fitch has given the ESM, which reportedly became "operational" today, even though the Eurozone members will take years to full its coffers from today's €200 billion to the desired €500-600 billion, an AAA rating. The European (hey, what happened to Emergency?) Stability Mechanism needs this rating in order to sell bonds. Since eurobonds are not deemed acceptable by too many parties involved, the new pride of Europe will start selling ... right, eurobonds, just under another name.
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Tuesday, October 09, 2012
George Osbourne Targets Britain's Benefits Culture Baby Making Factories / Politics / UK Politics
By: Nadeem_Walayat
George Osbourne's speech at the tory conference laid down the reasons for an additional £10 billion cut in benefits spending that are needed to get to the heart of Britians benefit culture crisis that over the last Labour government's regime has resulted in a state where those out of work can receive more in benefits than those in work earn that has contributed towards Britians accelerating trend towards bankruptcy.
Monday, October 08, 2012
The Great American Empire - Decline, Decay, Denial, Delusion & Despair / Politics / US Politics
By: James_Quinn
The majority of Americans seem OK with just waddling through life, accepting the lies and misinformation blasted from the boob tube and their various iGadgets by their owners, gorging themselves to death on Twinkies and Cheetos, paying 15% interest on their $10,000 rolling credit card balance, and growing ever more dependent on the welfare/warfare state to provide and protect them from accepting personal responsibility for their lives. A minority of critical thinking people have chosen to question everything they see and hear being spewed at us by the propagandist mainstream media, the corporate fascist government, and the powerful banking cabal that has an iron grip upon our throats as they choke the life out of the global economy in their never ending desire for more riches and more power.
Monday, October 08, 2012
Rational Egoism, Irrational Greed And Ayn Rand's Creed / Politics / Propaganda
By: Andrew_McKillop
Oil in New York is breaching long-term technical support at $89.83 a barrel, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. On the weekly chart, that’s the 50 percent Fibonacci retracement of the drop to $32.40 in December 2008 from an intraday record high of $147.27 in July that year. Losses tend to accelerate below chart-support levels from that retracement.
Monday, October 08, 2012
Income inequality: Cause of our predicament or a convenient scapegoat? / Politics / Social Issues
By: Colin_Twiggs
A reader reminded me of this 2011 Vanity Fair article, where Joseph Stiglitz argues that growing income inequality will harm future US economic growth.
Read full article... Read full article...“What matters, [some people] argue, is not how the pie is divided but the size of the pie. That argument is fundamentally wrong……..
Monday, October 08, 2012
Manipulating the U.S. Unemployment Rate, About That "Expected" Drop In Participation Rate / Politics / Unemployment
By: Mike_Shedlock
Calculated Risk had an interesting but misleading post A decline in the participation rate was expected due to the aging population.
Read full article... Read full article...This decline in the participation rate has been expected for years. Here are three projections (two from before the recession started). The key to these projections is that the decline in the participation rates was expected:
Sunday, October 07, 2012
The Innocence of Christians - Just the Facts Without Any Bad Acting / Politics / Religion
By: Videos
Everyone is aware of the recent amateur 15minute production by the name of "Innocence of Muslims" whose primary goal was to incite violence by outraging the followers of Islam through its offensive depictions.
Instead the following documentary that whilst focusing primarily on Christianity but could equally apply to any religion, and done without attempting to incite violence through offensive depictions but rather focuses on the facts.
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Sunday, October 07, 2012
Financial Warfare: Destabilizing Iran’s Monetary System / Politics / Fiat Currency
By: Global_Research
ESFAHAN – Dramatic fluctuations of the Iranian rial triggered small protests among merchants in Tehran’s grand bazaar on October 3rd, 2012. In an attempt by authorities to prevent further devaluation, Iran’s central bank recently issued new limits on the amount of USD available for purchase at a subsidized rate, leading many to panic as the rial fell 40% against the dollar since the start of October. Although the demonstrations were economic in nature, many took advantage of the moment to voice their grievances against the political system, with many crediting President Ahmadinejad with overseeing fiscal mismanagement that has exacerbated Washington’s unceasing barrage of economic sanctions. Ahmadinejad’s political opponents also blame his administration for economic mismanagement, sentiment that is appearing more frequently among Iranian society.
Saturday, October 06, 2012
Another Phony US Employment Report: Spiralling Number of Involuntary Partime Workers / Politics / Unemployment
By: Paul_Craig_Roberts
The employment report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows 114,000 new jobs in September and a drop in the rate of unemployment from 8.1% to 7.8%. As 114,000 new jobs are not sufficient to stay even with population growth, the drop in the unemployment rate is the result of not counting discouraged workers who are defined away as “not in the labor force.”
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Friday, October 05, 2012
China to Use Rare Earth Metals as Pawns in Conflict Over Islands With Japan / Politics / GeoPolitics
By: Submissions
Heiko Ihle: As China and Japan continue to ratchet up tensions over a group of disputed islands in the East China Sea, many investors may be wondering how the dispute could affect the marketplace. One potential area for fallout is the market for rare earth elements (REEs): the futuristic sounding group of 17 minerals with unpronounceable names that play a critical role in everything from hybrid cars to flat screen TVs. As discussed in our October edition of the Euro Pacific Capital Global Investor Newsletter, these minerals have shown particular sensitivity to the diplomatic relationship between the two Asian giants. If the current situation deteriorates (as it has this week when several major Chinese banks pulled out of International Monetary Fund events in Tokyo), the REE market may come under intense pressure.
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Friday, October 05, 2012
The Ugly Truth About the Promise of the JOBS Act / Politics / US Politics
By: Money_Morning
Shah Gilani writes:
Last week I wrote about how the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act (the JOBS Act) can be a pathway to funding brand new businesses as well as small operating companies to further American entrepreneurship and create jobs.
I even called the legislation, signed into law on April 5, 2012, a "light at the end of the tunnel" in terms of its potential to stimulate the economy.
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Friday, October 05, 2012
Why American's Need a Second Passport / Politics / US Politics
By: Jeff_Berwick
"Thus, far and wide, they migrate either to the Goths or to the Bagaudae, or to other barbarians everywhere in power; yet they do not repent of having migrated. They prefer to live as freemen under an outward form of captivity, than as captives under the appearance of liberty. Therefore, the name of Roman citizens, at one time not only greatly valued, but dearly bought, is now repudiated and fled from, and it is almost considered not only base, but even deserving of abhorrence." - Salvian the Presbyter