Analysis Topic: Politics & Social Trends
The analysis published under this topic are as follows.
Monday, November 29, 2010
U.S. Foreign Policy Conspiracies Exposed by Wikileaks / Politics / US Politics
By: Global_Research
David Walsh writes: The batch of 250,000 US classified documents released by WikiLeaks to several news outlets, some of whose content was made public Sunday, sheds new light on the sordid nature of American imperialist intrigue and conspiracy around the globe.
The WSWS will analyze the documents more thoroughly in a subsequent article, but “highlights” published by the Guardian and the New York Timesare revealing.
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Monday, November 29, 2010
Wikileaks: Secret US Embassy Cables / Politics / GeoPolitics
By: Submissions
Wikileaks began on Sunday November 28th publishing 251,287 leaked United States embassy cables, the largest set of confidential documents ever to be released into the public domain. The documents will give people around the world an unprecedented insight into US Government foreign activities.
Monday, November 29, 2010
U.S. Empire Built on a Foundation of Lies / Politics / US Politics
By: James_Quinn
“Every single empire, in its official discourse, has said that it is not like all the others, that its circumstances are special, that it has a mission to enlighten, civilize, bring order and democracy, and that it has a mission to enlighten, civilize, bring order and democracy, and that it uses force only as a last resort.” – Edward SaidRead full article... Read full article...
Monday, November 29, 2010
The Stench of US Economic Decay Grows Stronger / Politics / Global Debt Crisis
By: Paul_Craig_Roberts
On Thanksgiving eve the English language China Daily and People’s Daily Online reported that Russia and China have concluded an agreement to abandon the use of the US dollar in their bilateral trade and to use their own currencies in its place. The Russians and Chinese said that they had taken this step in order to insulate their economies from the risks that have undermined their confidence in the US dollar as world reserve currency.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Wikileaks Revelations Show U.S. and its Allies Covertly Discussing Military Attacks and Actions Against Iran / Politics / US Politics
By: Danny_Schechter
The latest massive Wikileaks revelations released Sunday show how the US and its allies have been covertly discussing military attacks and covert actions against Iran. If history is any judge, this doesn’t always work out the way Washington wants as Danny Schechter recounts in this report on a recent visit to the former US Embassy in Tehran, Iran, known locally then as a “spy nest.”
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Wikileaks Secrets Revealed, Attack Iran Now, Pakistan Nuclear fears, Royal Family Member Inappropriate Behaviour / Politics / GeoPolitics
By: Submissions
Wikileaks aims to publish 250,000 secret diplomatic cables between the U.S. State Department and its Embassies, in advance of the full release on its website, Wikileaks has made available the cables to the mainstream press which has been publishing select extracts that represent the tip of the iceberg to emerge over the coming weeks:
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Ukraine Falls Into IMF's Trap / Politics / Eastern Europe
By: Pravda
Small businessmen protest against the new Tax Code in Ukraine. There are many flaws in the document indeed, but it was passed in a rush because Ukraine had to meet the requirements of the IMF. At present moment, the IMF is a savior for Ukraine - economic catastrophe is inevitable otherwise.
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Sunday, November 28, 2010
The Irish "get it" / Politics / Economic Austerity
By: Michael_T_Bucci
The people of Ireland "get it". The people of Greece, Spain, and Portugal "get it". It's the American who doesn't. What do they "get"? They realize the austerities imposed upon them are to shield, protect and defend the profits of the bankers, the traders, the market speculators, hedge funds, bond holders and entire investment class who will suffer little if at all from their market loses - the people will bear their loses.
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Friday, November 26, 2010
Can U.S. Afford Political Gridlock Already? / Politics / US Politics
By: Sy_Harding
With the near collapse of the financial system in 2008, the Bush Administration, with the Republican party in control of both houses of Congress, took aggressive, unprecedented action. The government was not grid-locked. Decisive action was possible and was taken.
Friday, November 26, 2010
While North And South Korea Exchange Artillery, China and Russia Fire A Warning Shot Against The Bernanke Bow / Politics / US Dollar
By: Jeb_Handwerger
When time permits I like to relax with a good mystery story. One of my favorite masters of the genre is Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of Shirlock Holmes. A few days ago a story appeared on the front page of China Daily on 11-23-10, that is worthy in emulating the masters great classic: “The Dog That Did Not Bark.”
Friday, November 26, 2010
Euro Fatally Wounded by Serial Sovereign Debt Bailouts / Politics / Euro
By: Mike_Shedlock
I have been warning since 2007 that European banks were in at least as bad a shape as US banks. Recent events in Greece, Ireland, Portugal, and Spain should make it clear to even the Euro bulls just how severe the stress on the Euro is.
One would think this would have caused the dollar-centric hyperinflationists and those who thought the Euro would be the world's next reserve currency to go into hiding, but instead several hyperinflation proponents have attracted followings by calling for hyperinflation in the US by the end 2011. One even offered seminars on how to deal with it.
Friday, November 26, 2010
Ellen Brown endorses Bernanke and QE2 / Politics / Quantitative Easing
By: Gary_North
In my November 22 article announcing Ellen Brown's defection to the Federal Reserve, I wrote this:
If she tries to defend herself by saying, "This is consistent with what I have always said," then she is dumber than dirt, or else she thinks her followers are dumber than dirt.
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Thursday, November 25, 2010
Thanksgiving, A Tale of Two Colonies / Politics / US Politics
By: MISES
Gary M. Galles writes: At Thanksgiving, Americans recall their blessings around bountiful meals, with imagery going back to the Pilgrims, especially Plymouth Colony's 1623 Thanksgiving. But little attention is paid to what allows that bounty to be created — capitalism — though Jamestown and Plymouth both illustrate that lesson.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
The TSA's False Tradeoff / Politics / Gold and Silver 2010
By: Robert_Murphy
The national furor over the TSA's new procedures — culminating in yesterday's "Opt Out Day" — has elicited the typical response from the bureaucracy and its apologists. Why, these invasive scans and "enhanced pat-downs" are only for your good, in order to ensure safe flying. You don't want another attack, do you?
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Memo to Ireland: "Tell the EU and the IMF to 'Shove It'" / Politics / Economic Austerity
By: Mike_Whitney
Imagine that Yasser Arafat had succeeded in ending Israeli occupation and establishing a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza. Now imagine that 10 or 15 years later, new Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, agreed to hand over control of his country's budget to the IMF so his people's future would be controlled by outsiders. Do you think Palestinians would praise Abbas as a patriot or denounce him as a traitor?
Thursday, November 25, 2010
The Stench of the Police State at U.S. Airports / Politics / US Politics
By: Global_Research
Patrick Martin and Joe Kishore write: As tens of millions of Americans travel during the busy Thanksgiving holiday weekend, they will come face to face with the new regime instituted by the federal Transportation Security Administration. More than 70 major airports have installed full-body scanners, where randomly selected passengers are compelled to undergo the electronic equivalent of a strip search. Travelers who decline that scan will be subjected instead to an extremely invasive body search that includes an open-palm patdown of the genital area.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Do You Really Want To Be a Republican or a Democrat? / Politics / US Politics
By: Michael_S_Rozeff
My main purpose is this. I want to suggest how most of us can get closer to our heart’s political and social desire. The exceptions are those immoral persons who insist on lording it over other people against their wills, i.e., the authoritarians of any stripe.
I present an imaginary scenario. It is not meant to be a detailed photograph of a new reality. It is to suggest the concept to you as a possible new reality. I am following in the footsteps of Paul Emile de Puydt.
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Thursday, November 25, 2010
Ireland Debt Crisis and Economic Austerity / Politics / Euro-Zone
By: Kevin_Geary
As details of the worst austerity budget in memory emerged ahead of the budget debate on Dec. 7th, This was overheard at the Irish Stock Exchange:"We don't know where the money went," said the trader, half in jest, but half in earnest. "We've been debating it all morning. Cars, flat-screen TVs, Bulgarian properties? Everyone round here used to have a Mercedes. The whole country was a pyramid scheme."
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Thursday, November 25, 2010
Peaceful Countries do not Celebrate Thanksgiving / Politics / US Politics
By: Submissions
Elizabeth Young writes: Thanksgiving commemorates the successful harvest and a time the Pilgrims gathered to give thanks, sharing a feast with their Native American neighbors, who had made possible their survival in the New England wilderness.
"Come, Ye Thankful People, Come" written by Henry "Dean" Alford, the gifted Christian leader of the 19th century and distinguished theologian and scholar, is considered to be one of the finest harvest and Thanksgiving hymns in all of the hymnals of Christian singing.
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Wednesday, November 24, 2010
The Duel over the Fed Dual Mandate of Inflation and Full Employment / Politics / Central Banks
By: Peter_Schiff
Given the opposing views of the potentially parsimonious new Congress and the continuously accommodative Federal Reserve, there is a movement afoot among Republicans to eliminate the Fed's "dual mandate." Prior to 1977, the Fed only had one job: maintaining price stability. However, the stagflation of the 1970s inspired politicians to assign another task: promoting maximum employment. This "mission creep" has transformed the Fed from a monetary watchdog into an instrument of social policy. We would do well to give them back their original job.