Analysis Topic: Politics & Social Trends
The analysis published under this topic are as follows.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Bernanke's TALF Witness Protection Program / Politics / Credit Crisis Bailouts
By: Mike_Whitney
Fed chief Ben Bernanke's new funding facility is a real doozy. In fact, if the Term Asset-Backed Loan Facility or TALF, which is set to launch on Thursday, doesn't convince the American people that it's time to take a wrecking ball to the Central Bank and start over, than nothing will. Bernanke and his co-conspirator at Treasury, Timothy Geithner, are planning to revive the shadow banking system by dumping $2 trillion into the same over-leveraged, derivatives-based garbage that blew up the financial system in the first place. All the blabbering about a "good bank-bad bank" remedy appears to have been a diversion. This is how Bloomberg sums it up: Read full article... Read full article...
Monday, March 16, 2009
Jon Stewart & Jim Cramer's Staged Theatrics / Politics / Mainstream Media
By: Mike_Stathis
I won't go into any type colorful description of the “showdown” between Jon Stewart and CNBC's Kim Cramer. If you're reading this you already know about it. What I want to talk about is the fact that this “highly anticipated showdown” was staged. In fact, it was the media that made it “highly anticipated.” It was the Hollywood theatrics used by the producers of both shows that made it a “showdown.” And chances are you feel for it.Read full article... Read full article...
Monday, March 16, 2009
Another Publicity Stunt by Obama and Geithner / Politics / Credit Crisis Bailouts
By: Mike_Stathis
It's been endless. Ever since Obama has entered office, he has continued to fool Americans by expressing his “outrage” and “shamefulness” of these ridiculous taxpayer-funded banking bonuses. Yet, the fact is that Obama has been playing naïve Americans. It's all an act designed to convince you he's mad. Yet, he has done nothing, proving what a puppet he really is. When will this charade end?Read full article... Read full article...
Monday, March 16, 2009
Obama Battling Against the Forces of Casino Capitalism / Politics / US Politics
By: Submissions
Ralph Nader writes: Indicators of avoidance are what come to mind while absorbing the various rescue, recovery, stimulus and guarantee programs coming out of the Obama Administration to slow and reverse a splintering and shattering economy. If the Obamites do not act now when the political time is ripest, to put into motion forces of deterrence and prevention, the casino capitalists of tomorrow will again be able to de-stabilize our economy. Read full article... Read full article...
Monday, March 16, 2009
The FDIC Depositor Insurance: as Rock Solid as Social Security / Politics / US Politics
By: Michael_Pento
We all should be painfully aware by now that there is nothing held inside the Social Security and Medicare trust funds but a bunch of IOUs. Monies collected from payroll taxes are treated as general revenues and used in the “unified budget.” But how many of us are aware that the FDIC's Deposit Insurance Fund works in a similar fashion?Read full article... Read full article...
Monday, March 16, 2009
America's Next Revolution, the People Seize Control of Economic Resources / Politics / US Politics
By: Mike_Whitney
My email exchange with Dr. Bede Vincent Curley
Mike Whitney: I have been beating the same dead horse for three or four years now and many people are getting tired of the endless iterations of collapsing markets, rising unemployment and growing pessimism. What's needed is a vision of the future and a concrete plan of action, but I don't have one. So, tell me, what is to be done?
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Sunday, March 15, 2009
G-20 Summit a Complete Waste of Money / Politics / Economic Stimulus
By: Mike_Shedlock
Those who expected much of anything to come out of this G-20 meeting were mistaken. The bottom line is that every country is going to do what it wants, and unfortunately most of them have agreed to do the wrong thing which is to stimulate lending. In addition, a fight of sorts as broken out between the US and EU over additional stimulus proposals. With that backdrop let's take a look at some snips from G-20 pledge sustained action on financial crisis .
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Friday, March 13, 2009
Eureka! Creative Accounting Solves Banking Crisis! / Politics / Credit Crisis 2009
By: Money_and_Markets
Mike Larson writes: Who knew it would be so easy? Who knew we could solve the banking industry's collapse by simply changing how we account for assets. Eureka! Problem solved!
That seems to be the conclusion Wall Street came to earlier this week, judging by the reaction to Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke's comments at the Council on Foreign Relations on Tuesday. During that speech, Bernanke weighed in on “mark to market” accounting, saying the following:
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Friday, March 13, 2009
The Militarization and Annexation of North America / Politics / US Politics
By: Stephen_Lendman
The title refers to the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America (SPP), also known as the North American Union - formerly launched at a March 23, 2005 Waco, Texas meeting attended by George Bush, Mexico's President Vincente Fox, and Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin. It's for a tri-national agreement, below the radar, for greater economic, political, and security integration with secret business and government working groups devising binding policies with no public knowledge or legislative debate. Read full article... Read full article...
Friday, March 13, 2009
U.S. Economic Depression: The Growing Homeless Tent Cities / Politics / Recession 2008 - 2010
By: Submissions
In Sacramento, California, tent cities populated by the recently made homeless have begun springing up in a scene reminiscent of the Hoover Great Depression era. This is yet another sign of bad economic times, and reflects the need for real change, not based on ideology but on the practical needs of the people.Read full article... Read full article...
Friday, March 13, 2009
Reforming the Global Financial System by Flushing Out the Parasites / Politics / Credit Crisis 2009
By: Submissions
Nikki Alexander writes: When Benjamin Franklin was called before the British Parliament in 1757 and asked to account for the prosperity in the American colonies. He replied, "That is simple. In the colonies we issue our own money. It is called Colonial Scrip. We issue it in proper proportion to the demands of trade and industry to make the products pass easily from the producers to the consumers. In this manner, creating for ourselves our own paper money, we control its purchasing power, and we have no interest to pay to no one." It was the struggle for financial sovereignty that precipitated the American Revolution when the (Rothschild) Bank of England forced the colonists to give up their own currency. Read full article... Read full article...
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Health Care Reform, Obama Style / Politics / Healthcare Sector
By: Stephen_Lendman
On February 26, The New York Times headlined: "Obama Offers Broad Plan to Revamp Health Care....a (down payment $634 billion "reserve fund" for the next decade) toward his goal of covering the uninsured, and he would pay for it in part by cutting federal payments to hospitals, insurance companies and drug companies." More on that below. Read full article... Read full article...
Thursday, March 12, 2009
In Search Of Economic Common Sense / Politics / Recession 2008 - 2010
By: Mike_Shedlock
I have been seeking economic common sense in high places. It's very difficult to find on either side of the Atlantic. And in the ever escalating displays of lack of common sense, the UK introduces quantitative easing to aid economy .
The Bank of England bought £2 billion ($2.8 billion) of government bonds Wednesday as the UK introduced quantitative easing to kickstart the ailing economy.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
U.S. Housing Bubble, Alan Greenspan Still Hasn't Got a Clue / Politics / Central Banks
By: Tim_Iacono
On the same day that his successor signaled dramatic policy changes that would see the Federal Reserve "take away the punchbowl" before inflating yet another asset bubble, radically altering the way financial market regulators operate in the process, former Fed chairman Alan Greenspan was readying yet another in a long series of op-ed pieces aimed at defending his legacy. He didn't cause the housing bubble, or so he says.
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Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Baby Boomers' Future Going Bust / Politics / Pensions & Retirement
By: Mike_Shedlock
The attitudes and values of boomers heading into retirement are changing. They have to.
In the wake of a stock market and home price collapse, most boomers are not prepared for the future. Let's explore that idea with a look at Is the Future Going Down the Drain? Baby Boomers Going Bust .
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Greenspan the Architect of the Financial Crisis a Glutton For (His Own) Punishment / Politics / Central Banks
By: Brady_Willett
Why Greenspan continues to try and defend his deplorable record as Fed Chairman is unknown. What is known is that the once powerful Sir Alan has seen his reputation steadily deteriorate to a level not much higher than laughing-stock. Here is what Greenspan had to say in his most recent commentary: Read full article... Read full article...
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Grand Illusion - The U.S. Federal Reserve Bank / Politics / Central Banks
By: James_Quinn
So if you think your life is complete confusion Because your neighbors got it made
Just remember that it's a Grand illusion
And deep inside we're all the same.
We're all the same...
Read full article... Read full article...
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Time To Stop Squandering Taxpayer's Money / Politics / Credit Crisis Bailouts
By: Mike_Shedlock
John Hussman is always a good read. This week, in Buckle Up , Hussman is railing about the policies in Washington. Let's tune in.
The misguided policy response from Washington has focused almost exclusively on squandering public money and burdening our children with indebtedness in order to defend the bondholders of mismanaged financial institutions (blame Paulson and Geithner – I've got a lot of respect for our President, but he's been sold a load of garbage by banking insiders).
Monday, March 09, 2009
Washington's Record as Investment Manager / Politics / Credit Crisis Bailouts
By: Frank_Holmes
Think the markets are kicking you around in 2009? Be thankful your portfolio isn't performing like that of the federal government in its role as investor of last resort. Read full article... Read full article...
Monday, March 09, 2009
Watch CNBC and Make Money, Who is Really Making Money? Part1 / Politics / Mainstream Media
By: Mike_Stathis
Maybe there's a good reason why CNBC has a show called Fast Money. If you follow the advice of these guys, your money is likely to evaporate very fast. Likewise, I'm beginning to see why Cramer's show is called Mad Money. You're likely to get mad if you follow his advice. Or maybe you have to be a mad man to watch it. Cramer, didn't you tell investors to stay in Bear Stearns and Lehman Brothers just days before the collapse? Read full article... Read full article...