Analysis Topic: Politics & Social Trends
The analysis published under this topic are as follows.
Friday, August 06, 2010
The Myth of the American Ethnic Melting Pot / Politics / US Politics
By: Graham_Summers
The classic paradigm for thinking of the “American experience” involves the use of a “melting pot” or “patchwork” metaphor. The basic idea is that the US is a single entity comprised of a wide variety of ethnic/ social groups. This metaphor in turn is used to support the view that the US is a Democracy: a place where “your vote counts” no matter who you are.
Thursday, August 05, 2010
Rating Agency Feud: S&P vs. Dagong…For Now / Politics / Credit Crisis 2010
By: Dian_L_Chu
It all started almost a month ago when Dagong, the largest credit rating agency in China, took on S&P, Moody’s and Fitch. Dagong issued its first international sovereign risk report on July 11 by giving 27 countries out of the 50 a markedly different rating than the Western big three.
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Thursday, August 05, 2010
The Making Up of a President / Politics / US Politics
By: Clifford_F_Thies
Ranking presidents is something of a cottage industry among the intellectual elite. The whole thing started back in 1948, when Arthur Schlesinger conducted a survey of a small but carefully chosen sample of historians to rate the presidents from Washington to Franklin Delano Roosevelt — the not-so-subtle purpose of which was to demonstrate that he (FDR) belonged in the Pantheon of Great Presidents.
Thursday, August 05, 2010
Hollywood Promotes War on Iran, "Countdown to Zero" / Politics / GeoPolitics
By: Global_Research
Rady Ananda writes: Seductive, fascinating and frightening, Countdown to Zero motivates the public to support complete nuclear disarmament and to fear Iran, which is conveniently the next country the US wants to invade. Framed in no-nuke rhetoric, Countdown to Zero is not-so-subtle agitprop. The film relies on conventional geopolitics to whip up conventional audiences into another conventional state of panic. Islamo-terrorists just can’t acquire this technology! This is painfully similar to what we were told prior to the invasion of Iraq.
Thursday, August 05, 2010
Poverty and Social Inequality: Should India Set Up a Sovereign Wealth Fund? / Politics / India
By: Global_Research
Kavaljit Singh writes: New Delhi's proposal to establish a $10-billion sovereign wealth fund should be treated with caution. The necessary preconditions for setting up a SWF are squarely lacking in India. Besides, the purported objectives of the fund to pursue strategic investment opportunities abroad are highly debatable.
Thursday, August 05, 2010
The Hidden Dangers of Lax Immigration Policy and Open Borders / Politics / US Politics
By: Mike_Stathis
They did not cheat the system. Most came to the United States with little money or formal education. Many came without fluency of the English language. But they worked hard to overcome barriers. They fought wars for this nation. They built this nation. They sacrificed many things for the chance that their children could live the American Dream.
Thursday, August 05, 2010
Moving an Inch Closer Towards a Free Market Economy / Politics / US Politics
By: Mike_Stathis
A few months ago, I discussed the fact that the U.S. really doesn't have a free market economy, as so many claim. Once you spend some time examining the activities of various industries, this becomes clear.
A free market economy provides consumer choice because it fosters an environment for healthy competition.
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Thursday, August 05, 2010
Major Frauds of Humanity / Politics / Fiat Currency
By: Shelby_H_Moore
Every one of us is a thief. That includes YOU and me.
We must expect bad outcomes when we are all stealing from each other every day. We have created a system of stealing and we are all complicit in it. When new money is created, purchasing power (value) is stolen from every person holding any money.
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Wednesday, August 04, 2010
2010: Humanity’s Choice As Foreseen by Rudolf Steiner / Politics / Social Issues
By: Richard_C_Cook
Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925) was an Austrian philosopher and esotericist and founder of one of the key modern spiritual movements in the West. He is best known for his books and lectures before and after World War I, when he founded the Anthroposophical Society with its present-day headquarters in Dornach, Switzerland. After World War I, Steiner and his work were criticized viciously by right-wing nationalists in Germany, which caused him to give up his residence in Berlin. Among the critics was Adolf Hitler, who attacked him in print as a traitor to Germany for his efforts to promote peace. Read full article... Read full article...
Wednesday, August 04, 2010
A Democracy Where Less Than 0.1% Control a Quarter of the Jobs / Politics / US Politics
By: Graham_Summers
Graham’s note: the following is an excerpt from The Phoenix World Views Digest, my socio-economic-political newsletter devoted to presenting what’s really going on in the world. In today’s piece I propose that the US is in fact an oligarchy in which a small handful of corporations “call the shots” via lobbying efforts and other forms of legalized “bribing” of public officials.
Wednesday, August 04, 2010
How to Look for a Job / Politics / Employment
By: Fred_Sheehan
Unemployment is stuck in a rut. One reason is the tendency to look backwards. Trillions of dollars have been spent (with no end in sight) to bail out financial institutions, homebuilders, and failing industries. The federal government is spending $787 billion on a rejuvenation plan: ARRA - the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. In the bill, $500 million is sequestered to metamorphose former credit-default swap salesmen into nurses and public health workers. Assuming the government wastes half of that money filling a new bureaucracy to administer the training, that still will be a lot of new nurses.
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Wednesday, August 04, 2010
Wildfires and Russian Bureaucracy a Perfect Combination / Politics / Russia
By: Pravda
In July of this year, Moscow has set over 10 temperature records for 130 years of local weather monitoring. Of course, abnormally high temperatures were observed not only in the capital, but nearly on the entire territory of Central Russia, Siberia and the Urals.
It would be very strange if such weather would not bring forest and peat fires.
Wednesday, August 04, 2010
How Gangsters are Saving the Eurozone / Politics / Euro-Zone
By: Pravda
Stephen Fidler writes: Gangsters, drug dealers and criminals engaged in money laundering appear to be helping to shore up the financial stability of the eurozone. That is thanks to the demand, European officials said, for high-denomination banknotes, mainly from 200 euros and 500 euros. The European Central Bank issues these bills for a large profit which is welcome at a time when their response to the financial crisis has cast doubt on their financial strength.
Wednesday, August 04, 2010
The CIA & Pakistani ISI: More In Common Than We Think? / Politics / US Politics
By: Submissions
Nida Khan writes: Drones Kill 12 Children Playing Outside'
'A Family Buries 15'
'Americans Target the Wrong House Again'
Wednesday, August 04, 2010
The American Empire is Coming to an End / Politics / US Politics
By: Ron_Holland
Tradition says when Lord Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown back in 1781 the British played this tune as they marched out of the fortifications in surrender to the American army. Whether this actually happened is open to debate but the loss suffered by the great British Empire to ragtag American forces certainly seemed to the British like the world had indeed turned upside down.
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Wednesday, August 04, 2010
Israel Interference in Lebanon, Spies, Lies and Goodbyes – Part 1 / Politics / Middle East
By: OilPrice_Com
The killing of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri was until recently widely believed to have been perpetrated by the Syrians, or at least on their behalf. It was the assassination of Mr. Hariri that led to the forced departure of Syrian troops from Lebanon as a result of international pressure and wide-ranging opposition from the Lebanese street.Read full article... Read full article...
Tuesday, August 03, 2010
Immigration, Arizona Borderlands and U.S. Mexican Relations / Politics / US Politics
By: STRATFOR
Arizona’s new law on illegal immigration went into effect last week, albeit severely limited by a federal court ruling. The U.S. Supreme Court undoubtedly will settle the matter, which may also trigger federal regulations. However that turns out, the entire issue cannot simply be seen as an internal American legal matter. More broadly, it forms part of the relations between the United States and Mexico, two sovereign nation-states whose internal dynamics and interests are leading them into an era of increasing tension. Arizona and the entire immigration issue have to be viewed in this broader context.
Tuesday, August 03, 2010
The Third Anniversary Of The Financial and Economic Crash / Politics / Recession 2008 - 2010
By: Danny_Schechter
“Those Were The Days, My Friend. I Thought They’d Never End.” They Haven’t
We live in the United States of Amnesia and selective memory. As we debate the breaking news, we easily forget the sequence of events that broke the bank and left us broke.
Monday, August 02, 2010
The Trouble With Unconstitutional Wars / Politics / US Politics
By: Dr_Ron_Paul
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.
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Monday, August 02, 2010
Scientists Deeply Concerned About BP Disaster's Long-Term Impact / Politics / Environmental Issues
By: Dahr_Jamail
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."
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