Analysis Topic: Politics & Social Trends
The analysis published under this topic are as follows.
Wednesday, September 27, 2017
Why Doesn’t Janet Yellen Resign? / Politics / US Federal Reserve Bank
By: Raul_I_Meijer
You would think, certainly if you were as naive and innocent as I am, that when you get offered the job of Chair of the Federal Reserve, you must be sure, before accepting, that you have the credentials and the knowledge required. If you don’t, it looks as if you don’t take the job seriously. Janet Yellen, who’s been Chair since January 2014, doesn’t seem to agree.
In a speech Tuesday for the National Association for Business Economics Yellen ‘honestly’ admitted that she doesn’t understand inflation, control of which is the Fed’s no.1 task (it’s debatable whether that’s a good idea). She doesn’t understand a bunch of other issues either. Those are her own words, not mine. Here are these own words:
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Wednesday, September 27, 2017
Nobody Will Escape the Coming Pension Storm—It Will Be Every Man for Himself / Politics / Pensions & Retirement
By: John_Mauldin
The coming pension and unfunded government liabilities storm is so big that many of us simply can’t get out of the way, at least not without great difficulty. This holds true not just for the US but for almost all of the developed world.
I did a lot of thinking after we published last week's Thoughts from the Frontline about the coming pension tsunami (subscribe here for free)—especially as I was reading your comments—and I wished I had made my warning even more alarming.
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Tuesday, September 26, 2017
Uncle Sam vs. Russia in Eastern Syria: the Nightmare Scenario / Politics / Syria
By: Mike_Whitney
The impending collapse of ISIS has touched off a race for territory in the oil-rich eastern part of Syria pitting US-backed forces against the Russian-led coalition of Syria, Iran and Hezbollah. This is the nightmare scenario that everyone wanted to avoid. Washington and Moscow’s armies are now converging on the same area at the same time greatly increasing the probability of a conflagration between the two nuclear-armed superpowers. The only way a clash can be avoided is if one party backs down, which seems increasingly unlikely.
Tuesday, September 26, 2017
The Left Behind of America and Germany, Europe / Politics / Social Issues
By: Raul_I_Meijer
“Forget Germany, Spain Is The Real Problem”, reads a headline. Eh… no. Germany is definitely the problem in Europe. Spain is a bit player. That doesn’t mean nothing major could happen in Spain in its fight with Catalonia, and soon, but Spain, like all EU nations, is a de facto province of Germany.
What matters in the end is how Brussels and Merkel deal with Spain. And while it’s tempting to say that perhaps Brussels, the EU, is the main European problem, the European Union is run exclusively by and for Germany, so that doesn’t work either.
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Tuesday, September 26, 2017
Why Left Wing Nuts Get Away with Murder / Politics / US Politics
By: BATR
"Once Upon A Time, In a Galaxy Far, Far Away" the left wing of the political spectrum were the vanguard of opposing the globalist warfare matrix. The anti-war movement changed the world in the 1960's and stopped the bloody carnage in Viet Nam. Judging by today's standards, that world is forgotten and the replacement culture has an attitude that preserving the empire is necessary no matter how trumped up the rationale is to maintain perpetual conflict. Choose the newest enemy; Jihad Islam, Russian nationalism, Chinese supremacy or North Korean belligerence and any dedicated internationalist can spin an argument why fighting the next war is necessary.
Tuesday, September 26, 2017
BREAKING NEWS - United States Galloping Towards Nuclear War with China Proxy North Korea / Politics / North Korea
By: Nadeem_Walayat
Virtually every day brings forth BREAKING NEWS of the war of words being played out by the worlds two nuclear armed lunatics, Trump and Jong Un) stumbling there way into a hot war that would soon turn nuclear.
The latest exchange of verbal missiles began with America's Delirious President Trump grandstanding at the UN, threatening that he was prepared to totality destroy North Korea if 'Rocket Man' would not shut his big fat mouth, and stopped threatening the US and it's interests in the region.
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Monday, September 25, 2017
Here’s Why Turkey Can’t Stay Out Of Syria / Politics / Middle East
By: John_Mauldin
By Jacob L. Shapiro, Mauldin Economics : Turkey has tried not to be involved in Syria since the Syrian civil war began.
Instead, it preferred to work diplomatic angles or prop up proxies on the ground. But unseen forces keep pulling Turkey into Syria. Forces that date back to the times of the Byzantines and Ottomans.
It appears that the Turks can no longer resist, and that their security demands a more hands-on approach.
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Monday, September 25, 2017
A Constitutional Anniversary to Forget / Politics / US Politics
By: Antonius_Aquinas
While not a jubilee year, last week marked the 230th anniversary of the US Constitution. Naturally, most of its devotees enthusiastically praised the document which by now is seen on a par with Holy Writ itself. An editorial from Investor’s Business Daily provides an example of such hagiography:
Read full article... Read full article...The Constitution’s beauty is that it not only delineates our rights
as Americans, but expressly limits and defines government’s ability
to interfere in our private lives. This equipoise between citizens’
duties, responsibilities and rights makes it the defining document
or our nation’s glorious freedom.
But America is wonderful largely because of the Constitution and
those who framed it . . . .
What we have is too precious to squander . . . .*
Sunday, September 24, 2017
Catalonia, Kurdistan, Patriotism, Flags and Referendums / Politics / GeoPolitics
By: Raul_I_Meijer
‘Tis the jolly time of elections, referendums, flags and other democracy-related issues. They are all linked in some way or another, even if that’s not always obvious. Elections, in New Zealand and Germany this weekend, referendums in Catalonia and Kurdistan the coming week, a looming Party Congress in China, quarrels about a flag in the US and then there’s always Brexit.
About China: the Congress is only in October, Xi Jinping looks sure to broaden his powers even more, and it ain’t all that democratic, but we should still follow it, if only because party officials will be either demoted or promoted, and some of them govern more people than most kings, queens, presidents and prime ministers. They say everything’s bigger in Texas, but in China everything really is. Including debt.
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Friday, September 22, 2017
South Korea Dispute Throws Wrench In US War Plans / Politics / South Korea
By: John_Mauldin
BY GEORGE FRIEDMAN : Last May at Mauldin Economics’ Strategic Investment Conference, I predicted that the crisis in North Korea would likely lead to war. The crisis ensued, but war has not broken out.
With a top US official saying the Pentagon might have to handle this crisis, it’s time to review what has happened and whether war is really an option now.
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Thursday, September 21, 2017
Why US Missile Defense Won’t Likely Protect Us from a North Korea Attack / Politics / North Korea
By: John_Mauldin
BY GEOPOLITICAL FUTURES : The prospect that North Korea could fire missiles at its enemies has shed light on ways potential targets could defend themselves. And when it comes to missiles, some say the best defense is more missiles.
Ballistic missile defense (BMD) seems like a natural antidote, and though these systems have been in use for some time—and some have even intercepted their targets—the security they promise could hardly be considered absolute.
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Wednesday, September 20, 2017
Really Bad Ideas, Part 4: US Federal Flood Insurance / Politics / US Politics
By: John_Rubino
As Hurricanes Harvey and Irma wreaked their havoc over the past couple of weeks, several interconnected questions popped up, the answers to which make us look, to put it bluntly, like idiots.
Why, for instance, are there suddenly so many Cat 4 and 5 hurricanes? Is this due to man-made climate change and is this summer therefore our new normal? The answer: Maybe, but that misses the point. There have always been huge storms (like the one that wiped Galveston, TX off the map in 1900, long before global warming was a thing), and barring another ice age there always will be. So the US east coast will remain one of Mother Nature’s favorite targets.
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Tuesday, September 19, 2017
In 10 Years, Your State May Well Be in the Same Place Where Puerto Rico is Now / Politics / Debt Crisis 2017
By: John_Mauldin
This is the first time on record that two Category 4 hurricanes have struck the US mainland in the same year.
Worse, Harvey and Irma landed on some of our most valuable and vulnerable coastal areas. So now, besides all the problems, the US economy has to absorb the cleanup and rebuilding costs for large parts of Texas and Florida, as well as our Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands territories.
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Tuesday, September 19, 2017
How To Resolve the Korean Conundrum / Politics / North Korea
By: Dan_Steinbock
As the US policy has failed in the Korean Peninsula, dark scenarios cast a shadow over the region – but could also pave way for peace. Recently, U.S. UN Ambassador Nikki Haley called for “the strongest sanctions” to pressure North Korea into giving up its nuclear arsenal “before it's too late.”
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Tuesday, September 19, 2017
A World Doomed to a Never Ending War / Politics / War on Terror
By: BATR
Are you disappointed with Donald Trump's bellicose continuing with the deployment in Afghanistan? Well, if you are not; you should be. Predicting a non-ideological President, who prides himself on making pragmatic decisions, raises prognostication to a new level of mystical proportions. Instilling hope during an election campaign seldom translates into dynamic action on every pledge made. Defending Trump no matter how many times he walks back on a promise is not the standard to judge his administration. Call him a turnaround artist if you wish, but the reality of the power elite inside the military, intelligence agencies and the state department is showing just how far they are willing to go to maintain their force of destructive rule.
Monday, September 18, 2017
The Sum of Risks – Global, Strategic, Political, and Financial / Politics / GeoPolitics
By: Raymond_Matison
Never before, not since the founding of America even including our Civil War of the 1860’s, not in the history of the entire world has a confluence of risks risen and coalesced to the degree that makes the next few years the most dangerous on this planet since monkeys evolved to walking upright. Immense risks are prevalent in America, Europe, Middle East, and Asia – essentially covering most of our globe.
Sunday, September 17, 2017
Who Has Shaped the World the Most? The Dozen Greatest Achievers / Politics / Education
By: Stephen_Merrill
As tough Teddy Roosevelt famously said more than hundred years ago:
“It is not the critic who counts; …. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, …. who does actually strive to do the deeds …. who .... best knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement ....”
Who have been the top movers and shakers prevailing in the global arena?
It is a lasting result that counts the most in achieving things in broad social terms. Never great style only, ala JFK. Seldom genius alone, at least in things social.
Friday, September 15, 2017
US Government’s Promised Entitlements Exceed the Budget Seven Times in Some States / Politics / US Debt
By: John_Mauldin
The US government balance sheet features $80 trillion to $200 trillion in unfunded liabilities. This amount stems from future entitlement program burdens that are, in effect, government promises.
No one is going to vote to reduce their entitlements. (Well, other than the very well-off, who don’t actually need those entitlements.)
Unfunded pension liabilities at the state and local have swollen to roughly $4–$6 trillion in the United States. And that may be understating the severity of the problem.
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Friday, September 15, 2017
Trump’s Path to IP Wars / Politics / Protectionism
By: Dan_Steinbock
As the White House is about to escalate trade friction in intellectual property, it has opted for a flawed, partisan approach. In mid-August, President Trump asked U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, a veteran Reagan administration trade hawk, to open an investigation into China's intellectual property (IP) practices.
The first public hearing about Chinese trade conduct is scheduled for October 10 in Washington.
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Thursday, September 14, 2017
The Only Real Europe is Greece / Politics / Euro-Zone
By: Raul_I_Meijer
European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker, famous for his imbibition capacity and uttering -not necessarily in that order- the legendary words “when it becomes serious, you have to lie”, presented his State of the Union today. Which is of pretty much limited interest because, as Yanis Varoufakis’ book ‘Adults in the Room’ once again confirmed, Juncker is nothing but ventriloquist Angela Merkel’s sock puppet.
But of course he had lofty words galore, about how great Europe is doing, and how that provides a window for more Europe, in multiple dimensions. Juncker envisions a European Minister of Finance (Dutch PM Rutte immediately scorned the idea), and he wants to enlarge the EU by inviting more countries in, like Albania, Montenegro and Serbia (but not Turkey!).
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