Analysis Topic: Politics & Social Trends
The analysis published under this topic are as follows.
Monday, May 31, 2010
UK FTSE and Financial Markets Could be Hit by David Laws Resignation / Politics / UK Debt
By: Nadeem_Walayat
As if the brewing Korean Crisis and European Sovereign debt crisis were not enough, the weekend has seen the first internal crisis to hit the Con-Dem coalition government with the shock surprise resignation of David Laws, Chief Secretary to the Treasury after he was allegedly caught out fiddling his parliamentary expenses by funneling £40,000 to his gay lover in contravention of the expenses rules (Con-Dem Government Starts to Crumble, David Laws Resigns, Liberal Democrats Betray Voters).
Monday, May 31, 2010
Did an U.S. Mine Sink the South Korean Ship? / Politics / GeoPolitics
By: Global_Research
Yoichi Shimatsu writes: BEIJING - South Korean Prime Minister Lee Myung-bak has claimed "overwhelming evidence" that a North Korean torpedo sank the corvette Cheonan on March 26, killing 46 sailors. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton claimed that there’s "overwhelming evidence" in favor of the theory that North Korea sank the South Korean Navy warship Cheonan. But the articles of proof presented so far by military investigators to an official inquiry board have been scanty and inconsistent.
Monday, May 31, 2010
The Korean Crisis Breaking News, Cui Bono? / Politics / GeoPolitics
By: F_William_Engdahl
The alleged North Korean sinking of a South Korean boat in March has dramatically escalated tensions between north and south Korea. It has also caused a reversal of a planned Japanese government push to close the US military base on Okinawa. The major question in the bizarre affair is Cui Bono?
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Kyrgyzstan’s ‘Roza Revolution’—Cui Bono? Geopolitics of Central Asia / Politics / GeoPolitics
By: F_William_Engdahl
Part I: Kyrgyzstan as a Geopolitical Pivot
The remote Central Asian country of Kyrgyzstan is what Britain’s Halford Mackinder might call a geopolitical ‘pivot’—a land that, owing to its geographical characteristics, holds a pivotal position in Great Power rivalries.
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Sunday, May 30, 2010
North Korea Crisis and the World Economy / Politics / GeoPolitics
By: Brian_Bloom
The reader should understand that this analyst is neither a maverick nor an agitator. All he is interested in is “The Truth”. Investor confidence across the Western Markets appears to him to be on the brink of collapse – an outcome which he has recognized for some years was a possibility based on the emerging facts. He is on record as having made consistent references to this possibility in his various blogs over a period of several years. He is also on record as having been focusing on what might be done by society’s leaders to extricate society from a dysfunctional world economy, should a collapse in world markets materialize.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Oily Politics Led to BP Gulf Environmental Disaster / Politics / Environmental Issues
By: Walter_Brasch
Gov. Bobby Jindal (R-La.) had a good idea to slow or stop the Gulf Coast oil spill from reaching shore. Build artificial barrier islands, he told the federal government. He wanted the Army Corps of Engineers to dredge the Gulf of Mexico and the Mississippi River to strengthen and connect the existing barrier islands. The $350 million plan, which Jindal demanded be paid for by BP Oil, would establish an 80–85 mile barrier, about 200 feet wide and six feet high. The barriers would also protect the marshlands, the federal wildlife preserves, and a fragile ecosystem.Read full article... Read full article...
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Con-Dem Government Starts to Crumble, David Laws Resigns, Liberal Democrats Betray Voters / Politics / UK Politics
By: Nadeem_Walayat
David Laws, the Chief Security to the Treasury, charged with the responsibility of implementing huge and swinging public spending cuts as well as input into mega- tax rises as part of the emergency budget due on 22nd June 2010 has resigned after he was caught out allegedly fiddling his expenses by funneling an estimated £40,000 to his BOYFRIEND.
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Saturday, May 29, 2010
Glenn Beck and Co. Cashing in through Scare Tactics / Politics / Mainstream Media
By: Mike_Stathis
It seems as if the new trend in modern America is to use scare tactics as a way to sell the sheep.
It worked for President Bush when he warned of Saddam’s WMDs.
It also worked for Paulson when he shoved the unconstitutional banking and auto bailouts (TARP and other taxpayer funds) down the throats of U.S. taxpayers. (1) (2) (3) (4)
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Friday, May 28, 2010
Credit Storm in Europe, Politics on Capital Hill / Politics / Credit Crisis 2010
By: Mike_Whitney
Credit market turmoil in the Eurozone has ignited frenzied trading on global markets. On Tuesday, shares tumbled nearly 300 points on the Dow Jones before launching an unconvincing 257-point late-day comeback. Wednesday the mayhem continued; all the major indexes seesawed wildly as positive news on durable goods was nixed by reports on wobbly EU banks. Erratic selling pushed the S&P down to 1,067 while the Dow slipped below 10,000 for the first time since February 7.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Why Bank Regulators Can’t Tell A Dead Parrot From A “Resting” One / Politics / Market Regulation
By: Andrew_Butter
Caught this one via Edward Harrison on the tedious business of bank regulation, capital adequacy, and other such delightful subjects, ideal for anyone who can stomach more discussion on something that many (particularly central banks and regulators), would prefer to be just swept under the carpet.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Californian Cities L.A., Antioch Going Bankrupt / Politics / US Debt
By: Mike_Shedlock
Bankruptcy talk is heating up in California with the city of Antioch on the front burner. Please consider Bankruptcy talk spreads among California municipal officials.
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Friday, May 28, 2010
Mysterious Money Supply Discrepancies, Government Cover-up Full Horror / Politics / Money Supply
By: LewRockwell
Richard Daughty writes: Being an inveterate conspiracy theorist who is absolutely convinced that the government is full of morons, lunatics and traitors, not to mention legions of hired goons with badges, and who have, I maintain, been hovering above my house in an invisible helicopter to shoot thought-control rays into my brain all the time (zzzt!) so that now all I can hear is voices in my head urging me to “Burn! Burn everything!”
Thursday, May 27, 2010
The Fine Print of Central Banking Money Printing / Politics / Central Banks
By: MISES
Jonathan M. Finegold Catalan writes: Since the rise of Hugo Chavez, Venezuela has become a superstar of sorts. It frequently makes headline news, whether due to some type of utility shortage, some political scandal, or a corruption case. The most common perception of Venezuela is one of economic peril. Indeed, analysts have been predicting the government's collapse since at least 2007. While Chavez's Venezuela has survived so far, most agree that its economy limps on one leg and that default is only a matter of time.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Obama Impotent As Wall Street Criminals Are Given A Free Pass And Watered Down Reforms / Politics / Market Regulation
By: Danny_Schechter
We now know that it was the Obama Administration led by the President himself who used techniques well understood and denounced decades earlier by none other than Mao TseTung.
Mao had no use for those who talked left to move right.
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Thursday, May 27, 2010
Chairman Alan Greenspan, A Fiat Mind for a Fiat Age / Politics / Central Banks
By: Fred_Sheehan
A speech delivered at the Ludwig von Mises Institute Conference: "Austrian Economics and the Financial Markets," held at the University Club in New York City, May 22, 2010. Comments in brackets and italics were cut from talk due to time constraints. The speech can be heard in the "Interviews" section of the AuContrarian.com website, and, on the Ludwig von Mises website along with those of other conference speakers.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
The Tobin Tax Plan Wall Street Hates … But Can’t Seem to Kill / Politics / Market Regulation
By: Money_Morning
Martin Hutchinson writes:
German Chancellor Angela Merkel recently came out in favor of a "Tobin tax" - a small tax on financial transactions, proportionate to the size of the transaction. The Tobin tax idea also has been proposed by Britain's former prime minister, Gordon Brown, and was proposed in Congress by U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-OR.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
What's Really Wrong with the U.S. Health Care Industry / Politics / Healthcare Sector
By: Vijay_Boyapati
On May 3, 2010, I gave a talk to a class of students studying public health policy at the University of Washington. I began the talk by asking the students how many of them believed that the current healthcare system in America was flawed; everyone in the class raised their hand. I then asked how many of them believed that the recently passed healthcare legislation, supported by President Obama, was a step in the right direction in reforming America's healthcare system. Once again, everyone raised their hand.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Property Rights, Liberty, and Immigration / Politics / US Politics
By: LewRockwell
Glenn Jacobs writes: Libertarian philosophy is based on the concept of self-ownership. Human beings own themselves. When we rightfully acquire property, either by making first claim to that property (homesteading) or through voluntary transfer with another person or persons, that property becomes part of our lives, and thus we lay claim to ownership of that property as we would our own bodies.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Television, The Reason Why Asia Will Overtake America / Politics / US Politics
By: Gary_North
Asians manufacture cheap televisions and sophisticated home theater audio systems. Americans buy them. Then we use them, expensively. The cost in forfeited productivity of watching television is greater than any other single waste factor in the West's economy. The only thing that comes close is Web media. TV consumes on average 4 to 5 hours a day of every American's life. The statistics are really amazing.
Web-based time consumption is catching up, especially among teenagers. Teens spend between 7 and 8 hours a day on media-related leisure.
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Wednesday, May 26, 2010
U.S. Recession Breeds Escalating Violent Crime / Politics / US Politics
By: Janet_Tavakoli
The Wall Street Journal reported that violent crime is down in the big cities in the U.S., saying this breaks the pattern between economic downturns and an increase in crime. Supposedly this is because policing has advanced, not because human nature has changed. I do not believe the article is plausible.
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