Analysis Topic: Politics & Social Trends
The analysis published under this topic are as follows.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Free Trade Won't Help Global Poverty / Politics / Social Issues
By: Ian_Fletcher
The propaganda for free trade tells us that not only is it the master key to our own prosperity, but also the master key to lifting the world’s poor out of poverty. So if we don’t support free trade, we’re in for a guilt trip like the one that used to make us stick quarters into UNICEF boxes.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Deconstructing Meredith Whitney’s Municpal Bond Default Predictions / Politics / Mainstream Media
By: Mike_Stathis
The Article Whitney Doesn’t Want You to Read - If I hired a full-time staff of 100 financial professionals specifically dedicated to the task of calling out all of the media’s so-called financial experts (largely comprised of lifelong snake oil salesmen and Wall Street hacks), pointing to their miserable track records, while setting the record straight on their exaggerations, drama-filled statements, bias, agendas, cheerleading and apocalyptic predictions, we would be unable to address even one-tenth of the propaganda that continues to invade the minds of Americans.
Friday, March 18, 2011
U.N. Votes to Do a Kosovo in Libya, Be Fearful When Politicians Dream of Rambo / Politics / Middle East
By: Andrew_Butter
Just for the record I’m not “anti-war”, my uncle was awarded a Military Cross for fighting Hitler, and I’m proud of that. But sometimes I wonder was his sacrifice worth it?
The good news I suppose is that The U.N. has managed to agree on something that might have a minimal impact on the propensity of despots with guns, money and backing from a big power, to terrorise their own people; should we now expect that someday soon:
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Friday, March 18, 2011
Time to Quit Pining for a “Level Playing Field” in International Trade / Politics / US Politics
By: Ian_Fletcher
One of the most common plaints from those who are upset about America’s current trade mess is “just give us a level playing field.” In particular, this is what one tends to hear from American businesses (at least those which have resisted the siren song of offshoring) that are hard pressed by “unfair” foreign competition. It’s hard not to be sympathetic, and on an individual basis, my heart goes out to them.
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Friday, March 18, 2011
Japan Does Not Face Another Chernobyl / Politics / Environmental Issues
By: Richard_Mills
What is happening in Japan is a humanitarian disaster, but not because of what primetime pundits and talking heads would have you believe."Nuclear Nightmare: A radioactive death cloud from one or more of the Japanese reactors experience core meltdown and catastrophic release of radiation could ..."
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Friday, March 18, 2011
Europe's Economic Austerity: a Grimm's Fairy Tale / Politics / Economic Austerity
By: Submissions
Conn Hallinan writes: In the Greek town of Aphidal, people have stopped paying road fees. In Athens, bus and metro riders are refusing to cough up the price of a ticket. On Feb. 23, 250,000 Greek protesters jammed the streets outside the nation's parliament.
The Portuguese nominated the protest song "A Luta E' Alegria" (The Struggle is Joy) for the Eurovision song contest and, when judges ignored it, walked out in protest. They also put 300,000 people into the streets of the country's major cities on Mar. 12.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Why “Fair” Trade Is Not The (Whole) Answer / Politics / US Politics
By: Ian_Fletcher
The idea of “fair” trade is very appealing, whether confronting the plight of autoworkers in Michigan or farmers in the Third World. Unfortunately, it will be only a small part of any trade solution for the U.S. and the world as a whole.
Fair trade in goods like coffee is a fine thing, because there exists a clear idea of unfair practices in how coffee importers treat coffee farmers and how to avoid them. That sort of fair trade basically consists in First World consumers voluntarily not using the full strength of their bargaining position with Third World producers. This is admirable enough.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Everybody Knows Bernanke Is a Joke / Politics / Central Banks
By: Robert_Murphy
As YouTube and other digital media move beyond computer-savvy young people into the ranks of even stodgy businessmen, these subversive outlets become serious problems for the ruling elite. This trend is epitomized by the radical change in the Federal Reserve's image. In just a few short years, the Fed has transformed in public opinion from a mysterious, wise, and boring institution into a fascinating engine of corruption and comedy.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Japan Nuclear Crisis Illustrates Global Crisis in Leadership / Politics / Social Issues
By: Mike_Shedlock
Is there a crisis in leadership in Japan? That's what New York Times writers Hiroko Tabuchi, Ken Belson and Norimitsu Onishi say.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
The Quantifiable Problem With Private Sector Salaries / Politics / Social Issues
By: Richard_Daughty
I was particularly interested in this week's ubiquitous newspaper insert, Parade magazine, as its cover featured the interesting article "What People Earn. Our Annual Salary Survey."
Knowing that the average government worker makes an astounding twice as much in wages and benefits as the average private-sector worker, I was hoping that I could use something in the article to take to my boss, as part of my new Mogambo Income Enhancement Plan (MIEP), and say, "Hey! Look at all the money these people make! I deserve more money to work at this crappy job! And I deserve more because I am probably as good an employee as at least one of these guys! I want a raise! Big fat one!"
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Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Unfolding Nuclear Catastrophe in Japan, Leaking Radioactive Contamination / Politics / Environmental Issues
By: Washingtons_Blog
Kyodo News reports: A nuclear crisis at the quake-hit Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant deepened Tuesday as fresh explosions occurred at the site and its operator said water in a pool storing spent nuclear fuel rods may be boiling, an ominous sign for the release of high-level radioactive materials from the fuel.
Tokyo Electric Power Co. said the water level in the pool storing the spent fuel rods at its Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant's No. 4 reactor may have dropped, exposing the rods.
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Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Nuclear Power Madness / Politics / Nuclear Power
By: Global_Research
Norman Solomon writes: Like every other president since the 1940s, Barack Obama has promoted nuclear power. Now, with reactors melting down in Japan, the official stance is more disconnected from reality than ever.
Political elites are still clinging to the oxymoron of "safe nuclear power." It's up to us - people around the world - to peacefully and insistently shut those plants down.
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Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Japan's Earthquake Hidden Nuclear Catastrophe / Politics / Environmental Issues
By: Global_Research
Yoichi Shimatsu writes: News of a third explosion at the Fukushima nuclear power plant sent stocks plunging on the Nikkei exchange which dropped 1,015 points on the session. After 2 days of battering, the stock index is off more than 1,600 points in its worst performance since Lehman Brothers failed in September 2008.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Nuclear Situation in Japan is Dire / Politics / Environmental Issues
By: Mike_Whitney
News of a third explosion at the Fukushima nuclear power plant sent stocks plunging on the Nikkei exchange which dropped 1,015 points on the session. After 2 days of battering, the stock index is off more than 1,600 points in its worst performance since Lehman Brothers failed in September 2008.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Kennedy’s Blunder, or How Free Trade Turned Sour for America / Politics / US Politics
By: Ian_Fletcher
How did America end up in its present trade pickle? NAFTA? No way. The WTO? I wish. To understand our present predicament, you need to go back much further than that.
In retrospect, America’s decisive wrong turn on trade was probably John F. Kennedy’s Trade Expansion Act of 1962.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Japan, the Persian Gulf and Energy / Politics / Crude Oil
By: STRATFOR
Over the past week, everything seemed to converge on energy. The unrest in the Persian Gulf raised the specter of the disruption of oil supplies to the rest of the world, and an earthquake in Japan knocked out a string of nuclear reactors with potentially devastating effect. Japan depends on nuclear energy and it depends on the Persian Gulf, which is where it gets most of its oil. It was, therefore, a profoundly bad week for Japan, not only because of the extensive damage and human suffering but also because Japan was being shown that it can’t readily escape the realities of geography.Read full article... Read full article...
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Could Nuclear Radiation From Japan Meltdown Reach the United States? / Politics / Environmental Issues
By: Chris_Kitze
End of the American Dream writes: The possibility of a full-blown nuclear meltdown of one or more of the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear reactors seems to increase by the hour. Millions of weary Japanese citizens are desperately hoping that the worst case scenario does not play out. A major nuclear disaster is the last thing that they need at this point. So could radiation from a meltdown of one or more of the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear reactors reach the United States?
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
WTO Judicial Activism vs. America / Politics / US Politics
By: Ian_Fletcher
The WTO’s latest outrage has brought this odious organization to public attention again, but this is hardly the first time it has sided against American interests.For example, it has for years engaged in judicial activism aimed at systematically rewriting American trade law to our disadvantage. As Robert Lighthizer, a former Deputy U.S. Trade Representative, told a hearing of the House Trade Subcommittee in 2007:
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Monday, March 14, 2011
Saudi Troops Storm Into Bahrain / Politics / Middle East
By: STRATFOR
Forces from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries will enter Bahrain to help the Bahraini regime quell unrest, according to a number of media reports, including by Bahrain’s Alyam newspaper, known for its close links with the ruling al-Khalifa family. The reports come one day after clashes occurred between Shiite protesters and police in the capital, Manama. Meanwhile, Bahraini state media reported that the Independent Bloc (a parliamentary bloc of the Bahraini parliament) asked Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa to enforce martial law to contain the unrest.
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Monday, March 14, 2011
Japan Nuclear Melt-Down? The Government to the Rescue / Politics / Nuclear Power
By: LewRockwell
Mike (in Tokyo) Rogers writes: The nuclear power plant failures and explosions near Fukushima, Japan are an excellent case example of the failure of government. Here, the Japanese government has been horribly derelict before, during and after this incident. This freak occurrence would be a tragedy of comical proportions if only it weren’t so grotesque and a real-life horror show. It has been a brutal tragedy of errors that makes me wonder why anyone would trust or believe anything the government says.