Analysis Topic: Politics & Social Trends
The analysis published under this topic are as follows.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
India's Government Grudgingly Releases Report on Nuclear Power's Effect on Human Health / Politics / Nuclear Power
By: OilPrice_Com
India is betting heavily on nuclear power to meet its surging energy needs. While India currently has six nuclear power plants (NPPs) with 20 reactors generating 4,780 megawatts, seven other reactors are under construction and are expected to generate an additional 5,300 megawatts.
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Wednesday, February 29, 2012
US, Britain Gear Up for War on Iran / Politics / Iran
By: Global_Research
Bill Van Auken writes: The military commands in both the US and Britain have sought increased funding and stepped up deployments of arms and personnel to the Persian Gulf in preparation for an anticipated war against Iran.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the Pentagon, acting on the request of the Central Command, which oversees US military operations in the region, has requested the re-allocation of some $100 million in military spending to ratchet up war preparations.
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Wednesday, February 29, 2012
The Key Players Are Showing Their Hands… Will Germany Go “All In”? / Politics / Eurozone Debt Crisis
By: Graham_Summers
As I’ve stated time and again, Germany is the only EU member that has the money to get Greece through this next round of debt payments (14.4 billion Euros coming due March 20). But Merkel isn’t going to give the money without Greece submitting to German fiscal demands.
However, there is no way Greece will submit to German fiscal authority. Heck the Greeks are even going so far as to bring up German war reparations from WWII!
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Wednesday, February 29, 2012
The State of the World: Explaining U.S. Strategy / Politics / GeoPolitics
By: STRATFOR
The fall of the Soviet Union ended the European epoch, the period in which European power dominated the world. It left the United States as the only global power, something for which it was culturally and institutionally unprepared. Since the end of World War II, the United States had defined its foreign policy in terms of its confrontation with the Soviet Union. Virtually everything it did around the world in some fashion related to this confrontation. The fall of the Soviet Union simultaneously freed the United States from a dangerous confrontation and eliminated the focus of its foreign policy.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Global 'Oil Shock' Could Sink Obama's Re-Election Bid / Politics / Crude Oil
By: Gary_Dorsch
As the price of North Sea Brent crude oil touched $125 /barrel last week, the topic of sharply higher gasoline prices suddenly caught the attention of the Main Stream Media (MSM). Spin artists for the re-election campaign of President Barack Obama were quick to deny any responsibility for soaring oil prices, and instead blamed the upward spiral on geo-political tension with Iran. However, since the days of the Yom Kippur War in October 1973, - when the OPEC cartel placed an embargo on crude oil sales and hiked oil prices by 70%, the price of gasoline has been a key variable effecting the outcome of US-presidential elections.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
When Oil Rides High The Snakeoil Flows / Politics / Crude Oil
By: Andrew_McKillop
The US energy department’s Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) launched its annual Energy
Innovation Summit, 27 February, to a backdrop of oil price fear and a ritual bout of warnings on the
economic dangers of spiralling oil prices, from media friendly economic gurus usually peddling the
debt-deficit-and-doom storyline.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Inverted Totalitarianism and the Corporate State / Politics / US Politics
By: BATR
Stricken with a terminal disease, the decline of traditional society is unavoidable. For decades, the political institutions that fostered a Republic based upon individual liberty and responsibility fade into fond memory. Defenders of all that made America a shining example of human freedom are attacked and ridiculed for holding onto a moral and ethical system that is based upon the dignity of every individual. Most will blame the failure of this decay on the politicians that willfully pander to the masses with the next generation of social welfare programs. While defining a politician as a scoundrel, deserving damnation, seems obvious; the underlying source of the decay that eats away the culture comes from various directions.Read full article... Read full article...
Monday, February 27, 2012
U.S. Economy Extend and Pretend is Coming To An End / Politics / US Economy
By: James_Quinn
The real world revolves around cash flow. Families across the land understand this basic concept. Cash flows in from wages, investments and these days from the government. Cash flows out for food, gasoline, utilities, cable, cell phones, real estate taxes, income taxes, payroll taxes, clothing, mortgage payments, car payments, insurance payments, medical bills, auto repairs, home repairs, appliances, electronic gadgets, education, alcohol (necessary in this economy) and a countless other everyday expenses. If the outflow exceeds the inflow a family may be able to fund the deficit with credit cards for awhile, but ultimately running a cash flow deficit will result in debt default and loss of your home and assets. Ask the millions of Americans that have experienced this exact outcome since 2008 if you believe this is only a theoretical exercise. The Federal government, Federal Reserve, Wall Street banks, regulatory agencies and commercial real estate debtors have colluded since 2008 to pretend cash flow doesn’t matter. Their plan has been to “extend and pretend”, praying for an economic recovery that would save them from their greedy and foolish risk taking during the 2003 – 2007 Caligula-like debauchery.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Our Depraved Future of Debt Slavery (Part II) / Politics / Global Debt Crisis 2012
By: Ashvin_Pandurangi
There have been many forms of “debt slavery” throughout history, and almost everyone is chained to the oppressive financial, corporatist system now in one way or another. Although, this fact has not even remotely sunk in for millions of people who, unfortunately, have absolutely no clue how bad it can get. The real issue here, however, is not necessarily what people will have to do to survive the upcoming storms. Rather, it is what they will be forced to do to remain a functioning part of the system under threat of excessive monetary punishment, physical confinement or violence to them and/or those close to them. So, one must be financially/coercively attached to the system to be a “debt slave”.Read full article... Read full article...
Monday, February 27, 2012
Memo From The U.S. Department of Pre-War Planning And Threat Exaggeration / Politics / US Politics
By: Danny_Schechter
Here are excerpts from a “secret document” whose authenticity cannot be authenticated, perhaps because I wrote it myself.
As you requested, here is the scenario for how we can launch a war on Iran while publicly denying we are doing so.
This is a digest of the multi-dimensional and multi-track strategy that is in place, and is being pursued simultaneously in a coordinated manner, by The Executive Branch, Defense Department, State Department, and all intelligence agencies. (And despite reports from our spy agencies that Iran is right to insist it is not making nuclear bombs. Why let a denial get in the way of useful paranoia?)
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Sunday, February 26, 2012
The ECB Gone Wild; Living in Interesting Times / Politics / Central Banks
By: David_Knox_Barker
The historically hawkish European Central Bank (ECB) has the single mandate of ensuring price stability in the European Union. In the face of the rapidly unfolding debt deflation collapse of the European banking system in December 2011, the ECB shocked global financial markets with the December surprise of $645 billion in long-term refinancing operations (LTRO). The program provided three-year loans to strapped banks. The ECB on a lending binge to over 500 banks qualifies as interesting times by any standard.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Taxes, Why Shouldn't Everyone Pay Something? / Politics / Taxes
By: John_Mauldin
Don't Tax You, Don't Tax Me
Tax that Man Behind the Tree!
– Senator Russell Long, Democrat Louisiana (1918-2003)
Last week's letter on taxes drew more response than any letter I have written in years. Questions that were raised simply beg for an answer, and some of the replies were very thoughtful, well-written suggestions for alternatives. This week I am going to do something I can't ever remember doing, and that is to use the entire letter to involve and respond to my readers. Let me begin by thanking all of those who responded, and to observe that every response I read was polite and courteous, even when aggressively disagreeing. Not every site on the internet has such a civil discourse among its readers. I appreciate that. Next week we will return to All Greece, All the Time or whatever the crisis du jour is, although I am much more interested in China of late. I will have to address the world's largest nation at some point soon. At the end of the letter, I provide some very interesting and fun links and a note on an upcoming webinar with investment legend Israel "Izzy" Englander. Now, let's zero in on taxes.
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Friday, February 24, 2012
FBI and Mainstream Media Silencing the Critics / Politics / Social Issues
By: Paul_Craig_Roberts
In 2010 the FBI invaded the homes of peace activists in several states and seized personal possessions in what the FBI--the lead orchestrator of fake “terrorist plots”--called an investigation of “activities concerning the material support of terrorism.”
Subpoenas were issued to compel antiwar protestors to testify before grand juries as prosecutors set about building their case that opposing Washington’s wars of aggression constitutes giving aid and comfort to terrorists. The purpose of the raids and grand jury subpoenas was to chill the anti-war movement into inaction.
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Friday, February 24, 2012
How Greece Could Take Down Wall Street / Politics / Global Debt Crisis 2012
By: Ellen_Brown
In an article titled “Still No End to ‘Too Big to Fail,’” William Greider wrote in The Nation on February 15th:
Financial market cynics have assumed all along that Dodd-Frank did not end "too big to fail" but instead created a charmed circle of protected banks labeled "systemically important" that will not be allowed to fail, no matter how badly they behave.
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Friday, February 24, 2012
Fatally Flawed Approaches to the U.S. Budget Deficit and Taxes... / Politics / US Debt
By: Mike_Shedlock
... Debt Will Swell Under 3 of 4 Republican Hopefuls' Tax Plans
A number of proposals on taxes and the budget have come out recently, one by President Obama, one by Mitt Romney, and one by a friend, John Mauldin.
Every one of the proposals are fatally flawed, most of the for multiple reasons. Before one can fix a problem one must understand it.
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Friday, February 24, 2012
The Stimulus Secret Obama Doesn't Want You to Know / Politics / Economic Stimulus
By: Money_Morning
David Zeiler writes:
As he campaigns for re-election, U.S. President Barack Obama wants voters to believe his 2009 stimulus package played a key role in the economic recovery.
But while the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) did indeed help many people by spreading more than $787 billion around the country, it fell short of its goal of stimulating an economic recovery.
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Friday, February 24, 2012
Troika Dictates Greece Tax, Spending and Wages Changes in Next 6 Days / Politics / Eurozone Debt Crisis
By: Mike_Shedlock
The hit parade of demands on Greece keeps right on marching. The Troika has 38 new demands in addition to 10 pages of prior demands that have not been met.
The ten-page list of prior demands need to be met by the end of the month. Fortunately this is leap year so Greece gets an extra day.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Greece Makes Pact With the Devil Over Gold / Politics / Eurozone Debt Crisis
By: Mike_Shedlock
The one and only thing that might possibly spare Greece the agony of a completely worthless currency is Greece's small hoard of 111 tons of gold.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Greek Bailout Keeps 'United States Of Europe' Dream Intact...for Now! / Politics / Eurozone Debt Crisis
By: Arnold_Bock
Arnold Bock with Lorimer Wilson write: Underlying much of what we see and don't see regarding the modern-day tragedy that is Greece, is all about preserving the dream of a pan European nation state, a United States of Europe if you will. Only secondarily is it about the solvency of the Greek nation and about bailing out the foreign bank holders of Greek sovereign debt. Let me explain my perspective.
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Thursday, February 23, 2012
Our Depraved Future of Debt Slavery (Part I) / Politics / US Debt
By: Ashvin_Pandurangi
It is almost surprising that the concept of slavery is very foreign to those living in the developed world, especially the U.S., since it was extensively practiced as recently as 70 years ago. What’s more disturbing about this ignorance is the fact that the system of post-Civil War slavery in the U.S. was not so different than the systems of slavery many Americans and Europeans will be experiencing in upcoming years. Indeed, I’m sure many people will probably take offense to such a comparison even being made, as they feel it demeans the atrocious acts committed in the past.