Analysis Topic: Politics & Social Trends
The analysis published under this topic are as follows.
Tuesday, March 09, 2010
Bifurcation of American Society Continues at Pace; Nearly Half Have Less than $10K for Retirement, / Politics / US Politics
By: Trader_Mark
A Quarter Less than $1K, but Millionaires Rebound Smartly
I won't get into all the dogmatic arguments that surround the massive income disparity in the US, we've discussed them in many other pieces. (frankly I think wealth disparity - rewarding generations for nothing more than having the right genes - is a much larger problem the income disparity) We must however understand "it is what it is" and Wall Street has entire thesis (plural?) built around it [Sep 7, 2009: Citigroup - America; A Modern Day Plutonomy]
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Tuesday, March 09, 2010
U.S. Addicted to Oil, An Ominous Drilling Sign for the Truth / Politics / Conspiracy Theory
By: Robert_Singer
The year is 2010 and to anyone not in denial, the industrialized nations have entered the greatest calamity the world has ever known:
- 35 Million Americans on Food Stamps: 12 Percent of U.S. Population on Food Stamps Highest Since Records Kept in 1969, and that’s before the Obama administration announced a planned three-year budget freeze on government discretionary spending. (My Budget 360)
Tuesday, March 09, 2010
U.S. Election 2010, Republican Power Bubble / Politics / US Politics
By: Stephen_Merrill
Forgetful of their own blown reputation, the more warfare end of the Republicrat Party is celebrating its looming ascendancy from this year’s federal elections. Nothing has changed in America's two-party politics, from the Republican point of view, despite the ongoing economic disaster. Republicans are going to crush Democrats in November no matter what because America’s economy continues to crumble under Obama’s rule just as it did under George Bush’s rule.
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Tuesday, March 09, 2010
Iceland Votes No to Repaying Icesave Debt to Britain and Netherlands / Politics / Credit Crisis 2010
By: Andrew_G_Marshall
People in Iceland have rejected their government's pledge to repay a debt of more than US$5 billion left by the collapse of Icesave Internet bank. 93 per cent of people voted “no” in a referendum.
Tuesday, March 09, 2010
Fraud, Mastered by the Criminal Banking Industry / Politics / Credit Crisis Bailouts
By: Mike_Stathis
I have discussed the financial industry on numerous occasions. My sentiment has not changed.
Those looking for some kind of investment “payday” should stay clear of the banks as an investment. The risk is still very high.
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Monday, March 08, 2010
Papandreou, Sarkozy, Merkel Blame Speculators, Sarkozy Says E.U. Must Support Greece or Risk Destroying Euro / Politics / Global Debt Crisis
By: Mike_Shedlock
When all else fails blame the speculators and the shorts. That is the action the Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel took today.
Monday, March 08, 2010
From the Greenspan Put to the Kohn Put: Our Brilliant Central Bankers / Politics / Central Banks
By: Fred_Sheehan
Federal Reserve Vice Chairman Donald Kohn announced his retirement on March 1, 2010. In his obligatory lament, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke was half right: "The Federal Reserve and the country owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to Don Kohn." What is good for the Fed is generally not good for the country. The influence of Donald Kohn supports this view.
Monday, March 08, 2010
Washington Must Ban U.S. Credit Derivatives as Traders Demand Gold / Politics / Credit Crisis 2010
By: Janet_Tavakoli
Congress should act immediately to abolish credit default swaps on the United States, because these derivatives will foment distortions in global currencies and gold. Failure to act now will only mean the U.S. will be forced to act after these "financial weapons of mass destruction" levy heavy casualties. These obligations now settle in euros, but the end game is to settle them in gold. This is so ripe for speculative manipulation that you might as well cover the U.S. map with a bull's-eye.
Monday, March 08, 2010
Unemployment / Politics / Social Issues
By: Howard_Katz
Well, the train is pulling out of the station. Gold has said goodbye to the $1,000 level and is off for northern climes. It is not your last chance to get on board, but it is your last chance to get on board at these low, low prices. The hard analysis of the past few months has been identifying the intermediate bottom, but now that that is in it is time to step back and once again focus on the big picture. Friday’s Wall Street Journal has an excellent article on unemployment and the “minimum wage” law, and this is a very good time to discuss this most important subject.
Sunday, March 07, 2010
Michael Moore Pleads for a Job in Obama Administration / Politics / US Politics
By: Submissions
...an open letter from Michael Moore
Dear President Obama,
I understand you may be looking to replace Rahm Emanuel as your chief of staff.
Sunday, March 07, 2010
Stiglitz, Nobel Prize-Winning Economist, Says Federal Reserve System 'Corrupt' / Politics / Central Banks
By: Submissions
Shahien Nasiripour writes: One of the world's leading economists said Wednesday that the very structure of the Federal Reserve system is so fraught with conflicts that it's "corrupt."
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Sunday, March 07, 2010
Does the Financial System need New Guard Rails? / Politics / Market Regulation
By: Mike_Whitney
There's finally some good news on the housing front, but it has nothing to do with sales, inventory or interest rates. In fact, it has nothing to do with market conditions at all. It's a story about politics and how government can work when elected representatives do their jobs. The details are laid out in an article by Dean Baker. Here's an excerpt:
Saturday, March 06, 2010
Financial Speculation, The Global Casino / Politics / Derivatives
By: Akhil_Khanna
Finance is a support function which assists in smooth running of the economy so that there is a continuous flow of funds from those who have excess of it to those who want to use it to create goods and services for the improvement of living standards of world population at large. The players in fulfilling this function are the banks, financial institutions, hedge funds.
Friday, March 05, 2010
Banks Stress-Testing Tax-payer Patience! / Politics / Market Regulation
By: Sy_Harding
Congress is working on plans to rein in the questionable activities of Wall Street, and re-direct the self-serving focus of major banks. I wish them good luck with that.
The financial firms are fighting back with propaganda blitzes aimed at raising public fear.
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Friday, March 05, 2010
Whither Financial Reforms on Fear of a Second Crash? / Politics / Market Regulation
By: Danny_Schechter
What will it take? What are they waiting for? What part of the reality of a systemic crisis that will get worse don’t they get?
How is it possible that after near three years of economic turmoil, with possibly hundreds of TRILLIONs down the rabbit hole—not that anyone is counting or apparently can count—that the geniuses who run our economy still don’t “get” that the sh*t has already hit the fan? How many more jobs and homes have to be lost?
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