Analysis Topic: Politics & Social Trends
The analysis published under this topic are as follows.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Words Can’t Magic Away the Trade Deficit / Politics / US Politics
By: Ian_Fletcher
One recurring delusion in the controversy over America’s free-trade-induced trade mess is the idea that our gigantic trade deficit, which fluctuates around $500 billion a year, somehow “doesn’t matter.”
Anyone who’s been reading my column in the Huffington Post will probably be taken aback by this bizarre assertion, but it’s actually out there, all over the place, especially in the nooks and crannies of libertarian fantasy land, where any “free” market outcome must necessarily be good and any problems observed must therefore be illusions.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
The Debt Crisis and the War Cycle / Politics / Global Debt Crisis
By: Clif_Droke
Many books have been written in recent years on the problems facing us due to our nation's enormous debt. Indeed, many more could be written before the full scope of the debt problem and its consequences have been exhausted. One of the best books I've read which describes the debt problem in its simplest and most fundamental terms was written by one Richard Hoskins, entitled War Cycles/Peace Cycles.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Poor People or Old People - Who Do We Want to Help? / Politics / Social Issues
By: Paul_L_Kasriel
Milton Friedman, may he rest in peace, used to talk about the "tyranny of the status quo." By that, he meant that it is difficult to change public policy because of entrenched interest groups allied with policies that have been in effect for decades. I would argue that opposition to changes in our current Social Security and Medicare programs is an example of tyranny of the status quo. The original intent of both programs was to provide an income support floor for our retired senior citizens.
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Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Gazprom's Increasing Influence Throughout Central Asia and Eastern Europe / Politics / Oil Companies
By: OilPrice_Com
The December 1991 collapse of the USSR was an unmitigated disaster for all 15 nations emerging from the desiccated carapace of the Soviet Union.
Now, like a plate of mercury smashed with a hammer, rivulets of the former USSR member state's energy assets two decades later are trickling back under the control and influence of Eurasia largest energy concern, Gazprom.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Iran Opens Oil Bourse - Harbinger of Trouble for New York and London? / Politics / Crude Oil
By: OilPrice_Com
The last three years of global recession have dealt a major blow to American capitalist ideas trumpeted throughout the world on the value of "free markets." Wall St has been revealed as a form of casino economy, with the bankster insiders gambling with other people's, and eventually, the government's money in the form of bailouts. As the Republicans in Congress, scenting victory in the 2012 presidential elections, hold a gun to the Obama administration's head and rating agencies consider downgrading U.S. government bonds in light of Washington's possible defaulting, many ideas around the world that previously seemed implausible because of the dominance of the U.S. economy are garnering renewed interest.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
U.S.-Saudi Dilemma: Iran's Reshaping of Persian Gulf Politics / Politics / Middle East
By: STRATFOR
Reva Bhalla writes:
Something extraordinary, albeit not unexpected, is happening in the Persian Gulf region. The United States, lacking a coherent strategy to deal with Iran and too distracted to develop one, is struggling to navigate Iraq’s fractious political landscape in search of a deal that would allow Washington to keep a meaningful military presence in the country beyond the end-of-2011 deadline stipulated by the current Status of Forces Agreement. At the same time, Saudi Arabia, dubious of U.S. capabilities and intentions toward Iran, appears to be inching reluctantly toward an accommodation with its Persian adversary.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Economic Austerity, The right to know why and for whom / Politics / Economic Austerity
By: Michael_T_Bucci
I don't like an acquiescent democracy. And that is exactly what the American people have become: a people who stand in line, keep their mouths shut and do what they're told.
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Tuesday, July 19, 2011
More Trouble in Murdoch-world / Politics / Mainstream Media
By: Mike_Whitney
Rupert Murdoch's troubles keep piling up.
On Friday, Labor leader Ed Miliband called for a break-up of the Murdoch empire saying, "I think he has too much power over British public life.....We’ve got to look at the situation whereby one person can own more than 20 percent of the newspaper market....I think it’s unhealthy.”
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
10 Questions The MPs Will Not Ask Murdoch / Politics / Mainstream Media
By: Submissions
Robin Beste writes: What was it about the relationship with Murdoch that made Tony Blair feel it was appropriate to take a phone call from a newspaper proprietor just hours prior to the most momentous decision a prime minister can make: ordering the country's armed forces to war?
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Do We Have a Medicare Budgetary Problem or an Aging Population Problem? / Politics / Demographics
By: Paul_L_Kasriel
Chart 1 shows what is driving the projections of federal spending (and, implicitly, the national debt) in the upcoming 11 fiscal years - mandatory federal outlays and interest on the debt. What is driving up mandatory outlays is spending on retirees - Medicare and Social Security.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Unfair U.S. Tax Burden Falls Disproportionately on Individuals and Small Business / Politics / Taxes
By: Jesse
Although the nominal US corporate tax rate of 35% seems high, and especially so given all the corporate funded propaganda promoting more tax cuts and givebacks, in fact the realized corporate rates are relatively low both in terms of historical experience and other countries. This is because of the many loopholes, subsidies, and accounting gimmicks available to its more influential corporate citizens from the corporate friendly government.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Global Economic Crisis: Finance Is the New Mode of Warfare / Politics / Credit Crisis 2011
By: Michael_Hudson
“When I was in Norway earlier this year, one of its politicians sat next to me at a dinner and said, “You know, there’s one good thing that President Obama has done that we never anticipated in Europe. He’s shown the Europeans that we can never depend on America again. No matter how good he sounds, no matter what he promises, we’re never again going to believe the patter talk of an American President. Mr. Obama has cured us. Our problem is what to do about the American people that don’t realize this nightmare that they’ve created, this smooth-talking American Tony Blair in the White House.”
Monday, July 18, 2011
The Death of the Welfare States, We're All Greeks Now / Politics / Global Debt Crisis
By: LewRockwell
Patrick J. Buchanan writes: Departing for New Hampshire in November 2010, Sen. Judd Gregg, the fiscal conservative President Obama wanted in his Cabinet, blurted an inconvenient truth: "This nation is on a course where if we don't do something about it, get ... fiscal policy (under control), we're Greece."
Monday, July 18, 2011
The Free Market Currency Manifesto / Politics / Fiat Currency
By: Michael_S_Rozeff
Currency is the blood of human exchange. From currency arise prices, and prices are the air that peaceful exchange breathes, an air that communicates living information. Currency is the division of labor’s partner. Currency is our means to transfer labor and energy through time and space, to bring future goods into commerce today. It is that vital means by which we convey the benefits of our labor to others and they to us.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Financial Crimes on Wall Street and the Debt Crisis / Politics / US Debt
By: Bob_Chapman
Crime on Wall Street, in banking and in corporate America pays. One just neither admits or denies and lets the corporate shareholders pay the fines. These are today’s untouchable, who steal billions and get away with it. Financial institutions are too big to fail, as are their key employees.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Economic Medicine and the U.S. Debt Ceiling Debate / Politics / US Debt
By: Washingtons_Blog
The blood pressure of the patient in the emergency room drops precipitously.
The blood pressure of the patient in the emergency room drops precipitously.The ER docs have already given 15 pints of blood over the course of many hours. But the patient is still on the verge of dying.
Medical rules and regulations say that more than 15 pints of blood should never be given, as too much transfusion can cause other fatal problems.
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Sunday, July 17, 2011
Mainstream Media Won't Report on the CIA's Secret Wars / Politics / US Politics
By: Videos
As the CIA expands covert missions, it's no surprise than many of their operations go unreported. Jeremy Scahill of The Nation says, though, that many outlets are aware of some injustice carried out by the CIA and are just failing to report them.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
We Don't Need Free Trade Agreements with Panama, Colombia, and Korea / Politics / US Politics
By: Ian_Fletcher
Obama is still pushing for free trade agreements with Panama, Colombia, and Korea, albeit with the thin fig leaf of demanding they be accompanied by money for so-called Trade Adjustment Assistance, a "painkiller" program designed to blunt the harm to laid-off workers.
The Republicans don't like TAA, which has held up passage of these agreements momentarily, but both sides are still gunning to pass these agreements some time soon.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
U.S. Debt Ceiling Political Theater Diverting Attention from Theft of Americans Wealth / Politics / US Politics
By: Submissions
Dennis Kucinich writes: The rancorous debate over the debt belies a fundamental truth of our economy -- that it is run for the few at the expense of the many, that our entire government has been turned into a machine which takes the wealth of a mass of Americans and accelerates it into the hands of the few. Let me give you some examples.
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Friday, July 15, 2011
Lower the U.S. Debt Ceiling / Politics / US Debt
By: Mark_Thornton
Currently, the big show in Washington, DC, centers around raising the debt ceiling. Congress began setting this ceiling in 1917 so that the Treasury could independently issue debt. The debt ceiling is like the limit on your credit card, except the federal government sets the limit on itself. When President Nixon took us off the gold standard in 1971, the national debt was $400 billion. The increase in the national debt last year alone was four times the entire debt in 1971.
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