Analysis Topic: Politics & Social Trends
The analysis published under this topic are as follows.
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.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Huichol Indians Protest Silver Mining Plan at Sacred Mountains / Politics / Gold & Silver Stocks
By: Dr_Jeff_Lewis
As the rise in the price of silver over the past few years makes an increasing number of formerly prohibitively expensive excavation sites appear much more attractive to mining concerns, environmental and cultural issues remain to be resolved before global silver production can rise in earnest to meet growing demand for the physical metal.Read full article... Read full article...
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Greenspan vs Trichet, a tie? / Politics / Central Banks
By: ECB_Watch
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Goldman-Greece-Draghi-Morgan-Stanley / Politics / Eurozone Debt Crisis
By: ECB_Watch
We retrace the events of the Goldman-Greece-Draghi controversy and relate it to the Draghi-Morgan-Santley disclosure issue.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
18 Ways Government Wastes Your Money / Politics / Government Spending
By: Money_Morning
David Zeiler writes: Never mind the $15 trillion national debt; the government blew $592,000 on a study last year to figure out why chimpanzees throw poop. That's just one example of government waste described in a recent book by Sen. Tom Coburn, R-OK. His "Wastebook 2011" features 100 examples of needless or ill-advised government spending. It adds up to $6.9 billion that America can't afford. And while such waste is just a fraction of the federal government's $3.8 trillion budget, a country that needs to borrow 36 cents of every dollar it spends should not be throwing money away on non-essential research. Like why chimps throw poop. Here are 17 other things the government wasted tax dollars on last year:
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Global Economic Lent / Politics / Global Debt Crisis 2012
By: Jan_Skoyles
Today is Pancake Day and whilst many, including The Real Asset Co research desk, will be enjoying it, there is still an ongoing economic crisis in the foreground. Maybe its time to give up something other than chocolate or smoking, maybe its time to give up on reckless spending and fiat money.
Shrove Tuesday, or Pancake Day, is celebrated the day before Ash Wednesday and is typically the day that signals the beginning of a period of abstinence and self-control.
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Tuesday, February 21, 2012
The European Crisis, China and the Asian Model / Politics / GeoPolitics
By: STRATFOR
The evolution of geopolitics is cyclical. Powers rise, fall and shift. Changes occur in every generation in an unending ballet. However, the period between 1989 and 1991 was unique in that a long cycle of human history spanning hundreds of years ended, and with it a shorter cycle also came to a close. The world is still reverberating from the events of that period.
On Dec. 25, 1991, an epoch ended. On that day the Soviet Union collapsed, and for the first time in almost 500 years no European power was a global power, meaning no European state integrated economic, military and political power on a global scale. What began in 1492 with Europe smashing its way into the world and creating a global imperial system had ended. For five centuries, one European power or another had dominated the world, whether Portugal, Spain, France, England or the Soviet Union. Even the lesser European powers at the time had some degree of global influence.
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Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Gold and the 'R' Decade: Repression, Riot and Revolution / Politics / Gold and Silver 2012
By: Bob_Kirtley
Repression is in full swing, rioting is spreading and revolution is almost upon us. The next ten years will bring extraordinary change which hopefully will be for the better, however, there is the small matter of getting through the worst of it first.By the time 2022 rolls round there will be a gold backed Dinar, a silver backed Peso and a number of forms of digital currency led by Google's vary own cyber Dollar.
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Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Ron Paul: Overspending on U.S. National Security Threatens National Security / Politics / US Politics
By: Dr_Ron_Paul
The administration recently released its 2013 budget proposal, and conservatives are correctly alarmed that it calls for unprecedented spending and continued annual deficits exceeding $1 trillion. But the same conservatives complain that the budget does not devote enough funds to overseas adventurism.
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Monday, February 20, 2012
Disability Fraud Holds Down U.S. Unemployment Rate / Politics / Unemployment
By: Mike_Shedlock
Looking for another reason for an artificially low unemployment rate?
Consider disability fraud, people claiming disabilities they do not have such as mental illness. Prior to the great recession 33% of applicants claimed mental illness. The number is 43% now.
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Monday, February 20, 2012
From Riches to Rags, the U.S. Housing Market Crash and Bankruptcy / Politics / US Housing
By: LewRockwell
Brad C writes: My experience with a tax audit, real estate crash, rental house woes, foreclosures, layoff and bankruptcy:
In a nutshell, we went from a 4,000 square foot home, worth more than $1 million, a vacation home, new RV, Mercedes convertible, Jeep, $50,000 SUV, 20 rental properties, a property management company and a great full time job... To living in a modest rental house in the middle of nowhere.
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Monday, February 20, 2012
Taxes, Pay Up or Die! / Politics / Taxes
By: LewRockwell
Laurence M. Vance writes: Because I don’t like to pay taxes, I was intrigued by the title of the article by Stephen Foster that I was directed to titled: "102 Things NOT To Do If You Hate Taxes." The article is a liberal defense of the legitimacy of the government (usually federal, but sometimes state or local) confiscating a portion of Americans’ incomes and redistributing and reallocating the incomes because the government provides certain services. Implied throughout the article is the myth that none of the 102 things listed "NOT to do" would exist without the government. The above Holmes quote appears at the end of the article.