Analysis Topic: Politics & Social Trends
The analysis published under this topic are as follows.Monday, August 02, 2010
The Trouble With Unconstitutional Wars / Politics / US Politics
Our foreign policy was in the spotlight last week, which is exactly where it should be. Almost two years ago many voters elected someone they thought would lead us to a more peaceful, rational co-existence with other countries. However, while attention has been focused on the administration's disastrous economic policies, its equally disastrous foreign policies have exacerbated our problems overseas. Especially in times of economic crisis, we cannot afford to ignore costly foreign policy mistakes. That's why it is important that U.S. foreign policy receive some much needed attention in the media, as it did last week with the leaked documents scandal.
Read full article... Read full article...
Monday, August 02, 2010
Scientists Deeply Concerned About BP Disaster's Long-Term Impact / Politics / Environmental Issues
GULFPORT, Louisiana, - Contrary to recent media reports of a quick recovery in the Gulf of Mexico, scientists and biologists are "deeply concerned" about impacts that will likely span "several decades".
"My prediction is that we will be dealing with the impacts of this spill for several decades to come and it will outlive me," Dr. Ed Cake, a biological oceanographer, as well as a marine and oyster biologist, told IPS, "I won't be here to see the recovery."
Read full article... Read full article...
Sunday, August 01, 2010
U.S. Targeting Iran, Preparing for World War III / Politics / US Politics
Humanity is at a dangerous crossroads. War preparations to attack Iran are in "an advanced state of readiness". Hi tech weapons systems including nuclear warheads are fully deployed.
This military adventure has been on the Pentagon's drawing board since the mid-1990s. First Iraq, then Iran according to a declassified 1995 US Central Command document.
Read full article... Read full article...
Sunday, August 01, 2010
Putin Watches Russia Burn / Politics / Russia
The overwhelming heat that has been raging Russia for 1.5 months and triggered forest fires in Russia's central and southern territories has become a matter of state importance. President Dmitry Medvedev held telephone conversations with governmental and regional officials and ordered to take additional emergency measures to liquidate the fires.
Read full article... Read full article...
Sunday, August 01, 2010
Global Catastrophe Alert... / Politics / Conspiracy Theory
We don`t normally mention Astrology on www.clivemaund.com because although Clive Maund has a good working knowledge of Astrology and has used it for many years in his personal life and found it most helpful, applying it to markets is another ball game and requires a special talent. So we have stuck to Technical Analysis and left applying Astrology to the markets to others. However, the planetary alignment that is set to reach maximum intensity during the next two weeks is of such immense power and has such major implications, that we would be foolish to ignore it. To those reading this who would scoff at applying Astrology to the markets and world affairs I would merely point out two undeniable facts.
Read full article... Read full article...
Sunday, August 01, 2010
What the Tea Party has in common with the rest of us / Politics / US Politics
Once again, an artificial wedge is being driven between the Left and Right as media spinners harp on Tea Party racism, deflecting attention from the critical issues that united the Left and Right under the Bush-Cheney reign of terror: authoritarian fascism, destruction of civil liberties, neoliberal deregulation and privatization, corporate globalization, Pentagon war crimes and monetary despotism. A national movement based on shared perceptions brought together Labor, environmentalists, monetary reformers and social justice activists spanning the political spectrum. Attorney General Ramsey Clark’s effort to impeach Bush-Cheney war criminals drew over a million petition signatures from conservatives and liberals alike. What became of this momentum for deep systemic reform when Obama was elected?
Read full article... Read full article...
Friday, July 30, 2010
International Community Presses Juba, Khartoum On Sudan Referendum / Politics / GeoPolitics
The international community is pressuring the Juba and Khartoum governments to speed up preparation for a vote on South Sudan’s future – a decision that will be dominated by the fate of coveted oil resources -- but an expert on the African country criticizes the lack of understanding about Sudan.The referendum, scheduled for January 2011, is widely expected to result in the south parting ways with the north after years of bitterness and war.
Read full article... Read full article...
Friday, July 30, 2010
Wall Street Gets Trillions While Workers Get Bupkis / Politics / Credit Crisis Bailouts
On Tuesday, the 30-year fixed rate for mortgages plunged to an all-time low of 4.56%. Rates are falling because investors are still moving into risk-free liquid assets, like Treasuries. It's a sign of panic, and the Fed's lame policy response has done nothing to allay the public's fears. The flight-to-safety continues a full two years after Lehman Bros blew up.
Read full article... Read full article...
Friday, July 30, 2010
The Ruling Elite Called / Politics / US Politics
I just got off the horn with the Ruling Elite. We had an emergency conference call and to tell you the truth, they ain’t happy. You little people are not responding the way you are supposed to. A significant portion of you are not getting more optimistic because they tell you to. Instead of just reading the headline on Bloomberg that durable goods orders skyrocketed in June, you actually read the details that said durable goods orders plunged. It is getting difficult for the ruling elite to keep the masses sedated and dumbed down. These damn bloggers, with their facts and critical thinking, are throwing a wrench into the gears.
Read full article... Read full article...
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Escalating Violence From the Animal Liberation Front / Politics / US Politics
Scott Stewart writes: On July 22, special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the FBI arrested Walter Bond in Denver and charged him with conducting the April 30 arson that destroyed a Glendale, Colo., business, the Sheepskin Factory, which sold a variety of sheepskin products. According to an affidavit completed by a special agent assigned to the Denver ATF field office, Bond used the nom de guerre, “ALF Lone Wolf” and boasted to a confidential informant that he not only torched the Sheepskin Factory but also was responsible for a June 5 fire at a leather factory in Salt Lake City and a July 3 fire at a restaurant in Sandy, Utah.
Read full article... Read full article...
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Did BP Accidentally Tap Into the Rigel Gas Field? / Politics / Environmental Issues
On July 23rd, Admiral Thad Allen said that the seep 3 kilometers from the leaking BP well was from the Rigel gas field: David Dishneau: Admiral, this is David Dishneau from The Associated Press. I have a question regarding that seep that we’ve been trying to, that was identified within three kilometers… And I know that the Interior Department now is trying to assist with identifying that but the AP has developed a map that shows the two old wells within the radius that you described. And I wondered if I could show you this map and you could point out which of those you believe.
Read full article... Read full article...
Thursday, July 29, 2010
How Think Tanks, Foundations, Big Oil and the CIA Undermine Democracy / Politics / US Politics
How American right-wing foundations, Big Oil and the CIA collaborate to undermine the social democratic systems of Canada and other countries around the world.
Since the early 1970s, there has been a broad international agenda led by right-wing American foundations to sway public opinion towards greater acceptance of an economic philosophy called Neoliberalism, of which Canada’s Fraser Institute has been a pivotal part.
Read full article... Read full article...
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Is WikiLeaks Release Anti-war Whistleblowing or Obama War Propaganda? / Politics / Pakistan
Larry Chin writes: Since the release of classified US military papers by WikiLeaks, the material has been aggressively spun by various political factions. Meanwhile, virtually no attention has been devoted to investigating the source of this “leak”, or questioning the agenda behind it.
Read full article... Read full article...
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Goldman's Derivatives Clearing Service: The Better To Cheat You With My Dear / Politics / Market Manipulation
Say, aren't Goldman the fellows that just pled to fraudulent dealing in financial instruments like MBS, and paid a fairly hefty 500+ million dollar fine? The company is starting a centralized clearing facility for derivatives, which may be among those mandated for use by market participants, in the US government mandated efforts to reform.
Read full article... Read full article...
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Money is the Root of All Evil / Politics / Social Issues
I just recently over heard the one line solution to all our problems: "Money is the root of all evil".
The way this sort of person talks, we should get rid of money all together. If that person picked up a book or two and started to read a little more he would properly state, "government money is the root of all evil".
Read full article... Read full article...
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
America's Vision: National Capitalism / Politics / US Politics
National Capitalism Is the Answer to International (and National) Socialism, International (Fiat) Capitalism and Any Other Form of Collectivist Mayhem
America has fought national socialism in WWII and international socialism during the Cold War. Right now, we are involved (or were involved by those who pretend to lead us) in a form of international pseudo-capitalism (essentially a form of super-socialism) generally known as "globalism". All of these economic formations are destructive of individual liberty, individual property rights, and national sovereignty - not to mention a sound currency and a solid and long term-viable financial system.
Read full article... Read full article...
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
NAFTA Has Resulted in Increased U.S. Unemployment / Politics / US Economy
Mark Vorpahl writes: On July 7, 2010, President Obama made the following remarks: We're also reforming our own restrictions on exports, consistent with our national security interests. And we hope to move forward on new agreements with some of our key partners. I've instructed U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk to begin discussions to help resolve outstanding issues with the pending Korean Free Trade Agreement before my visit to Korea in November. It's an agreement that will create new jobs and opportunity for people in both of our countries.
Read full article... Read full article...
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
WikiLeaks Exposes Imperialist War in Afghanistan / Politics / Afghanistan
Alex Lantier writes: On Sunday, the WikiLeaks web site posted 91,731 American military documents on the US-NATO occupation of Afghanistan, covering the period from January 2004 to December 2009. The release was timed to coincide with articles on these revelations in the New York Times, the British Guardian and the German weekly magazine Der Spiegel, all of which had received the documents several weeks ago.
Read full article... Read full article...
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
The Continuing Crisis in the New World Order / Politics / New World Order
Jacob Steelman writes: The crisis continues in the new world financial order with no end in sight and no real solution being put forth. Ben Bernanke, the head of America’s central bank, admitted as much in comments before Congressional committees last week. Austrian economists, investors and analysts have been saying this since before and after the global financial crisis hit the world in mid-2007. More government regulation and more fiat currency will not fix what ails the world economy notwithstanding any of Bernanke’s comments to the contrary.
Read full article... Read full article...
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
WikiLeaks and the Afghan War / Politics / Afghanistan
On Sunday, The New York Times and two other newspapers published summaries and excerpts of tens of thousands of documents leaked to a website known as WikiLeaks. The documents comprise a vast array of material concerning the war in Afghanistan. They range from tactical reports from small unit operations to broader strategic analyses of politico-military relations between the United States and Pakistan. It appears to be an extraordinary collection.
Read full article... Read full article...