Analysis Topic: Politics & Social Trends
The analysis published under this topic are as follows.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Is The War In Afghanistan About Terror, Or Heroin? / Politics / Afghanistan
By: Andrew_Butter
No one knows how much the “War on Terror” cost so far, but if you add up the actual direct expenditure plus the economic damage, plus the cost of all the extra security, it wouldn’t surprise me if it came to more than the credit crunch cost. Of course it didn’t happen all in one go, but I just wonder whether the current malaise in USA might have something to do with that cost.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Pentagon Confronts Russia In The Baltic Sea / Politics / GeoPolitics
By: Rick_Rozoff
Twelve months ago a new U.S. administration entered the White House as the world entered a new year.
Two and a half weeks later the nation's new vice president, Joseph Biden, spoke at the annual Munich Security Conference and said "it's time to press the reset button and to revisit the many areas where we can and should be working together with Russia."
Saturday, January 30, 2010
The Fateful Geological Prize Called Haiti / Politics / GeoPolitics
By: F_William_Engdahl
A former US President becomes UN Special Envoy to earthquake-stricken Haiti. A born-again neo-conservative US business wheeler-dealer preacher claims Haitians are condemned for making a literal ‘pact with the Devil.’ Venezuelan, Nicaraguan, Bolivian, French and Swiss rescue organizations accuse the US military of refusing landing rights to planes bearing necessary medicines and urgently needed potable water to the millions of Haitians stricken, injured and homeless.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Obama Threatens to Push Economy Over the Edge, the Precarious State of Our Union / Politics / US Politics
By: Peter_Schiff
In this week's much anticipated State of the Union address, President Obama again demonstrated his poor understanding of the fundamental problems that confront our nation. By following the advice of the same people who helped guide our economy to the precipice of total collapse, Obama now threatens to push it over the edge.
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Friday, January 29, 2010
More Government in the Financial Sector to Save Capitalism / Politics / Market Regulation
By: Vitaliy_Katsenelson
I am a Capitalist Pig, and proud of it, thus you would not expect me to support government interference and more strenuous regulation of financial institutions – after all, capitalism (free markets) and tight regulation don't mix well. Well, at the risk of been kicked out of the Capitalistic Pig Party, I am in support of tighter regulation of too-big-to-fail (TBTF) institutions – the likes of Citigroup, JPMorgan, Bank America, and (God forbid; after all, they are doing “God’s work” – their CEO’s words, not mine) Goldman Sachs.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Banks Under Attack From Washington, The Impact on You / Politics / Market Regulation
By: Mike_Larson
These days, the financial industry’s locus of power can’t be found in London. It’s not in New York City. Frankfurt? Tokyo? Davos, Switzerland? Nope, nope, and nope.
The real decisions that impact the capital markets are being made in Washington. And they’re sometimes being made by politicians who don’t really have a clue about how the industry works, or what unintended consequences their actions may have. If that doesn’t scare you, I don’t know what will.
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Friday, January 29, 2010
The FDA Ensuring the Next Disaster in the U.S. / Politics / Healthcare Sector
By: Mike_Stathis
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is like many federal regulatory bodies that were established for the sole purpose of protecting U.S. consumers.
As you might imagine, like other regulatory bodies, a properly functioning FDA is critical for ensuring the nation’s health and safety.
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Friday, January 29, 2010
AIG Secret Deals Conspiracy Starting to Unravel / Politics / Market Manipulation
By: Mike_Shedlock
David Reilly at BusinessWeek takes dead aim at Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and the New York Fed in Secret Banking Cabal Emerges From AIG Shadows.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Save the Middle Class Whilst Fixing the Banks For Good / Politics / Credit Crisis 2010
By: Michael_Pento
While I’m disgusted with the level of banker’s bonuses and with the obscene leverage practices financial institutions undertook, I do not think the answer to how we clean up them up now is to pile on yet more regulation. To be sure, banks that helped bring down the world economy and then subsequently got bailed out by the taxpayers should not be making billions of dollars in bonuses, especially while the middle class is suffering so greatly. And if we’re going to keep the FDIC in effect, a certain amount of regulation is required to protect taxpayer-backed deposits. But the real remedy does not rest with government, as it was their consistent meddling with markets that engendered the crisis to begin with.
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Thursday, January 28, 2010
Paul Volcker Financial Sector Reform Plan Sparks Split Between JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs / Politics / Market Regulation
By: Bob_Chapman
Paul Volcker is back and things are about to change in Washington. A split has occurred between the paper forces of Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan Chase. Mr. Volcker represents Morgan interests. The Morgan side is tired of Goldman’s greed and arrogance. Volcker cannot be called old school or anachronistic. He represents sanity in an insane financial world even though he is an integral and powerful part of the elitist structure. He represents a change in gears and approach.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Why the Volcker Banking Crisis Plan Doesn’t Go Far Enough / Politics / Market Regulation
By: Money_Morning
Martin Hutchinson writes: I don't often agree with the Obama administration. So I have to say that I was surprised when I heard it had a plan to reduce the risk of another banking crisis. It wants to prohibit banks that are protected by deposit insurance from engaging in risky, proprietary trading, and it wants to break up some of the very largest banks.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Geithner Cry's Crocodile Tears at Hearing on AIG Bailout / Politics / Credit Crisis Bailouts
By: Submissions
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner's opening statement at the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform's hearing to examine the collapse and federal rescue of American International Group. He basically covers his back from hiding the truth whilst acting as President of the New York Fed.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Barclays Blood Diamond Tells Taxpayers to Go F' Themselves / Politics / Market Manipulation
By: Submissions
Bob Diamond tells CNBC that he does not support or expect any significant regulation of the banking sector including too big to fail banks being broken up or that big is bad.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Bernanke's Burn Notice, Why Now? Research Reveals Insight Into Fed Chairman's Popularity / Politics / Deflation
By: EWI
Like a spy who gets a burn notice, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke has suddenly lost his support.
Bernanke has gone from being Time magazine's Man of the Year in 2009 to … what? A Fed chairman embroiled in a controversial reconfirmation process before U.S. Congress. Why the sudden turnaround in his fortunes?
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Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Rule By The Rich / Politics / US Politics
By: Paul_Craig_Roberts
The election of Republican Scott Brown to the U.S. Senate by Democratic voters in Massachusetts sends President Obama a message. Voters perceive that Obama’s administration has morphed into a Bush-Cheney government. Obama has reneged on every promise he made, from ending wars, to closing Gitmo, to providing health care for Americans, to curtailing the domestic police state, to putting the interests of dispossessed Americans ahead of the interests of the rich banksters who robbed Americans of their homes and pensions.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Is a U.S. Debt Default Inevitable? / Politics / US Debt
By: Submissions
Patrick J. Buchanan write: We were blindsided. We never saw it coming.
So said Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein of the financial crisis of 2008. He likened its probability to four hurricanes hitting the East Coast in a single season.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Obama's State of the Union Address 2010 Rhetoric, Economic Euphemisms and Internal Contradictions / Politics / US Politics
By: Michael_Hudson
The State of the Union address is in danger of purveying the usual euphemisms. I expect Mr. Obama to brag that he has overseen a recovery. But can there be any such thing as a jobless recovery? What has recovered are stock market averages and Wall Street bonuses, not disposable personal income or discretionary spending after paying debt service.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
What Should We Make of Obama's "Spending Freeze" / Politics / US Economy
By: Washingtons_Blog
The big news today is Obama's proposed "spending freeze".
Fiscal liberals say this cuts spending at the exact time that we most need to increase it.
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Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Helicopter Ben Bernanke, Understanding the Chairman / Politics / Central Banks
By: Dr_Jeff_Lewis
When it comes to precious metals investing, there is no entity as important as the Federal Reserve. The Federal Reserve, which sets monetary policy and has a direct impact on the purchasing power of the greenback, has virtually complete control over inflation, deflation and the price of your metals. In the coming weeks, Ben Bernanke, the current Fed chairman, will be up for reappointment by the Senate of the United States.
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Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Ukraine's Election and the Russian Resurgence / Politics / GeoPolitics
By: STRATFOR
Ukrainians go to the polls Feb. 7 to choose their next president. The last time they did this, in November 2004, the result was the prolonged international incident that became known as the Orange Revolution. That event saw Ukraine cleaved off from the Russian sphere of influence, triggering a chain of events that rekindled the Russian-Western Cold War.