Analysis Topic: Politics & Social Trends
The analysis published under this topic are as follows.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Obama, McCain and Your 2009 Income Tax Bill / Politics / US Politics
By: Money_and_Markets
Nilus Mattive writes: With the national conventions behind us, and a series of debates now on the horizon, today I want to give you a little preview of what each of the two major party's candidates might do to our tax bills in 2009.
Before we go any further, I want to make something absolutely clear: I'm not endorsing either candidate's platform. I don't think they go nearly far enough in terms of true reform.
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Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Russian Strategic Bombers in Washington's Backyard / Politics / New Cold War
By: STRATFOR
SummaryTwo Russian Tu-160 “Blackjack” strategic bombers reportedly landed in Venezuela on Sept. 10. If this is a Russian military foray into the Caribbean, it will be the first since the Cold War. The move also give Venezuela an opportunity to annoy the United States by letting Washington's old Cold War rival operate from its territory, in the United States' backyard.
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Sunday, September 07, 2008
Sarah Palin the Fundamentalist Pitbull Wolf Killer / Politics / US Politics
By: Walter_Brasch
Defibrillator usage increased last week after John McCain announced Sarah Palin as his vice-presidential running mate and only a heartbeat from control of the nation's nuclear arsenal. But, shortly after most Republicans were shocked back to life they circled the wagons to declare she was the perfect choice. Apparently, the cure also included a dose of psychotropic drugs as well.Read full article... Read full article...
Sunday, September 07, 2008
Dick Cheney Seeks War on Russia / Politics / New Cold War
By: Ian_Brockwell
Following a three-day visit to former Soviet States Azerbaijan, Georgia and Ukraine, Dick Cheney continued his thinly disguised threats against Russia and sought backing for stronger action against a country that was forced to defend its citizens recently, following an attack by US ally Georgia.Read full article... Read full article...
Sunday, September 07, 2008
Fiscal Stupidity, Unintelligence in Federal Intelligence Agencies / Politics / US Politics
By: Joel_S_Hirschhorn
The Bush administration has found yet another way to waste taxpayer money while providing huge sums to private contractors. According to a survey of activities in 2007 by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, about a third of the federal professional intelligence workforce now consists of contractors, mostly in the Washington, DC area.Read full article... Read full article...
Friday, September 05, 2008
Russo-Georgian War Aftermath Impact on Financial Markets / Politics / Global Financial System
By: STRATFOR
A redefinition of Russia has taken place — rather jarringly — following its war with Georgia, and the entire world is reassessing its position and relations with the resurgent power. This reassessment includes financial factors — a much more tender area for today's Russia than for the Soviet Union, because Russia's large economy is tied into the global economy. Read full article... Read full article...
Thursday, September 04, 2008
Fundamental Geopolitics of Russia, Europe and USA / Politics / New Cold War
By: F_William_Engdahl
As details of the larger strategic picture emerge over what is at stake in the Georgia and larger Caucasus crisis it is becoming clearer that Moscow is determined to roll back not to the borders of Stalin and the Cold War of 1948. What Putin and now Medvedev have begun is a process of defusing the highly dangerous NATO expansion, led by the Washington warhawks since the end of the Cold War in 1990. Had events progressed as Washington had planned up until the surprise rejection of NATO membership from no less than ten European NATO member countries, including Germany and France at the April NATO Summit, Georgia would today have been in the admission process to NATO-ization along with Ukraine. Read full article... Read full article...
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
UK Frontline Charities Being Annihilated by Bureaucrats as Government Panics / Politics / UK Politics
By: Nadeem_Walayat
In a week in which government minster's were circulating reports that the fast developing economic downturn would lead to an
"upward pressure on acquisitive crime", property crime, a surge in support for the far right and racist elements as well as an
increase in the support for radical Islamic fundamentalist groups from people on the receiving end of racism and unemployment as well as a general outbreak of lawlessness as the country experienced during the 1980's economic depression emanating form within the deprived areas of Britain.Read full article... Read full article...
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
New Cold War and the Threat to Corporate Security / Politics / New Cold War
By: STRATFOR
A lot has been written about last month's conflict between Russia and Georgia, and the continuing tensions in the region. Certainly, there were many important lessons to be gleaned from the conflict relating to the Russian military , Russian foreign policy and the broader geopolitical balance of power .
One facet of the Russian operations in Georgia that has been somewhat overlooked is the intelligence aspect. Clearly, the speed with which the Russian military responded to the Georgian invasion of South Ossetia indicates that they were not caught off guard. They knew in advance what the Georgians were planning and had time to prepare their troops for a quick response to the Georgian offensive.
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Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Russia Takes Strategic Advantage From America's War Against Islamic World / Politics / New Cold War
By: STRATFOR
The United States has been fighting a war in the Islamic world since 2001. Its main theaters of operation are in Afghanistan and Iraq, but its politico-military focus spreads throughout the Islamic world, from Mindanao to Morocco. The situation on Aug. 7, 2008, was as follows:Read full article... Read full article...
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
America's High Stakes Gamble with Russia / Politics / New Cold War
By: Stephen_Lendman
Prior to entering WW II, US strategists had a clear aim in mind at its conclusion - to hold unchallengeable power in a new post-war global system: military, economic and political in a "Grand Area" encompassing the West and Far East. Essentially most parts outside the communist bloc and exploiting it under disarming rhetoric like being "selfless advocates of freedom for colonial peoples (and an) enemy of imperialism." Championing "world peace (also) through multinational control." Read full article... Read full article...
Monday, September 01, 2008
Governments Cheat Creditors by Devaluing Currencies / Politics / Fiat Currency
By: Dr_Ron_Paul
Many who agree with me on a lot of other issues, do not understand my enthusiasm for gold and sound money or why I spend so much time studying and talking about monetary policy. It's true that I talk about money differently than most, but the fact is sound money offers many benefits. For example - peace. Read full article... Read full article...
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Conventions Lose TV Networks Appeal / Politics / US Politics
By: Walter_Brasch
During the time that Bill Clinton was rocking the Democratic convention, ABC, CBS, and Fox were showing re-runs, NBC was showing the second hour of “America’s Got Talent,” and the CW was showing the second season finale of “Pussycat Dolls Present: Girlicious.”Less than two decades ago, the networks gave the conventions gavel-to-gavel coverage. This year, the networks are giving only four hours prime time coverage to each convention.
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Friday, August 29, 2008
Al-Qeeda 2.0 Threat level Heats Up / Politics / Al-Qeeda
By: STRATFOR
Summer brings with it rumors of attacks on the U.S. homeland. Currently, we are hearing unconfirmed word of plans in place for jihadists to be dispatched from Pakistan to conduct coordinated suicide attacks against soft targets in as many as 10 U.S. cities.
This year, the rumors seem to be emerging a little later and with a little less fanfare than last year, when we saw a number of highly publicized warnings, such as that from Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and a National Intelligence Estimate saying al Qaeda was gaining strength. Last year also brought warnings from a former Israeli counterterrorism official that al Qaeda was planning a simultaneous attack against five to seven American cities, and of a dirty bomb attack against New York.
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Thursday, August 28, 2008
Kosovo Independence at the Heart of Georgia Russia Crisis / Politics / New Cold War
By: STRATFOR
The Russo-Georgian war was rooted in broad geopolitical processes. In large part it was simply the result of the cyclical reassertion of Russian power. The Russian empire — czarist and Soviet — expanded to its borders in the 17th and 19th centuries. It collapsed in 1992. The Western powers wanted to make the disintegration permanent. It was inevitable that Russia would, in due course, want to reassert its claims. That it happened in Georgia was simply the result of circumstance. Read full article... Read full article...
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Democrats in Denver Should Read the American Monetary Act / Politics / US Politics
By: Richard_C_Cook
How are things going at the Democratic Party National Convention in Denver this week?
Are they talking about the fact that the Western world is run by an international financial elite headquartered in London, the financial capitals of mainland Europe (such as Frankfurt, Hamburg, Amsterdam, Paris, and Milan), and, of course, New York City?
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Saturday, August 23, 2008
Al-Qeeda Targets Pakistan for Total War / Politics / Pakistan
By: Anwaar_Hussain
Whoever started it, however we got involved in it, the time for blame game is long past. This is our battle now and this is a battle to the death.
In the four days after General Musharraf resigned from Pakistan's presidency, more than 130 innocent people have been blown to bits in just two suicide bombings across the country. Scores of others have been maimed for life. The message from the God-men is clear. It is Pakistan they are after; its governments, democratic or autocratic, be damned.
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Saturday, August 23, 2008
World Seeks Geo-political Balance as Americans Remain Indifferent to Iraq War / Politics / GeoPolitics
By: Michael_T_Bucci
I must take issue with the common assumption that a majority of Americans were and are opposed to the Iraq war, or are in large measure "anti-war". While it is true that the Democrat party winning majorities in both houses generated this conception in 2006, this victory had much to do with protesting George Bush on numerous issues, one being Iraq .Read full article... Read full article...
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Pakistan Geopolitics: The Implications of Musharraf's Resignation / Politics / Pakistan
By: STRATFOR
Kamran Bokhari writes: Pervez Musharraf, who ruled Pakistan for nearly nine years, was forced to resign Monday in the face of moves by the South Asian country's recently elected coalition government to impeach him. Musharraf's resignation has been a long time coming, with stops along the way over the last nine months during which he was forced to give up control over the military and then the government.Read full article... Read full article...
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
The Real New World Order / Politics / New World Order
By: STRATFOR
On Sept. 11, 1990, U.S. President George H. W. Bush addressed Congress. He spoke in the wake of the end of Communism in Eastern Europe, the weakening of the Soviet Union, and the invasion of Kuwait by Saddam Hussein. He argued that a New World Order was emerging: “A hundred generations have searched for this elusive path to peace, while a thousand wars raged across the span of human endeavor, and today that new world is struggling to be born. A world quite different from the one we've known. A world where the rule of law supplants the rule of the jungle. A world in which nations recognize the shared responsibility for freedom and justice. A world where the strong respect the rights of the weak.” Read full article... Read full article...