Analysis Topic: Politics & Social Trends
The analysis published under this topic are as follows.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Balancing the U.S. Budget, Radical Plan to Cut Military Spending / Politics / Government Spending
By: Mike_Shedlock
My long held belief is the US cannot afford to be the world's policeman. Moreover, I question whether it is wise to pursue such a policy even if we could pay for it. Regardless, it is beyond absurd to leave cuts in defense spending off the table when the budget deficit is $1.5 trillion.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Demographics, Energy and The End Game: Exponential Functions / Politics / Demographics
By: DK_Matai
If the Middle East conflicts continue to escalate could oil touch $150-$200 per barrel in the months ahead? What are the consequences of this development for both the East and the West? Let us not forget that the Middle East turmoil was primarily triggered by high food prices, inflation and youth unemployment. As the turmoil in the Middle East escalates, continuously bumping the price of energy upwards, this is having a further knock-on effect on the price of other natural resources as well as food.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
America is the Prison Capital of the World / Politics / US Politics
By: LewRockwell
Stephen Cox writes: After years of deficit financing, my state, California, is currently hurtling toward bankruptcy, the revenue from its savage personal income tax having been consumed, and over-consumed, by government employees' salaries and benefits. Yet in the midst of the budget turmoil, Governor Jerry Brown has just negotiated yet another Rolls Royce contract with one of the biggest beneficiaries of state government, the prison guards' union.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Why Did The Fed Lend Billions To Foreign Banks? And 15 Other Questions for Bernanke / Politics / Central Banks
By: Gary_North
The Federal Reserve System is on the defensive. This has not happened before in my lifetime.
On Wednesday, April 27, Ben Bernanke will hold a press conference. This has never happened before. Journalists will be allowed to ask questions. It will be held at 2:15 in the afternoon, Eastern Daylight Time. The Bankrate site has set up a reminder program so that you won't miss it. It will be broadcast on their site.
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Wednesday, April 27, 2011
The Royal Wedding, America's Fascination With Royalty / Politics / US Politics
By: Walter_Brasch
In case you're in a funk because you think the reason you didn't receive an invitation to the royal wedding is because the Brits are still ticked off about that silly little skirmish back in 1776, the American media have a solution for you.
The media had been pumping out news, features, and gossip about the wedding for more than three months. Almost every radio, TV, and cable network, except for maybe the Cartoon Channel, will be covering the wedding on Friday. All. Day. Long.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Fed Chairman Warns of “RECOVERY ENDING EVENT” *Video* / Politics / Central Banks
By: Mac_Slavo
While state sponsored media pundits and government spokespeople make every effort to dispel doubts about the economic recovery, we need look no further than the two highest level officials who preside over the monetary and financial workings of the United States.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
U.S. National Debt, For A Few Dollars More / Politics / US Politics
By: James_Quinn
Where life had no value, death, sometimes, had its price. That is why the bounty killers appeared. - For a Few Dollars More
"Tell me, isn't a sheriff supposed to be courageous, loyal and, above all, honest?" - Man with No Name - For a Few Dollars More
Whenever I get an idea for an article I plan to keep it short and sweet. But it never seems to work out that way. Once I start typing, the articles tend to grow exponentially.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Sociapitalism: How the Government Became the Next Bubble / Politics / Government Spending
By: Jason_Kaspar
In the last thirteen years, a new financial order replaced capitalism in America. With cat-like tread, this transformation has caught most Americans unaware, let alone some of country’s best financial minds (many of them fascist anyway).
This new order constitutes the socializing of risk, a concept I have termed: Sociapitalism.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Uncle Sam Borrows, China Invests / Politics / US Politics
By: LewRockwell
Eric Margolis writes: Once, while driving in rural Virginia, I saw a billboard that proclaimed, "Jesus Saves." Some wag had scrawled across the bottom, "But Moses invests."
Today, change that to "the US borrows while China lends."
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Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Has Wall Street Won? / Politics / Credit Crisis 2011
By: Danny_Schechter
Two years ago as financial reform was put on the U.S. Congressional agenda, a skeptical Senator, Dick Durbin of Illinois, spoke of the power of the banks over the country’s legislative process.
“They run the place,” he said matter of factly.
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Tuesday, April 26, 2011
The Big QE2 Shakedown / Politics / Quantitative Easing
By: Frank_Holmes
The New York Times is bit late to the party but, better late than never, right?
Times economics writer Binyamin Applebaum has just discovered that the Fed's bond buying program--aka QE2--has lit a firecracker under stocks but done zilch for the real economy. Applebaum--who apparently never trolls the econo-blogs to expand his understanding of what's going on in the world of finance-- is "shocked" that Bernanke's $600 billion "credit easing" strategy has turned out to be an utter boondoggle that's had no measurable impact on output, unemployment or growth. Who could've known? But let's let Applebaum speak for himself:
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Tuesday, April 26, 2011
American Hellholes, the U.S. Economy is Dieing, there are simply No Jobs / Politics / US Politics
By: Chris_Kitze
Economic Collapse writes: The U.S. economy is dying and we are heading for the next Great Depression. The talking heads in the mainstream media love to spin the economic numbers around and around and they love to make it sound like the economy is improving, but the truth is that it doesn't take a genius to see what is happening to the U.S. economic system. All over the nation many of our greatest cities are being slowly but surely transformed into post-apocalyptic wastelands. All over the mid-Atlantic, all along the Gulf coast, all throughout the "rust belt" and all over the entire state of California cities that once had incredibly vibrant economies are being turned into rotting, post-industrial hellholes.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
IMF Says Next U.S. President Will Be The Last / Politics / US Politics
By: Submissions
John Rolls Submits: The International Monetary Fund has just dropped a bombshell, and nobody noticed.
Brett Arends, MarketWatch For the first time, the international organization has set a date for the moment when the “Age of America” will end and the U.S. economy will be overtaken by that of China.
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Tuesday, April 26, 2011
U.S. Takes One Giant Step Closer to 3rd World Chaos / Politics / US Politics
By: Janet_Tavakoli
The U.S. Corruption to Production Ratio rapidly increased in recent years with a huge transfer of wealth to those with the most resources from those with the least.
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Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Hedge Funds Speculators and Their Poverty Premium / Politics / Financial Markets 2011
By: BATR
The short sale protection racket known as hedge funds is a speculators’ dream come true.
According to Investopedia, What Does Hedge Fund Mean? is defined as, "An aggressively managed portfolio of investments that uses advanced investment strategies such as leveraged, long, short and derivative positions in both domestic and international markets with the goal of generating high returns (either in an absolute sense or over a specified market benchmark). Hedge funds use dozens of different strategies, so it isn't accurate to say that hedge funds just "hedge risk". In fact, because hedge fund managers make speculative investments, these funds can carry more risk than the overall market".
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Monday, April 25, 2011
U.S. Troops Died in Vain in Iraq / Politics / US Politics
By: Laurence_Vance
Since the beginning of the war in Iraq, I have unequivocally maintained several things about the deaths of U.S. troops. Every one of the 4,450 U.S. soldiers who has died so far in Iraq has died unnecessarily, senselessly, for a lie, and in vain.
Monday, April 25, 2011
“Pirates of the Caribbean” or the Pattern of a Parasite / Politics / Financial Markets 2011
By: Submissions
Forrest Lane writes: Has anybody ever wondered why yet another mediocre Hollywood production “Pirates of the Caribbean” made such a tremendous box-office? Its sequels contain some visual gimmicks at least, which might seem entertaining to eight year old kids or people who zealously maintain their consciousness at the same level. But the first movie was not only senseless, but utterly tedious as well. Taking into account that hitherto the latest big budget endeavour on this subject - Renny Harlin’s “Cutthroat Island” - was undertaken as early as in 1995, became a commercial disaster and ruined Carolco Pictures, this success (the movie has made more than $300 million domestically and about the same amount worldwide) strikes as a bit enigmatic.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Population Growth, Pollution and the Global Environment / Politics / Environmental Issues
By: Vi_Ransel
One of the most divisive arguments within the environmental movement is population growth, whether by increasing births, or via immigration.
But population figures conceal more than they reveal. They seem to suggest that the cause of climate change is too many people, and that a growing population means growing greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, we should encourage people to have smaller families because it's "a lot easier than retooling our economic system." (1) And further, that we must slow population growth where it's greatest, e.g. the "Third" World, where population is "exploding."
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Sunday, April 24, 2011
Velkommen to Banktopia / Politics / Credit Crisis 2011
By: Mike_Whitney
Let's talk turkey. The dollar is getting hammered by the day. And the dollar is getting hammered by design, because the Fed wants a weaker currency to boost exports and lower the real burden of debt on the banks. (Yes, Martha, the banks are still insolvent) So, down goes the greenback, lower and lower, pushing up gas and food prices while the buying power of the average US worker vanishes down the plughole. And this process will continue for the foreseeable future because--as Obama stated earlier in the year--Washington is committed to "doubling exports in the next 5 years." Think about that: "the next 5 years". That's the same as saying that the American worker will be reduced to third-world poverty in a half decade or so. It's a death sentence.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Barack Obama, The President Who Became an Actor / Politics / US Politics
By: Finian_Cunningham
If Ronald Reagan was known as the actor who became a president, then perhaps Barack Obama should become known as the president who became an actor.
For every facial movement evinced, every gesture of the hand, every word enunciated by the 44th president turns out to be a complete charade.
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