United States & Canada American Review: GOP, Trade Deficit and Jobs
Prof. Peter Morici - 2/10/2012
I. GOP May Not Deserve to Win
Rick Santorum’s victories in Colorado, Missouri and Minnesota laid bare Mitt Romney’s weaknesses and the GOP’s fading prospects for defeating Barack Obama.
Romney’s advantages are money and organization. His well financed machine overwhelmed opponents in Florida, but he chose not to devote many resources to those beauty contests, and without the advantages of money—and massive attack ads—Mr. Santorum bested him by an average margin of 20 percent.
Mr. Santorum’s principal appeal is social issues and adherence to Republican economic fundamental... Falling Unemployment Hardly a Game Changer but Obama May Not Need One
Prof. Peter Morici - 2/8/2012
Democrats rejoiced that unemployment fell to 8.3 percent and 247,000 new jobs were added in January, confirming to them President Obama will take them to victory in November. American Issues: Unemployment, Romney, GOP
Prof. Peter Morici - 2/3/2012
I. Unemployment Falls to 8.3 Percent on Stronger Job Gains No Matter Who Wins, Americans Lose
Joel S. Hirschhorn - 2/3/2012
Why am I so sick of all the media attention to the Republican presidential primaries and all the blabbering about President Obama’s advantages and disadvantages for the coming election? I just cannot get excited. My answer may also be yours: No matter who wins, our nation loses. The Peace Corps, Drugs and US Foreign Policy
Taylor Dibbert - 1/31/2012
A few months ago, President Barack Obama was celebrating the “profound” relationship between the United States and Honduras. State of Dysfunction: Fairness, the Economy and Hypocrisy
Prof. Peter Morici - 1/26/2012
In his State of the Union Address, President Obama hammered on two resounding themes—fairness and the economy. South Carolina’s Verdict: Romney May Be No Better than Obama
Prof. Peter Morici - 1/24/2012
Mitt Romney lost South Carolina by failing to convince voters he has the character and platform to turn the country around. Romney’s Losing Stand on Immigration
Prof. Peter Morici - 1/20/2012
Mitt Romney’s rigid position on illegal immigration and embrace of Kris Kobach, former law professor and architect of a law to rid Arizona of illegal aliens, may well cost him the fall election even if helps him win the Republican nomination. Contemplating a Paul Third Party Run
Taylor Dibbert - 1/13/2012
Ron Paul finished a disappointing third in the Iowa Caucuses. He is unlikely to win upcoming primaries in New Hampshire, South Carolina or Florida. He probably will not win February caucuses in Nevada or Maine either. Trade Deficit, Jobs, and Insourcing
Prof. Peter Morici - 1/13/2012
I. Trade Deficit Slows Growth and Blocks Jobs Creation Romney’s Opportunity in South Carolina
Prof. Peter Morici - 1/11/2012
After a convincing victory in New Hampshire, South Carolina offers Mr. Romney the opportunity to become the presumptive Republican nominee and define the issues for the fall campaign. Unemployment Falls to 8.5 Percent but that May Be as Good as It Gets!
Prof. Peter Morici - 1/8/2012
The economy added 200,000 jobs in December, and unemployment rate fell to 8.5 percent. Going forward unemployment is not likely to fall much further and may rise again. Saving the Middle Class: Agenda for Economic Renewal
Prof. Peter Morici - 12/30/2011
The hollowing out of the middle class is a potent campaign issue. Almost everyone—even affluent professionals and entrepreneurs—want to identify with the middle class, but increasingly, the genuine middle is a tough place to be.
Since 2000, the median income of working age households has fallen more than 10 percent. With the top 25 percent of earners grabbing a much larger slice of a shrinking pie, income losses for folks in the middle and working classes are much greater.
Lost jobs and stagnant wages have put 100 million Americans—one in three—below or close to the poverty ... American Exceptionalism and the ultimate virtue
Prof. Peter Morici - 12/28/2011
Americans should be thankful that the values that define America --- personal liberty and individual pursuit of happiness --- are increasingly embraced around the globe. Do Not Mute Newt
Joel S. Hirschhorn - 12/23/2011
The trick to maintaining the US delusional democracy is feeding the illusion for citizens that voting and elections really matter. But when both major parties are owned by rich and corporate elites it matters less than most people think whether Republicans or Democrats win and control Congress or the White House. Their seeming differences are a clever distraction that keeps fooling and manipulating Americans. With the help of the mainstream media, making entertainment out of political races, Americans are deceived into thinking that elections deserve their respect and participation. USA: Retail Sales, Obama's Roosevelt
Prof. Peter Morici - 12/14/2011
I. November Retail Sales Indicate Weaker 4th Quarter Growth than Expected Gringrich and the ‘X-Factor’: Brace Yourself, It May Soon Be President Newt
Prof. Peter Morici - 12/12/2011
Effective leaders—successful CEOs, presidents and legislators—get tough things done and can effect epic defining change, because they have that “X-factor.” An intangible quality and peculiar charisma—something apart from a trenchant understanding of the issues and technical competence—that motivates people to follow, accept discomforting choices, and overlook shortcomings in their background or character. Trade Deficit Blocks Jobs Creation, Growth
Prof. Peter Morici - 12/10/2011
Friday, the Commerce Department reported the deficit on international trade in goods and services was $43.5 billion in October, up slightly from $43.1 billion in September. Rethinking US-Mexican Security Cooperation
Taylor Dibbert - 12/8/2011
Since Felipe Calderón came into office in 2006, security links between the US and Mexico have gotten noticeably stronger, the Mérida Initiative being the most obvious example of this. Funding under this program will almost certainly continue next year. On the Reelection of Barack Obama
Taylor Dibbert - 12/5/2011
If Barack Obama is reelected he should consider himself quite lucky. Fed’s Assistance to European Only Prolongs the Agony: Euro is a Cruel Hoax on Mediterranean Nations
Prof. Peter Morici - 12/2/2011
Federal Reserve assistance to shore up Europe’s sagging banks may be good geo-politics but it is bad economics. Only abandoning the euro, not printing money and Teutonic austerity, will fix Europe’s banks and economies. Comments on American Politics
Prof. Peter Morici - 11/24/2011
I. Super Committee Fails but Obama Campaign Machine Rolls On Occupy Wall Street Put Nation on Notice
Prof. Peter Morici - 11/21/2011
Occupy Wall Street may be out of Zuccotti Park but Americans ignore its message only at their peril. Deficit Talks, Endless Budget Drama: America On the Road to Armageddon
Prof. Peter Morici - 11/18/2011
America’s finances are headed for a train wreck.
By November 23, the Super Committee in Congress must come up with a package to cut the federal deficit by $1.2 trillion over ten years or draconian cuts in defense and discretionary spending follow.
Something still may be cobbled together but the federal deficit would remain too large, and could easily fly out of control. Genuine progress is not possible, because the principals won’t even accept the facts.
Democrats harp that Bush tax cuts, wars and prescription drug plan for seniors caused the deficit to swell to $1.3 tril... Jobless and Clueless
Joel S. Hirschhorn - 11/8/2011
When Americans who are the most victimized by our cruel economy still believe in something that is demonstrably no longer true, they are deeply delusional. They desperately want to believe in something once great about American society. The reality is that upward economic mobility has been destroyed, replaced by widely observable downward mobility. Some of the mostly younger jobless that have embraced the Occupy Wall Street and related Occupy efforts know the truth. USA: The Economy and Jobs
Prof. Peter Morici - 11/8/2011
I. Trade Deficit Blocks Jobs Creation and Growth
Thursday, the Commerce Department is expected to report the deficit on international trade in goods and services was $46.3 billion in September. This trade deficit is the most significant barrier to jobs creation and growth in the U.S. economy—even more formidable than the federal budget deficit, because its effects are more immediate.
Simply, the U.S. economy suffers from too little demand for what U.S. workers make. Americans are spending again—the process of winding down consumer debt that followed the Great recession ended in ... Two Paths to Reform: Violence or Convention
Joel S. Hirschhorn - 11/2/2011
By every one of countless measures the US is in a death spiral. Its political system, government and economy are hopelessly broken. No wonder that the vast majority of Americans express severe dissatisfaction with Congress, both major parties, and increasingly with President Obama. And only the wealthy elites have any reason to be positive about corporate powers, Wall Street and the whole banking and finance sector. They not only own the nation, they run it. Occupy Wall Street and Tea Party, So Much in Common but Worlds Apart
Prof. Peter Morici - 11/2/2011
Occupy Wall Street and the Tea Party is really the same species—movements descended from the same dissatisfactions. However, when it comes to reasoning through causes and solutions—Occupy Wall Street is from Venus and the Tea Party is from Mars. Alinsky, Obama: Lies, lies, lies
Ellis Washington - 11/2/2011
The Alinksy radical has a single principle—to take power from the Haves and give it to the Have-nots. What this amounts to in practice is a political nihilism—a destructive assault on the established order in the name of the “people” (who, in the fashion common to dictators, are designated as such by the revolutionary elite). Don’t Raise Taxes or Cut Defense to Solve Budget Woes
Prof. Peter Morici - 10/31/2011
Whether the Joint Select Committee on Budget Reduction reaches a deal to reduce the federal deficit by at least $1.2 trillion or stalemates on November 23, Democrats appear intent on handicapping the national economy with higher taxes and imperiling national security by cutting defense. Those are the wrong places to solve the nation’s budget woes. Perry Tax Plan Little No Sense
Prof. Peter Morici - 10/27/2011
Seeking to jump start his flagging campaign and establish his pro-growth and fiscal responsibility credentials, Governor Rick Perry is unveiling a tax plan that will not jump start the economy and is fiscally irresponsible. Numbers Justify Occupy Movement
Joel S. Hirschhorn - 10/27/2011
Feeling angry about being betrayed by a corrupt government owned by rich and corporate elites has driven the Occupy Wall Street movement. Emphasizing how the top one percent has prospered incredibly while the bottom 99 percent have been screwed royally is supported by countless data. New data show this is a global phenomenon and that even in the worst of economic times the wealthiest make out like the bandits they are, and there are a lot more of them than one percent. Fed's Tricks, Obama's Mortgages
Prof. Peter Morici - 10/24/2011
I. Obama Mortgage Program Sows another Credit Crisis It’s Time for Americans to Put Mitt Romney’s Religion Aside
Prof. Peter Morici - 10/19/2011
Mainstream Mormonism is no cult, and Mitt Romney is more fit to be President for his work in the church. USA: Trade Deficit, Jobs, and Taxes
Prof. Peter Morici - 10/15/2011
I. August Trade Deficit $45.6 Billion, Huge Jobs Killer Slash Top Federal Salaries
Joel S. Hirschhorn - 10/13/2011
Are you ready for another insane aspect of American society? Read this and get angry. Symposium—Get off the damn plantation!
Ellis Washington - 10/13/2011
Socrates (470-399 B.C.) – a renowned Greek philosopher from Athens who taught Plato, and Plato taught Aristotle and Aristotle taught Alexander the Great. Socrates used a method of teaching by asking leading questions. The Greeks called this form dialectic – starting from a thesis or question, then discussing ideas and moving back and forth between points of view to determine how well ideas stand up to critical review with the ultimate principle of the dialogue being Veritas – Truth. Pass the China Currency Bill
Prof. Peter Morici - 10/11/2011
The China Currency Bill is the most significant jobs bill Congress could pass. It enjoys the bi-partisan support of nearly 80 Republican and Democratic Senators, yet President Obama and Speaker Boehner oppose it, illustrating both are out of touch with the problems besetting the American economy. Economy Waffles, Adds Too Few Jobs in September: Dead Cat Bounce Off Terrible August Performance
Prof. Peter Morici - 10/8/2011
The economy added 103,000 jobs in September. Coming off a gain of 57,000 jobs in August, the September performance is more of a dead cat bounce than real progress. Free Trade Is Failing America
Prof. Peter Morici - 10/4/2011
No economic policy could better serve Americans than genuine free trade but open trade policies are failing Americans. Class War Winner
Joel S. Hirschhorn - 9/28/2011
Much is being said by Republicans about a class war being waged by President Obama and Democrats. In their fantasy world this class war is attacking so called job creators. All this talk is pure nonsense, absolutely false and misleading, intentional political garbage designed to intentionally mislead gullible Americans stupid enough to believe the lies. Here is the truth: There has, indeed, been a class war waged in the US; it has been going on for a good thirty years. And this real war has been won. Comments on the Economy of the United States
Prof. Peter Morici - 9/26/2011
1. Courting another Recession
Stocks are dropping like stones tossed into a summer lake, and the economy dances along the precipice of a second recession.
The U.S. economy is imploding thanks to incompetence in Washington and arrogance on Wall Street. President Obama is hardly the victim of his predecessor’s mistakes as much as his own decisions.
The Great Recession was caused by an imbalance of demand between the United States and Western Europe, on the one hand, and China and other Asian economies, on the other. The latter maintain rigged and undervalued currencies—esse... What President Obama Needs to Say and Do
Prof. Peter Morici - 9/15/2011
America is in crisis.
The new normal is not good enough. The unemployed can’t find jobs, the old can’t retire and those in between live in constant fear of being tapped on the shoulder and trust into the abyss.
Property values are lower than a snake’s belly, stocks are diving and gold—the “fear asset”—seems the only sound investment.
Thursday the President addresses Congress and is expected to propose ideas that only maintain the status quo, or perhaps do worse.
Infrastructure spending, payroll tax holidays, and unemployment benefits will only replace monies now ... White Guilt, Black victimhood
Ellis Washington - 9/15/2011
I hope he [President Obama] fails.
~ Rush Limbaugh (Inauguration Day, Jan. 2009)
We'll throw you a bone like affirmative action if you'll just let us reduce you to your race so we can take moral authority for 'helping' you.
~ Shelby Steele
Did white guilt + black victimhood = Obama in ‘08? Will white guilt + Black victimhood = Obama in ‘12? When Rush declared on Inauguration Day 2009 regarding the presidency of Barack Obama, “I hope he fails,” the liberals went wild in a fascist mob frenzy, equating Rush’s statement of affirmation essentially as a racist declarat... Economy Needs Policy Overhaul, Not More Tinkering
Prof. Peter Morici - 9/9/2011
U.S. policy needs a complete overhaul to save the economy from a second Great Recession, but instead the President promises more of the same policies that have failed—stimulus spending, higher taxes and onerous, ineffective business regulations and health care costs. Economy Stalls, No Jobs Added in August
Prof. Peter Morici - 9/3/2011
The economy added no jobs in July. Unemployment stayed constant at 9.1 percent only because so many adults are too discouraged to look for work. Jobs Report Will Offer Little Evidence Washington’s Policies Lifting Economy: An American Policy of Decline by Design
Prof. Peter Morici - 8/30/2011
Friday, forecasters expect the Labor Department to report the economy added only 67,000 jobs in August—my estimate is 63,000. Either would be much less than the 130,000 the economy must create each month to stay even with adult population growth. Economic Impact of Hurricane Irene
Prof. Peter Morici - 8/30/2011
Although, initially a Category 1 hurricane and now only a tropical storm, Irene is testing flood-level records in New York City and in much of the Northeast, raising casualty loss estimates to $20 billion. Two days of lost economic activity, over a period of a week, is almost certain, and adds another $20 billion. Longer term, rebuilding and postponed business activity will make up much of the near term impact on the economy. America and the gold standard
Ellis Washington - 8/24/2011
By a continuous process of inflation, governments can confiscate, secretly and unobserved, an important part of the wealth of their citizens. By this method, they not only confiscate, but they confiscate arbitrarily; and while the process impoverishes many, it actually enriches some. Brain-Dead Obama
Joel S. Hirschhorn - 8/12/2011
Everyone who voted for Obama should feel betrayed, ashamed and disgusted. Anyone who still trusts, admires and respects Obama is a fool. Here is my political fantasy: I wake up one day soon and hear the news that President Obama will soon resign. Praise the Lord! No Time to Panic – This Is not 2008 Again
Prof. Peter Morici - 8/12/2011
At times of peril, when all around are panicking, the person who stays calm can see the facts, act prudently, and not merely survive, but prosper. No doubt, readers have heard that before, but this is a good time to remember it. Is the USA a Failed State?
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 8/12/2011
Its credit rating downgraded (in August 2011 by Standard and Poor’s), its politicians deadlocked in a bipartisan danse macabre, it middle-class impoverished, its hordes of long-term unemployed a fixture. It has been called a rogue state, a colonialist-imperialist throwback, the puppet of Zionism. But, is the United States of America a failed state? Comments on Current Economic Issues
Prof. Peter Morici - 8/10/2011
I. Fixing Markets, the Economy Must Begin in the Oval Office US Dollar, Bonds to Benefit from Debt Downgrade
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 8/8/2011
In August 2011, the rating of US debt was downgraded by Standard and Poor's. The other major rating agencies, Moody's and Fitch, left the USA's top-notch AAA Economy Adds 117,000 Jobs in July
Prof. Peter Morici - 8/8/2011
The economy added 117,000 jobs in July. While not a stellar performance, those were more jobs than were expected by forecasters, and more than the 46,000 posted in June. President and Tea Party Win Big, the National Interest Be Damned
Prof. Peter Morici - 8/1/2011
In the debt ceiling melodrama, the President and Tea Party each had political objectives and national interests to serve. Politics won out. Semantic Propaganda Feeds Stupidity
Joel S. Hirschhorn - 7/29/2011
We would already have had a much needed American revolution in response to the tyranny of the money-fed two-party plutocracy that is destroying the middle class except for one big problem: so much of the American population is just plain stupid. Too stupid to behave like angry Greeks and rise up in the streets to rebel against the dysfunctional government. Cognitive Dissonance and the Debt-Ceiling Morass: No Budget Deal Possible until the Adults Come to Play
Prof. Peter Morici - 7/27/2011
Cognitive dissonance—a refusal to accept objective facts that define rational behavior—is at the root of impending disaster in Washington. Notes on USA's Deficit Drama and Beyond
Prof. Peter Morici - 7/25/2011
I. America’s Permanent Deficit Problems: On the Road to Armageddon Solutions to Slow Growth and Job Creation
Prof. Peter Morici - 7/21/2011
The Commerce Department reported the May deficit on international trade in goods and services increased to $50.2 billion up from $43.6 billion in when the economic recovery began. Funding the Government after August 2: Running QE2 in Reverse
Prof. Peter Morici - 7/19/2011
If the debt ceiling talks fail, is August 2 really the drop dead date for a U.S. default? Debt Ceiling Deal a Prelude to Ultimate Default
Prof. Peter Morici - 7/15/2011
President Obama wants a big deficit reduction deal—a long term solution to the nation’s unbalanced finances. Yet, what the President and Republicans propose—even if both could accept much of what the other offers—would only delay the inevitable. Like Greece, America’s finances will grow worse and worse. Republicans Need New Taxes, President Obama Does Not
Prof. Peter Morici - 7/12/2011
President Obama hardly needs more taxes to slash the federal deficit but Congressional Republicans do need new taxes to survive politically. Another Disappointing Jobs Report
Prof. Peter Morici - 7/9/2011
The economy added only 18,000 jobs in June, after posting a lackluster 25,000 gain in May. Jobs creation remains moribund and inadequate to appreciably dent unemployment, because the economic recovery is simply not gaining steam. Consumer Confidence Data Shows Second Recession a Big Risk: “Bipartisan” CBO Peddling Obama’s Low Growth Hoax
Prof. Peter Morici - 7/4/2011
Consumer confidence continues to slip indicating the May slowdown in jobs creation, retail sales, and personal income and spending continues into June. Second quarter GDP growth could be worse than the tepid 1.9 percent registered in the first quarter, indicating a second recession is in the wings.
The Conference Board Index of Consumer Confidence fell to 58.5 in June—below forecasters’ expectation and the prior month figure of 61.7.
Importantly, more and more Americans say jobs are hard to find and don’t see the job market getting better anytime soon. They see inflation risi... No Default, Shutdown Not Inevitable if Debt Ceiling Talks Fail
Prof. Peter Morici - 6/30/2011
The United States does not have to default on its debt, and the social security and Medicare checks can go out even if Republicans and President Obama cannot strike a deal to raise the debt ceiling by August 2. An American Weimar Republic
Ellis Washington - 6/30/2011
There are two ways to conquer and enslave a nation. One is by the sword, the other is by debt. Federal Reserve Ending QE2 - Much Ado about Nothing
Prof. Peter Morici - 6/22/2011
The Federal Reserve will soon conclude its $600 billion in bond purchases. Not much will happen, because QE2 was as inconsequential as one hand clapping. Lie To Me
Joel S. Hirschhorn - 6/15/2011
What is the main lesson from the recent fiascos of former Senator John Edwards and Representative Anthony Weiner? If you follow the news shows you saw a number of video clips where each of them had lied many times about what eventually they confessed to, their stupid, sleazy sexual misconduct. As I watched the videos I was amazed how good their lying behavior was, without any hint of their blatant dishonesty in how they looked or sounded. Of course, I was also reminded how terrific a liar Bill Clinton was when he went on television to lie about his sexual misconduct. Trade Deficit Slows Recovery, Jobs Creation: Cutting Trade Gap in Half Would Create Up to 5 Million Jobs
Prof. Peter Morici - 6/13/2011
The Commerce Department reported the April deficit on international trade in goods and services increased to $43.7 billion up from $27.1 billion in when the economic recovery began. Nixon and RINO Progressivism
Ellis Washington - 6/10/2011
Prologue
Despite the fact that for the past two and a half years America has been run by a president who by every historical comparison and rational critique is a socialist with communist tendencies, yet the pathetic GOP cannot effectively mount a first-tier candidate to seriously challenge this diminutive Marxist professor. Why? Because for 40 years the GOP have used the rhetoric of conservative Ronald Reagan, but the tactics, strategies and policies of RINO (Republican in name only) Richard Nixon.
Indeed, Reagan is lionized by today’s GOP and has been for 30 years since his two... Pick Your Poison
Joel S. Hirschhorn - 6/10/2011
One of the hardest truths to accept is that for most sources of pain hitting humans there seems to be nothing effective for government to do. Nowadays, those of us who do not gobble various distractions but work to stay connected to reality see two dreadful conditions. Nature seems mad as hell. Avoiding a Double Dip Recession, or Worse
Prof. Peter Morici - 6/8/2011
Jobs creation, industrial production and car sales are slipping, and consumer confidence and stock prices have turned south. The U.S. economy may be tumbling into a second recession or worse, hitting the mat for good. Solutions are at hand, but politicians—and voters—won’t embrace what needs doing. We’re all Communists now
Ellis Washington - 6/8/2011
Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery. Lessons from Euroland for the United States
Prof. Peter Morici - 6/7/2011
Greece’s finances are out of control. Its bonds are downgraded to junk; and without a German and European Central Bank bailout, it will be forced to restructure its debt. To the Unknown Patrons of the US Social Security Administration
Irina Aervitz - 6/7/2011
In the 19th-century novel “Dead Souls”, by famed Russian author Nikolai Gogol, an enterprising gentleman by the name of Chichikov, in order to raise his social status, came up with a scheme to buy serfs who had died after the last census had been taken. Thank You Cornel West
Joel S. Hirschhorn - 6/4/2011
The outspoken scholar and Princeton University professor Cornel West has been viciously attacked by many on the political left, especially supporters of President Obama. Why? Because he had the courage to call Obama a “black mascot of Wall Street oligarchs and a black puppet of corporate plutocrats.” Economy Creates Only 54,000 Jobs in May: Faltering Recovery Casts Shadow on Jobs Outlook
Prof. Peter Morici - 6/4/2011
Friday, the Labor Department reported the economy added only 54,000 jobs in May, indicating the economic recovery is faltering. Washington has not addressed structural problems that caused the Great Recession—unnecessary dependence on high priced imported oil, the huge trade deficit, burdensome health care costs, and a tax structure that disadvantages U.S. based businesses—even though reasonable solutions are at hand. Aiming “High” or How to Boost American Edge through Immigration
Irina Aervitz - 5/27/2011
As President Obama is campaigning for his re-election in 2012, the emphasis is being placed on the problem of the so-called “low” or undocumented immigration to attract the sympathies of the Hispanic voters. Home Sales, Gas Prices and Stocks
Prof. Peter Morici - 5/24/2011
On May 20, the National Association of Realtors reported existing home sales were 5.05 million in April, down slightly from 5.1 million in March but down significantly from 5.8 million last April. The Return Of Newt Gingrich
Ugochukwu Ejinkeonye - 5/20/2011
Wednesday before last (May 11, 2011), Newt Gingrich, the 58th Speaker of the United States Congress (1995-1999), but who is better known for championing a historic opposition against President Bill Clinton in the 1990s, and, perhaps, also, for leading a team of conservatives to win back the control of the House for his Republican Party in 1994, formally joined the already crowded 2012 Republican presidential primary run. He announced his candidacy via a video message released Wednesday evening. Getting behind President Obama to Fix America’s Broken Immigration Policy
Prof. Peter Morici - 5/17/2011
The United States has an unwritten but plain immigration policy. The Risk of U.S. Default and Return of the Gold Standard
Prof. Peter Morici - 5/13/2011
Gold is selling for close to $1500 an ounce, up from $258 in 2001. Trade Deficit Jumps on Higher Oil Prices
Prof. Peter Morici - 5/11/2011
The Commerce Department reported the deficit on international trade in goods and services was $48.2 billion in March, up from $45.4 billion in February. The deficit on oil surged $5.8 billion on higher prices and increased volumes. Jobless Claims Soar, Economy May Be Headed for Second Recession: Rising Gas Prices, Deficit Woes Cast Shadow on Jobs Outlook
Prof. Peter Morici - 5/5/2011
The Labor Department reported today new unemployment claims rocketed to 474,000 last week, indicating the recent uptick in hiring may be ending. It appears the economy slowed further in April, as rising gas prices took a bite out of consumer spending, and the lack of resolve to deal with federal budget woes is curbing businesses appetite for risk taking and hiring. Don’t Raise Debt Ceiling without Radical Reforms
Prof. Peter Morici - 5/2/2011
To raise the debt ceiling, moderate Democrats and Republicans in Congress may compel President Obama to significantly cut spending. Done right, that would be a good thing! Economics, Politics and Ben Bernanke’s Press Conference
Prof. Peter Morici - 4/29/2011
On Wednesday, Ben Bernanke discussed with reporters decisions taken by the Gas Prices and the Blame Game
Prof. Peter Morici - 4/26/2011
When gas prices spike, owing to Middle East turmoil or hurricanes, conspiracy theories abound about profiteering speculators. The truth is Americans are suffering from bad energy polices—politicians eager to sell pet projects and hoist blame onto others. U.S. Middle-East Policy in Disarray
Rabbi Dr. Daniel M. Zucker - 4/18/2011
Washington, DC’s recent discovery that its U.S. Middle-East policy is in tatters appears to be confined to the Hill and some conservative NGOs. Inflation Hits Money and Lies
Joel S. Hirschhorn - 4/18/2011
How do the powerful keep the US population dumb and distracted? A key tactic has been using methodologies that produce totally misleading underestimates of key economic factors. First we learned that official unemployment figures are too low by a factor of two. Now, understand that the official rate of inflation hitting consumers is even more inaccurate. You will hear about a low inflation rate of less than 3 percent. In reality, it is closer to 10 percent, according to the highly regarded analysis by John Williams. Inflation Moves to Center Stage, Highlights Fed and G20 Impotence
Prof. Peter Morici - 4/18/2011
On Friday, the Labor Department reported consumer prices were up 0.5 percent in March, driven by 3.5 and 0.8 percent jumps in energy and food prices. Getting Serious about Reducing the Federal Deficit: President’s Budget Speech Offers Little to Cheer
Prof. Peter Morici - 4/14/2011
President Obama’s plan to balance the budget was a brilliant political speech—highlighting weakness in the Republican deficit reduction proposal drafted by Congressman Paul Ryan—but it offered little new or encouraging that would correct Washington’s troubled finances. Gas Prices, Consumers and the Economy
Prof. Peter Morici - 4/13/2011
Gasoline prices are soaring passed $4.00 a gallon in many places and driving will continue to be more expensive. Unless consumers are determined to again recklessly pile up credit card debt, higher gas prices will profoundly slow other purchases and the economic recovery. Fight Economic Oppression, Target the Top One Percent
Joel S. Hirschhorn - 4/13/2011
Massive economic inequality is killing America and we the people. It has already killed American democracy. The rich have captured the political system so they could manipulate the economy and benefit unfairly. Economic freedom and opportunity are gone. Greed among the top one percent has succeeded so well that a true uprising and revolt by Americans, like that seen in Egypt, may be needed to restore America. Tuesday’s Trade Deficit Report
Prof. Peter Morici - 4/11/2011
Tuesday, analysts expect the Commerce Department to report the deficit on international trade in goods and services was $44.0 billion in February, up from $27 billion in mid-2009, when the economic recovery began. The Tragedy of the Budget Impasse
Prof. Peter Morici - 4/8/2011
If the government shuts down, the Republicans will likely get the blame but the American people will be the losers. Despicable Lies, Delusional Recovery
Joel S. Hirschhorn - 4/7/2011
The US government lies. Sure looks like most Americans gobble up false and misleading information that is nothing less than political propaganda. Take the highly hyped unemployment number for March, 2011 of 8.8 percent that moved like a tornado through the media and was praised by Democrat politicians and the White House. As if that number is accurate, as if it fairly describes unemployment. It does not. What is called by experts, such as Leo Hindery, as the real unemployment number was actually 17.7 percent, which is remarkably higher. To appreciate that much higher number is to throw a large bucket of cold water on all the political spin on the economic recovery. The Budget Follies: Demagoguery and Sophistry Reign
Prof. Peter Morici - 4/5/2011
Federal finances are in shambles, and Americans should be amused if not disgusted by the explanations and solutions both political parties offer.
The President’s budget plan issued in February projects a $1.6 trillion deficit for 2011 and a cumulative shortfall of $11 trillion through 2021.
Things may get worse, as additional revenue and cost savings from health care reforms don’t materialize and the 4 percent growth assumed by the President’s budget for the next four years proves Pollyanna.
Time and again, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and President Barack Ob... Train Wreck: Calibrating the Consequences of a Government Shutdown
Prof. Peter Morici - 4/5/2011
The economic consequences of a government shutdown can’t be calibrated on a spreadsheet with an economic model. It all depends on who wins public opinion—Congressional Republicans or the President and Democrats. Economy Creates 216,000 Jobs in March
Prof. Peter Morici - 4/1/2011
Friday, the Labor Department reported the economy added 216,000 jobs in March. After adding 194,000 jobs in February, this indicates the economy is finally accomplishing momentum. First quarter growth will likely be a bit higher than 3 percent. The Obama Doctrine Is Not Good Foreign Policy
Prof. Peter Morici - 3/30/2011
After missteps addressing Congressional concerns, President Obama has articulated clearly the goals, means and duration of the U.S. military action in Libya. Critics may say he did not address those issues, but he did and the answers are not acceptable. The Gathering Strom: Economy Remains too Vulnerable
Prof. Peter Morici - 3/29/2011
The economy picked up in the first quarter. After adding 175,000 jobs in February, economists expect the Labor Department will report on Friday that the economy added 188,000 jobs in March. However, events in Japan, Libya and the wider Middle East, and the European sovereign debt crisis threaten to reverse these gains and thrust the economy into a second recession. Wisconsin Union Curbs Settle Little
Prof. Peter Morici - 3/14/2011
Wisconsin’s new law curbing public employee unions ends the first skirmish to restore integrity to public sector collective bargaining and sanity to states’ finances. Even if other states adopt similar laws, it won’t provide a politically stable model for public sector collective bargaining. Why So Many Americans Hate Obama
Joel S. Hirschhorn - 3/11/2011
I can explain why so many Americans are angry about President Obama and dislike or hate him with passion, and why it has little to do with his actions and policies. But first I must examine the confluence of two historical inflection points that explains so much resentment and opposition to Obama. Rising Trade Deficit Slows Recovery, Jobs Creation
Prof. Peter Morici - 3/9/2011
The Commerce Department reported the deficit on international trade in goods and services was $46.3 billion in January, up from $40.2 billion in December and $27 billion in mid 2009, when the recovery began. Deficits on oil and with China jumped $1.2 and $2.6 billion, respectively, and the overall trade deficit is blocking the creation of 3 million jobs each year. High Oil, Gas Prices Destroy 600,000 Jobs
Prof. Peter Morici - 3/8/2011
Turmoil in the Middle East and elsewhere have pushed up oil prices more than $20 per barrel, and average gasoline prices from less than $3.00 a gallon to about $3.60. All the additional cash spent on imported oil that does not return to buy exports translates into lost demand for U.S. goods and services, lost growth and fewer jobs. Higher gas prices simply means fewer cell phones, restaurant meals and other good purchased that create jobs. Barack Obama and the Cavalcade of Naivete
Prof. Barry Rubin - 3/6/2011
RUBIN REPORTS. President Barack Obama told Democratic Party contributors in Miami: "When you look at what's happening...in the Middle East, it is a manifestation of new technologies, the winds of freedom that are blowing through countries that have not felt those winds in decades, a whole new generation that says I want to be a part of this world. It's a dangerous time, but it's also a huge opportunity for us.'' February Jobs: Don't Break out the Champagne Just Yet
Prof. Peter Morici - 3/5/2011
Finally, the economy appears to be delivering jobs—adding 222,000 private sector jobs and 192,000, after losses in government are subtracted, in February. Gas Prices, Labor Unrest Cloud Jobs Outlook
Prof. Peter Morici - 3/3/2011
Friday, economists optimistically expect the Labor Department will report the economy added 180,000 jobs in February. This may look like a breakthrough number but caution should be the byword. The drowned heart of America
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 3/1/2011
“I miss my work,” says John King. “I want to return to my work.” That is easier said than done. Wisconsin: Is President Obama Out of Step with History?
Prof. Peter Morici - 2/22/2011
Wisconsin is ground zero in the struggle to restore fiscal sanity to government. Revolution Handbook for Americans
Joel S. Hirschhorn - 2/20/2011
As recently presented, there is global respect for and use of the classic and brilliant work by Gene Sharp “From Dictatorship to Democracy.” It is credited for empowering many actions around the world to overthrow dictatorships, including recent actions in the Mideast. My thesis is that his ideas, strategies and tactics, a handbook for revolution, can and should be applied to the US where there is a form of corporate dictatorship operating. Budget Demagoguery: The deficit is $1.6 trillion in 2011
Prof. Peter Morici - 2/14/2011
The annual exercise in obfuscation begins—the President has tabled his 2012 budget and the Congressional Republicans are responding. Neither party is serious about cutting spending. German Takeover of New York Stock Exchange Is Bad News for the U.S. Economy
Prof. Peter Morici - 2/11/2011
The acquisition by merger of the New York Stock Exchange by Deutsche Borse is bad news for the U.S. economy. However, short of antitrust, the U.S. government is in no position to stop it, and antitrust concerns can be resolved without blocking the merger. Trade Deficit Drags on Growth and Jobs Creation
Prof. Peter Morici - 2/9/2011
Friday, the Commerce Department to reported the deficit on international trade in goods and services was $40.6 billion in December, up from $38.3 billion in November and $27.1 billion in mid 2009, when the economic recovery began. Damn the Regulators, Full Speed Ahead: the Dow Heads for 13,000
Prof. Peter Morici - 2/7/2011
The U.S. economy is growing only moderately and the job market remains sluggish, but stocks keep roaring ahead—and they should. American companies are fundamentally undervalued, and unless upheavals in the Middle East or a European debt crisis derail global growth, the Dow is headed for 13,000. Another Lousy Jobs Report
Prof. Peter Morici - 2/4/2011
Another lousy jobs report!
The economy only added 36, 000 jobs in January and that is terrible.
The unemployment rate fell to 9.0 percent, because the labor force decreased by 504,000 and the working age population shrunk by 185,000.
Despite all the Administration’s claims, things are getting worse, not better. Folks are giving up looking, and the country appears to be losing population to emigration. Many workers are resorting to self employment, not because home-based businesses offer great opportunities, but because real jobs simply are not being created.
The p... The Vacuous American Middle-East Policy
Rabbi Dr. Daniel M. Zucker - 1/12/2011
Early on January 2, 2011, Israel’s liberal newspaper, Haaretz, [1] reported that U.S. President Barack H. Obama and Secretary of State Hilary R. Clinton are furious with Israel’s Minister of Defense Ehud Barak for not delivering on an alleged promise to convince Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu to agree to the proposed three month extension of the building moratorium for East Jerusalem and the West Bank. Not twenty-four hours later, Israel’s centrist paper, The Jerusalem Post, [2] reported a denial of the first story on the part of the State Department’s Spokesman, P.J. Crowley. The Jerus... Theochlocracy and Narcissism: The Case of the United States of America
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 1/6/2011
I coined the neologism “theochlocracy” to describe the noxious mixture of theocracy and ochlocracy (mob-rule). Yet, as distinct from the former, in a theochlocracy, church and state are constitutionally separated. The power is not in the hands of the clergy, but, putatively, in the hands of the people and its representatives. Theochlocracies are often also democracies. Religion – in all its faux-manifestations – is imposed on non-believers and nonconformists by mobs and by populist collectives or organizations who claim to represent “public opinion”. Wikileaks War: No More Secrets
David Huntwork - 12/27/2010
As the latest Wikileaks saga unfolded I couldn't help but recall the scene in the film Sneakers where Martin "Marty" Bishop (Robert Redford) and Cosmo (Ben Kingsley) discuss the "code breaker.” Downgrade U.S. Treasuries to Junk
Prof. Peter Morici - 12/21/2010
With the new tax cuts, rating agencies should downgrade U.S. government debt to junk. Economists, pundits and politicians had little choice but to endorse the tax deal between President Obama and Congressional Republicans, because snapping back to pre-Bush tax rates would crush the economic recovery. But Washington exhibited not even the shadow of self-restraint and cut taxes far beyond what is needed or smart. A Hint On The Future of Obama 'Peace Process' Policy
Prof. Barry Rubin - 12/21/2010
George Mitchell, the U.S. envoy to the Middle East, has given the first hint about the Obama Administration's future strategy. He said that he will now take six weeks to talk to Israel and the Palestinian Authority to find out what they want. One idea he will present is that the two sides carry out indirect talks through the United States--essentially what has been going on for the last two years with no progress. Hacktivism for Cyber Democracy
Joel S. Hirschhorn - 12/21/2010
Because of the attacks on WikiLeaks and its founder there has been considerable media attention to the hacktivism practiced by supporters of WikiLeaks. That has been manifested as cyber attacks on mainstream commercial websites that acted against WikiLeaks. Hacktivism as retribution and strategy to gain political objectives is bound to become much more common. And considering how voting, especially from the perspective of younger people, has been enormously disappointing as a means of reforming government and political systems worldwide, that seems appropriate. Trade Deficit, Ailing Banks Threaten Recovery
Prof. Peter Morici - 12/17/2010
Last friday, the Commerce Department reported the deficit on international trade in goods and services was $38.7 billion in October or 3.6 percent of GDP. Notes From an Undeclared Cold War
Jonathan Spyer, Ph.D. - 12/13/2010
The diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks earlier this week confirm that the key strategic process taking place in the Middle East is the push for regional dominance by the Islamic Republic of Iran. The documents show that the Iranian nuclear program is only the most worrisome element of a broader effort, as there is additional evidence of Iranian involvement and interference in political processes across the region. Oliver Stone has a poor sense of direction
Mike Spaniola - 12/10/2010
Hollywood’s Oliver Stone recent sequel release to his Wall Street in 1988 reveal his penchant, if not obsession, with hastening the financial demise of the Western world, a goal shared by his fellow travelers for more than a century. Trade Deficit, Ailing Banks Threaten Recovery
Prof. Peter Morici - 12/10/2010
Friday, analysts expect the Commerce Department to report the deficit on international trade in goods and services was $44.0 billion in October or 3.6 percent of GDP. The trade deficit and crippled regional banks starve U.S. businesses of the customers and capital needed to create jobs and fire up growth. Obama Administration Gives Up On Pointless 'Freeze' Diplomacy
Prof. Barry Rubin - 12/10/2010
As I predicted here ten days ago, the Obama Administration has now given up attempts to get Israel to agree to a three-month freeze of construction on existing settlements. Here is the most fascinating sentence in the New York Times' coverage: Does The Los Angeles Times promotes Muslim traditionalist and suppresses Muslim reformist?
Kambiz Basetvat - 12/10/2010
The number of articles and their aims in the Los Angeles Times covering Islamic issues raise several pressing questions. The frequency of stories, their locations in the paper which pertain their importance, the bias writers of the articles further emphasizes the purpose of the Times for its keenly aware reader. While America leads two wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, both Muslim countries, and is deeply involved in Palestinian and Israelis conflict for its commitment to Israel security; while the US is in bitter struggle with Islamic Republic regime for its atomic ambitions, in addition to whole... Mental Ghettos Weaken the US
Joel S. Hirschhorn - 12/7/2010
So many intelligent Americans believe, say and do stupid things. When a large fraction of the population is like this, a nation rots from the inside and succumbs to external forces. I have always searched for the simplest yet best ways to explain what I see as a multi-decade decline of every aspect of the United States , especially its political system and government. I keep coming back to the inescapable logic that a large fraction of Americans, regardless of their education, economic status and political alignment, must suffer from delusion. This delusion produces denial about hugely important subjects and issues. How to settle your debt
GP Interviews - 12/7/2010
Debt settlement or settlement of your debts is a process where the creditors can help you settle half or less than half the amount of the total amount that you owe a person. Debt settlement has been in practice for centuries now to help a person especially during a financial crisis or situation. They help them by coming up with a plan so that they are able to pay their debts without facing too much of problems. The settlement amount would be close to a ¼ or ¾ of the amount that is left for settling the debt. Republicans: Compromise to Win an Enduring Majority
Prof. Peter Morici - 12/2/2010
Republicans don’t have a mandate to impose a rigid conservative agenda. Voters want less government and smaller deficits but polls indicate upwards to 80 percent want Republicans to compromise with Democrats to get things done. Like Bill Clinton in 1992, Barack Obama mistook his 2008 victory as a mandate for an aggressive liberal agenda—socialized medicine, bailouts for Detroit and Wall Street, and an obsession with race and gender on everything from preschool enrollment to judicial nominations. Like Clinton, President Obama got his House Speaker fired. Friday’s Jobs and President Obama’s Reelection Prospects
Prof. Peter Morici - 12/2/2010
Friday, economists expect the Labor Department will report the economy added 168,000 jobs in November, enough to hold unemployment steady at 9.6 percent and far less than should be expected 17 months into an economic recovery. To win re-election President Obama must improve on those numbers. Governing with the new Republican majority in the House offers him the opportunity to adjust policies, as necessary, and present himself to voters as a flexible and capable leader. Wikileaks Framed: Manipulated by State Department, Leak Intentional
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 12/2/2010
On November 29 Wikileaks released the first batch of documents from the leaked dump of American diplomatic correspondence. Almost a week earlier, on November 23, I published in globalpolitician.com an article titled "Korea: Imminent Unification" in which I stated that the US and China were secretly negotiating the re-unification of the Korean Peninsula. Some of the documents released by Wikileaks a week later substantiated this claim. Yet, I had no access to Wikileaks' information. My story relied on a mid-level State Department functionary who all but thrust the information down my throat with promises of much more to come. Has the Obama Administration Failed Again?
Prof. Barry Rubin - 12/1/2010
While the outcome still isn't clear, it seems that a new example of failure and humiliation is unfolding for the Obama Administration's Middle East policy. It appears increasingly unlikely that the president's high-profile effort to restart Israel-Palestinian talks will succeed during the remainder of 2010 or even well beyond that time. Wikileaks and 21st century Information Access
Saberi Roy - 12/1/2010
The release of highly confidential sensitive US defense information sent through secret routers and providing access to this information to newspapers around the world could have two levels and directions of analysis. The Wikileaks phenomenon could possibly represent high levels of public counter spying as all activity of intelligence officials surface for public glare and scrutiny. The Wikileaks officials have defended their position and their decision to go public with the documents reiterating that they haven’t put US or other officials and diplomats at risk. The US government is yet to be assured of this. The Big Story Being Missed & Trying to Ignore Wikileaks
Prof. Barry Rubin - 12/1/2010
I cannot urge you strongly enough to view this short cartoon video about U.S. Middle East policy, building on the Wikileaks. While it isn't completely fair--not mentioning U.S. efforts against Iran in terms of sanctions, military help to Gulf Arabs, etc--it is also absolutely brilliant at getting across the main theme. Americans Voted Few Incumbent Bums Out
Joel S. Hirschhorn - 11/30/2010
For some years a number of groups have been advocating voting out incumbents in Congress, both the House and the Senate, as a path to reform and improve the US political system. You might have thought that with this year’s incredible widespread public anger with both major parties and the remarkably low confidence level in Congress this anti-incumbency movement would have scored a huge victory. It did not happen. Truth About Global Economic Crisis: Book Review
Prof. Peter Morici - 11/30/2010
You want to read The Global Economic Crisis The Great Depression of the XXI Century, edited by Michel Chossudovsky and Andrew Gavin Marshall, if you meet these criteria: you welcome information and analysis about critically important issues that come from great thinkers outside the mainstream media and publishing world; you can handle brain pain from detailed and brutally honest revelations; you are willing and able to challenge your own biases and preconceptions to let in new explanations of how the world really functions. Have Stocks Become a Sucker Bet?
Prof. Peter Morici - 11/30/2010
With corporate profits breaking records, Wall Street anxiously anticipates the return of the individual investors to the stock market. It may be a long wait, because the little guy may have concluded investing in stocks is a sucker bet.
Investors, as opposed to traders, buy stocks in companies whose profits they expect to rise. The conventional wisdom says stock prices will follow profits up, but over the last two business cycles, that simply has not happened.
Wikileaks Confirm Our Analysis of U.S. Policy and Middle East Politics
Prof. Barry Rubin - 11/30/2010
Please forgive me for saying this, but what really amazed me in reading the Wikileaks was how thoroughly they proved points I've been making for years. I wouldn't have had the nerve to say that except that readers have been telling me the same thing. Chinese Mercantilism, Not Fed Easy Money, Are Making a Mess
Prof. Peter Morici - 11/30/2010
Ben Bernanke is right. Germany shouldn’t blame easy money in the United States for the world’s woes. Currency mercantilism in China and elsewhere is causing a mess—especially in the United States. Last week, Bernanke fingered China, Taiwan, Singapore, and Thailand for driving down the values of their currencies. Through massive government purchases of U.S. Treasuries securities, those mercantilists accomplish huge trade surpluses and jack up their GDP growth and employment. The flip side is a huge U.S. trade deficit that sentences Americans to slow growth and 10 percent unemployment. QE2 and G20 Hypocrisy
Prof. Peter Morici - 11/17/2010
As President Obama heads for the G20, Germany and others cry foul about U.S. Quantitative Easing—QE2 in popular jargon. Seldom has the G20 been treated to such hypocrisy. November 3, the Federal Reserve announced plans to purchase $600 billion in U.S. Treasury securities. Pushing liquidity into bond markets will lower interest rates on mortgages and business loans, and hopefully boost demand for U.S. goods and lower unemployment. Facing up to China
Prof. Peter Morici - 11/16/2010
In 1876, Europeans visiting the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition were astonished by American industrial prowess. In two generations, the United States had progressed from a simple agrarian society to challenge the most advanced European economies. Now, China confronts America in an historic test transcending commerce. Understanding Our Enemies
Rabbi Dr. Daniel M. Zucker - 11/11/2010
The sixth century before the Common Era Chinese philosopher-general Sun Tzu, author of The Art of War [1], emphasized the importance of understanding one’s enemy. That is a rule of warfare that we ignore at great peril to our success and ultimately to the preservation of our freedom. In our ongoing war with Islamic radical fundamentalism, it appears that our political leadership fails to grasp the significance of the ideology of both Sunni and Shiite radical fundamentalists. [2] Our ability to defeat al-Qaeda and other Sunni radicals, as well as to defeat the Shiite Islamic Republic of Iran (... Now, to Fix the Economy!
Prof. Peter Morici - 11/7/2010
American capitalism is broken, and little that newly empowered Republicans and surviving Democrats offer is likely to fix it. American prosperity was built on technology, fair competition and sound finance. From Thomas Edison to Steve Jobs, America was repeatedly transformed by inventors coming up with new products, raising capital and earning fortunes in the marketplace. In established lines, intense competition compelled American enterprises to make and move goods more effectively than businesses abroad. When American companies came up short, foreign competitors like Toyota came here, and domestic businesses like Ford reinvented themselves to re-challenge foreign rivals. What's The Model For Our Lifetimes: World War Or Cold War?
Prof. Barry Rubin - 11/7/2010
It has become fashionable to compare the current situation in the world with the experiences of Nazism and World War Two. There are some parallels, of course, worth exploring. But a more likely model for the next period in world history is more likely to be that of the Soviet Union and the Cold War. U.S. Elections and the Middle East: How Many Barack Obamas Do You Need to Change a Light Bulb?
Prof. Barry Rubin - 11/6/2010
What effect will the congressional elections have on U.S. foreign policy generally and Middle East policy in particular? The Day Barack Obama, Narcissist Snaps and Loses It
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 10/31/2010
His domestic policy agenda hotly disputed and resented by large swathes of the electorate, Obama has become an albatross on the neck of a hitherto adulating Democratic Party. Come November 2010, he is bound to suffer a resounding rebuke at the polls – this on top of an unprecedented drop in his approval ratings. In July 2008, I was the first to suggest that Barack Obama may be a narcissist and may well be afflicted with Narcissistic Personality Disorder: a pernicious and all-pervasive mental health problem. By now this has become accepted wisdom: Obama is being labeled "narcissist" by pundits and mental health practitioners alike. Leaders of the Developed World Need to Focus on Growth, Not Rhetoric
Michael Trinkle - 10/14/2010
Another earnings season has come and gone, and another is quickly approaching. While corporate leaders will surely espouse their prowess at cutting costs and producing after tax earnings like never before, their track record in the developed countries of the world will most likely remain lackluster. Corporations, at least the multi-national ones, are not too terribly bothered by domestic issues when it comes to producing profits for their shareholders. Most all have gravitated in the direction of Asia and Brazil because that is where the growth is these days. Obama Administration Tells Israel: Make Us Look Good For the Election
Prof. Barry Rubin - 10/4/2010
Contents of a White House letter have been published saying what the Obama Administration will offer Israel if it extends the moratorium on building inside West Bank settlements for two months. The specific proposals reveal again how the White House doesn't seem to understand the situation, or perhaps is thinking of something other than the Israel-Palestinian peace process. Congressional Elections and Outlook for the U.S. Economy
Prof. Peter Morici - 10/2/2010
Democrats are pulling up in the polls—though not doing well, they are doing less badly. Prospects for a Republican sweep seem less likely than two weeks ago, and the Republicans have only themselves to blame. The Pledge to America is a rehash of the platform of President George W. Bush—less taxes and government—and does not address the fundamental problems that have left the American growth machine broken. More Infrastructure, Payroll Tax Holidays and Mortgage Aid Won’t End Jobs Drought
Prof. Peter Morici - 9/29/2010
With Congressional Democrats facing a November shellacking, President Obama is floating new programs to aid troubled homeowners and create jobs that will prove costly and ineffective. Despite rock bottom interest rates, residential sales are at historic lows and two million families face foreclosure this year, because Americans need decent jobs to buy homes and pay mortgages. Don't look to the business world to replace Summers
Prof. Peter Morici - 9/28/2010
The Chairman of the National Economic Council is the gatekeeper to the Oval Office for economic information and principal advisor to the president of policies for economic recovery. Obama's UN Speech: More Revealing Than Effective
Prof. Barry Rubin - 9/24/2010
President Barack Obama's speech to the UN, September 23, 2010, is revealing on several levels. Indeed, I learned something very important about his foreign policy. But that's at the end. He began by discussing terrorism as if it is carried out by faceless, doctrineless, causeless mystery men who have no sponsors, ideology, or goals and attack everyone equally. Replacing Larry Summers
Prof. Peter Morici - 9/22/2010
The Chairman of the National Economic Council is the gatekeeper to the Oval Office for economic information, and principal advisor to the President of policies for economic recovery. He prepares the daily brief on all the economic data journalists and analysts report and write about. Hence, replacing him with someone from industry, for example Anne Mulcahy, former chief executive of Xerox, would be a mistake even if that is likely to happen. Respect, A Two-Way Street
Ron Coody - 9/22/2010
Though the subject of the Cordoba Mosque proposed for construction near Ground Zero in New York has been in the news for several weeks, recent comments by political leaders (including Sarah Palin who introduced a new word “refudiate” to the English language) has brought new attention. The issue is fairly simple. A group of Muslims want to build a multi-million dollar mosque and multi-purpose Islamic center just next to where the Twin Towers stood until Sept. 11, 2001. The proposed religious center would occupy a building that an engine from one of the airplanes struck, raising the argument that it should be protected as an historical site and not used for any private purpose. The Decadence of Election 2010
Prof. Peter Morici - 9/22/2010
Americans are justifiably ticked off with both political parties but Election 2010 offers little hope. Democrats, Republicans, and yes the Tea Party offers little that is encouraging. President Obama’s droning complaints about the failures of George Bush, notwithstanding, the current economic quagmire is a bi-partisan creation. Why Americans Elect Awful Presidents
Joel S. Hirschhorn - 9/20/2010
For years I muttered mentally to myself about the insanity of Americans electing George W. Bush president. Now I go through the same agony about the craziness of the nation electing Barack Obama president. As much as I thought Bush was a manipulated second-rate politician that carried out the terribly destructive policies pushed by Cheney and other conservative corporate shills, now I feel equally angry that so many voters fell for the slick rhetoric and lies of Obama. Disgust produces public thirst for change and Obama was wickedly brilliant at selling change. When voters are so easily victimized what does democracy amount to? Why I support Sarah Palin
Ted Belman - 9/20/2010
There is a wave now clearly rising. There is a movement very definable now fully exposing itself to America. The Tea Party now has more successful wins to its credit within a condensed timeframe than any other American political movement can rightfully claim. This movement is alive, palpable, real, not to be ignored and poised to return America to its position as that Shining City Upon the Hill. And one individual is responsible for this momentum. Two Constant Mistakes of the Mass Media
Prof. Barry Rubin - 9/20/2010
I don't know about you but it always makes me feel better to be reminded that folly didn't start recently. In my view, the quality of reporting in the mass media has become far more politicized, biased, and ideological in recent years. Yet, of course, there are many prior examples. President Obama and the Mosque
Prof. Peter Morici - 9/18/2010
Sometimes religious leaders and Presidents act on good principle but exercise poor judgment. The New York mosque controversy may provide a textbook example. Plans to construct a mosque and community center in close proximity to Ground Zero may be well intended by Islamic leaders to educate Americans and other visitors about the positive role Moslem-Americans play in American life. Wake Up Obama
Joel S. Hirschhorn - 9/18/2010
If the United States is not kaput it is certainly withering away even as a rich upper class enjoys all the things that money buys. There is massive, widespread economic pain inflicting a huge fraction of Americans who are unemployed, underemployed, relying on food stamps, losing their homes, and who are feeling totally insecure financially. This maintains sluggish consumer spending that makes necessary economic growth impossible. An Open Letter to Imam Faisal Abdul Rauf
Elie Elhadj, Ph.D. - 9/18/2010
Dear Imam Abdul Rauf,
Congratulations on attaining your aim to build an Islamic community center and mosque in the shadow of Ground Zero. Allowing the construction of this complex close to where the former World Trade Center stood on the morning of September 11, 2001 is a tribute to American’s sense of justice and strength, self-confidence and tolerance, respect to the rule of law and secularism. Tea Party Victory No Surprise
Prof. Peter Morici - 9/18/2010
The Tea Party is winning big, because the U.S. economy is failing. Voters are disgusted with a mess instigated by Washington spoiling Wall Street and kowtowing to China, and leaders of both major parties appear clueless. Does Either Party Deserve to Win in November?
Prof. Peter Morici - 8/31/2010
Americans may be dissatisfied with the economy but don’t look for Republicans to sweep control of the House and Senate. Voters have good reason to be disenamored with both parties. Democrats have pushed through President Obama’s agenda. More than $800 billion in stimulus spending, health care reform and new financial regulations, yet the economy remains sluggish and Treasury Secretary Geithner tells us unemployment will linger near 10 percent for many months. Looking Ahead at U.S.-Israel and Peace Process Issues
Prof. Barry Rubin - 8/15/2010
What will be the next developments regarding U.S.-Israel relations and the Israel-Palestinian "peace process," and Israeli politics. It's possible to make some good predictions, or at least to present the most likely scenarios. The NY Times Tries and Fails to Explain The Israel-Palestinian Peace Process
Prof. Barry Rubin - 8/15/2010
Forget about The Onion, The National Lampoon, Mad Magazine, and Saturday Night Live (sorry for all those American cultural references). When it comes to satire nobody can beat a New York Times editorial! Passionate, Heated Debates Over The Peace Process Have Nothing To Do With Reality
Prof. Barry Rubin - 8/9/2010
There is a great deal of heat and passion about the difference between "left" and "right" views in Israel. Yet these gaps, at least during this era, are far less significant than people think. I'm going to tell an anecdote that illustrates this point even as it seems to contradict it. MSM Still Refuse to Report on the Knoxville Horror
Prof. Nicholas Stix - 8/9/2010
“Her behavior out there indicates that she has no regard for human life” Example of Ridiculous Media Bias Against Israel
Prof. Barry Rubin - 8/4/2010
Along Israel's border with Lebanon, east of Metulla, some bushes were pushing in on the border fence. The fence is set in slightly from the border precisely so that Israeli soldiers can work on it. The IDF called UNIFIL and informed the UN that this work was going to be done today so that they could tell the Lebanese army that there was no aggression going on but just routine maintenance. Soldiers from UNIFIL came to observe and can be seen standing next to Israeli soldiers in the photos. Photographers were also standing by to film the operation. Obama and Pelosi’s Reckoning
Prof. Peter Morici - 7/26/2010
For President Obama and Speaker Pelosi, the reckoning is near. In hubris, they imposed a radical liberal agenda on an unwilling centrist electorate. Now, the economic recovery is failing and voters are set to rebuke Democrats in November. From electing Scott Brown in Massachusetts to vociferous dissent at town meetings, Americans made it clear they did not want the Democrats’ health care reforms. For Whom The Bell Tolls
Prof. Peter Morici - 7/23/2010
Greece is insolvent. No austerity or new taxes will pay its debts. Like a homeowner owing four times income, belt tightening and a longer repayment period are not enough. Either, the house is sold to clear the debt, or the bank takes back the house. Oily Obama: Lousy Response to BP Oil Invasion
Joel S. Hirschhorn - 7/23/2010
Thirty days into the BP oil spill one mile down into the Gulf of Mexico it should be clear to every objective person that President Obama has failed miserably. This oil spill is more than a disaster or crisis; it is a catastrophe of unprecedented proportions. This environmental catastrophe will quickly morph into a national economic catastrophe as economic doomsday facing the fishing and tourism industries generates countless negative economic ripples throughout the US economy. Unemployment and economic growth will suffer. Obama Again Predicts Direct Israel-Palestinian Talks
Prof. Barry Rubin - 7/19/2010
Last September, President Barack Obama said in a major speech in New York, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority (PA) leader Mahmoud Abbas standing nearby, that there would be direct Israel-Palestinian negotiations in Washington by November 2009. President Obama’s Record, Blame Game Is Democrats’ Misfortune
Prof. Peter Morici - 7/19/2010
In mid-term elections, Democrats face a harsh reality. Politicians are known by their deeds and judged by the results. No president since Franklin Roosevelt inherited a bigger mess than Barack Obama, and Democrats in Congress have given him most of what he wants—the $787 billion stimulus package, including clean energy initiatives to create jobs; a free hand with TARP money, and health care and financial regulatory reforms. Worse than the disease
Prof. Peter Morici - 7/18/2010
Washington in the Obama era seems bent on imposing "solutions" that not only fail to solve Americans' problems, but make us poorer in the bargain. The Fed, the Yuan and the Failure of Diplomacy
Prof. Peter Morici - 7/18/2010
When the Federal Reserve Open Market Committee meets Wednesday, no one expects it to raise the federal funds rate—the overnight bank rate that now hovers below 0.25 percent. However, businesses, politicians and prognosticators are eager, perhaps inappropriately so, to hear clues about when it will begin raising short-term interest rates to a more normal level. US Economy Stuck in Misery
Joel S. Hirschhorn - 7/10/2010
The middle class is dead. The US has produced a self-sustaining two-class society. Most Lower Class Americans are in bad or uncertain economic shape but the rich and powerful Upper Class crowd keeps making and spending money as if there has been no recession. Talk about a possible double-dip recession misses the larger reality: For many millions of Americans the first recession is still here; there has been no recovery for them. Too bad President Obama cannot comprehend that. Nice that only 23 percent of people believe that his policies have made economic conditions better. Maybe they got... Understanding the BP Oil Tragedy: Time Blindness
Joel S. Hirschhorn - 7/10/2010
A loss expected to happen next year looks smaller than that same loss happening next week. Worse yet, a loss or catastrophe that may happen (indeed, is highly likely to happen) decades away is essentially invisible, unthinkable or unworthy of attention now. In other words, humans suffer from an intrinsic thinking defect best described as time blindness. It is the inability to correctly foresee and take seriously long term consequences of current actions. How the U.S. is benefiting from its alliance with Israel
Gil Ehrenkranz, Esq. - 7/6/2010
Amidst a budding nuclear arms race in the Middle East, the Obama administration is seen by many as “resetting” the relationship between the United States and its long-time ally, Israel. This recalibration of the U.S.-Israel alliance is occurring while Israel is facing the first genuine threat to its existence since the 1973 Yom Kippur War. The threat emanates from the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Iranian quest for nuclear arms production capability is nearly complete as most analysts estimate that Iran will have mastered the ability to produce nuclear weapons by 2013. Economy Loses Jobs
Prof. Peter Morici - 7/1/2010
Friday, forecasters expect the Labor Department to report the economy shed about 110 thousand jobs in June and unemployment rose to 9.8 percent. Economists expect the private sector created about 110,000 jobs but government employment dropped twice that amount, as many temporary census jobs disappeared. Twelve months into recovery from such a deep recession, this is a terrible performance. The economy must add 13 million private sector jobs by the end of 2013 to bring unemployment down to 6 percent, and President Obama’s policies are not creating conditions for businesses to hire. White House Announcement on Gaza Shows the Missing Element: Strategic Rationality
Prof. Barry Rubin - 6/28/2010
"As a general rule, you should assume that the more unlikely the action I lay upon this stage for you, the more likely it is that I have evidence of its having happened." --Clive Barker, Galilee. China's cynical currency ploy
Prof. Peter Morici - 6/28/2010
When the Federal Reserve Open Market Committee meets Wednesday, no one expects it to raise the federal funds rate — the overnight bank rate that now hovers below 0.25 percent. However, businesses, politicians and prognosticators are eager, perhaps inappropriately so, to hear clues about when it will begin raising short-term interest rates to a more normal level. This Year Anti-Incumbency Movement
Joel S. Hirschhorn - 6/28/2010
For some years a number of groups have mounted an anti-incumbency campaign aimed at ridding Congress of the huge majority that keep getting reelected despite miserable performance. This year’s midterm elections provide the ultimate test for all the anti-incumbency sentiment that has bubbled up over many years. This year more than all others there is a huge amount of public discontent with Congress which is solidly supported by the cowardly, partisan actions or inactions that explain why so many Americans are fed up with the two-party controlled political system. Rightfully, many, many Americans see the country on the wrong track. The Problem Isn't McChrystal's Bite, but that he is right
Prof. Barry Rubin - 6/24/2010
There are two ways of looking at General Stanley McChrystal's interviews with Rolling Stone magazine: one is to focus on whether he should have said such things, the other is to analyze the important truths he unveiled. Here, I'm going to look at the latter and, following my usual practice, I've actually read the article and will base myself on the text. What Makes Obama Tick in the Middle East
Prof. Barry Rubin - 6/21/2010
In critiquing the Obama Administration, I don't mean to suggest it has no reasons for desiring to please Arabs and Muslims as one of its highest (sometimes seemingly its highest) priorities. Walking the Peaceful Path of Ludwig von Mises
Ronald Holland - 6/15/2010
Last week, Lew Rockwell posted my essay "In the Summer of 2009" with the title: Smart, Rich People Are Leaving the US. As usual, I received a number of responses both positive and negative. President Obama in Water over His Head
Prof. Peter Morici - 6/15/2010
With oil still flowing nearly two months after the Deepwater Horizon explosion in the Gulf of Mexico, passions are running high, but reason, not rage, should guide the government response. Obama’s Failed Charisma
Ron Coody - 6/15/2010
At last, after eight years of Bush, a war in Iraq and Afghanistan, the United States not only elected a president who would listen to, talk with, and even bow to the heads of other countries, including those openly hostile to the US, but as a cherry on top, his middle name was Hussein. Almost as soon as he could get a flight out of the continental 48, Obama got a rousing ovation in the Turkish parliament and impressed his attentive Arab audience in Cairo . Expectations for this president could not have gone much higher for any human being, with leaders calling him a Messiah and comparing him... Most New Jobs Temporary
Prof. Peter Morici - 6/13/2010
The economy added 431 thousand jobs in May but 411 thousand were temporary census jobs. The private sector needs much more supportive government policies to accelerate the economic recovery and jobs creation. A Double Dip Recession?
Prof. Peter Morici - 6/10/2010
It is the season for economic forecasts, and I have been polled by several published surveys. Here is my response. Obama Meets Abbas and Shows He Understands Neither Hamas Nor Israel
Prof. Barry Rubin - 6/10/2010
President Barack Obama has announced an additional $400 million in aid for housing, school construction and business development in Gaza and West Bank in his meeting with Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas. Calling the status quo in Gaza unsustainable, Obama said he was talking with Europeans, Egypt, Israel, and the PA on how to have a better approach that takes into account the security concerns of Israel and the needs of people in Gaza. Barack Obama and Hamas
Ted Belman - 6/8/2010
Pres Obama is not letting the flotilla crisis go to waste. He is using it as a springboard to change US policy regarding Hamas. In his words, uttered in a recent interview by Larry King, ‘Time to move forward and break out of the impasse’ and “the status quo is unsustainable.” Totally aside from whether it is really unsustainable, one need not wonder how he intends to break out of the impass. He will bring Hamas in from the cold. Time Is Running Out for President Obama
Prof. Peter Morici - 6/8/2010
Either Barak Obama fixes what’s broken in the economy, or he will be remembered for spending his entire first term blaming George Bush. Last week’s jobs report was terrible for the eleventh month of a recovery. With nearly $800 billion in stimulus spending at its point of maximum impact, federal employment—net of temporary census jobs—was up a mere one thousand in May. Who Needs the Euro Anyway?
Prof. Peter Morici - 6/1/2010
European banks and global financial markets have been roiled by needless artifacts of post-modern Europe—the euro and malignant social safety nets. For decades, European population and economic growth have been perilously handicapped by too generous social benefits that discourage individual risk taking and business entrepreneurship. Clinton Explains to Us How Obama Administration Ideology in the West Makes the World Worse
Prof. Barry Rubin - 6/1/2010
Bill Clinton, former U.S. president, spoke at Yale University and said some interesting things. There is a positive side to his remarks about international affairs-especially in terms of good intentions (a very American characteristic)-but he also revealed some of the very dangerous thinking that's making the world worse, not better. Lessons from Greece for the United States
Prof. Peter Morici - 6/1/2010
As the Flash Crash in U.S. equity markets May 6 illustrated, problems in Greece can have grave consequences for not merely other Mediterranean economies and Europe, but U.S. and the broader global economy. Letter to President Obama from Nepal
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 6/1/2010
Namaskar! Heartily greetings from the world’s newest Republic. I saw you dribbling the basketball and the first lady graciously dancing with the kids on the idiot box, couple of days ago. Great to see you guys. I had wanted to write to you earlier but as my mind couldn’t reach consensus with my heart due to the naked dance of inflation, political chaos and desolateness of law and order in Nepal , I was in a trance like stage. Trade Deficit, China Trade Taxes Economic Recovery
Prof. Peter Morici - 6/1/2010
The trade deficit, along with the credit and housing bubbles, were the principal causes of the Great Recession. Now, a rising trade deficit and continued weakness among regional banks threatens to stifle the emerging recovery and keep unemployment near 10 percent through 2011. An Open Letter to American Jews
Ted Belman - 6/1/2010
I tried to alert you two years ago to Obama�s Muslim Connection and to Obama�s Marxist Connection and together with other bloggers made some headway. In fact Jewish support for Obama dropped as low as 56%. As a result, Obama called on some key Jewish supporters to vouch for him. Alan Dershowitz, Robert Wexler (D-Fl), Martin Peretz and Ed Koch, among others, stepped up to the plate. Why Gold Prices Are Soaring
Prof. Peter Morici - 6/1/2010
Gold prices are soaring because of growing inflation fears--both the European Central Bank and the Federal Reserve seem to be on the path to permanently easy money with the Greek bailout and huge U.S. budget deficits. Obama Administration's Middle East Disaster: A Brief Summary
Prof. Barry Rubin - 5/18/2010
Every day I wake up hoping to have good news to report about U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East. There are some positive things-regarding U.S.-Israel bilateral relations-but other than that it is hard to find anything but failure and incompetence. The Not So Great Economic Recovery
Prof. Peter Morici - 5/18/2010
Americans have the economy scoped. Polls indicate they sense the economy growing again, but many more believe the job market is getting worse than see it improving. Over the next three years, the economy must create nearly 13 million jobs to bring unemployment down to 5 percent—still higher than pre-recession levels. That requires 360,000 jobs every month and economic growth at 5 percent a year. After a deep recession, robust growth is possible if businesses have enough customers and capital, but President Obama’s policies don’t address the underlying causes of the Great Recession. Neither enough demand nor financing are forthcoming. Economic Power: Avoid Arizona and Boycott BP
Joel S. Hirschhorn - 5/18/2010
Money is power. Each of us has it to varying degrees. Our challenge is to use our spending to advance worthy goals. Right now we see economic power being used against the state of Arizona because of the awful legislation recently passed that makes it all too easy for police there to seek proof of citizenship from virtually anyone they choose. Many groups and government entities have already cancelled conferences and other activities in Arizona , sending state and business leaders into a frizzy. They deserve to suffer as do the vast majority of Arizona citizens that supported the legislati... U.S. Stocks Poised for Big Rally
Prof. Peter Morici - 5/18/2010
The day of the Flash Crash, I was asked at an executive seminar in Jersey City, what impact Greece would have on equity markets. I replied, “It should all be over by Wednesday.” Outside the Box Method to Stop Iran’s Nuclear Drive
Rabbi Dr. Daniel M. Zucker - 5/16/2010
The most recent estimates concerning Iran’s nuclear program suggest that Iran will have mastered the process of making a bomb within the year and will actually be able to possess such a bomb within three years. The possibility that these estimates are accurate requires of us that we begin to think “outside the box” when looking for solutions to our Iran problem. Although the problem poses an immense security threat to the United States, the current Obama administration—as Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has admitted this last month—has no viable plan to stop Iran’s acquisition of nuclear arm... Obama Administration Embraces Russia
Prof. Barry Rubin - 5/15/2010
If America's Middle East position collapses in the forest will anyone hear it? The answer is either: apparently no, or just barely. As I've predicted Russia is coming back into the region and it is going to play a very bad role. Moscow is linking up with the emerging Islamist alliance of Iran, Syria, Hamas, and Hizballah. Commentary: PBS Nightly Business Report
Prof. Peter Morici - 5/9/2010
Financial reforms moving through Congress won’t save us from paying for another banking crisis. The Federal Reserve has put the kibosh on abusive mortgages. But, the proposed Consumer Protection Agency would bend to populist sentiments for easy credit and lean on banks to create new questionable loans. So much focus is on derivatives that insure mortgage backed securities but it was those instruments, not derivatives that first instigated the crisis. Derivatives and Playing the Ponies
Prof. Peter Morici - 5/9/2010
Growing up in the shadow of Belmont Park, I learned success in finance is much like running a book. After all, pari-mutuel wagers are derivatives—contracts to pay contingent on the future value of an asset, namely horse’s ability to finish in the money—win, place or show. Track owners profit from the public’s appetite for risk and reward, much as does Goldman Sachs does writing derivatives, called swaps, on mortgage backed securities for investors choosing long or short positions on foreclosure rates. Trade Deficit, China’s Currency Require U.S. Action Now
Prof. Peter Morici - 5/9/2010
The Commerce Department reported the February deficit on international trade in goods and services increased to $39.7 billion from $37.0 billion in January. President Hu Jintao has told President Obama that China will not revalue its currency in response to U.S. requests. Obama Administration Continues to Supply Israel with Advanced Weapons
Prof. Barry Rubin - 5/9/2010
I have repeatedly pointed out that as of now the Obama Administration has never put any material pressure on Israel. There are wild rumors and irresponsible materials floating around to the contrary. They aren't true. As proof, for example, take the article by Barbara Opall-Rome in Defense News, May 3, 2010, "U.S. Backs Israeli Munitions Upgrades." She writes of "ever-expanding bilateral security ties unharmed by the unusually high-profile political rift" that took place temporarily. Three Cheers for Congress, One for France, and Two and a Half Boos for Obama Policy
Prof. Barry Rubin - 5/6/2010
The U.S. Congress is back as a factor in U.S. foreign policy. Partly because the Obama Administration has pushed it too far to do unpopular things; partly because members are no longer in awe of the president's alleged invincibility and much-declined popularity. Many Democratic members see their whole careers flashing before their eyes. And, of course, there's the administration's decision to pick a quarrel with Israel. Friday’s Jobs Report
Prof. Peter Morici - 5/6/2010
Friday, the Labor Department will release April employment data, and economists are optimistic the economy will show stronger jobs creation. Is the U.S. Diplomatic and Intelligence Community Being Brainwashed in Dealing with Islamism?
Prof. Barry Rubin - 5/5/2010
When I first heard the story that President Barack Obama was barring from national security documents the use of terms like "Islamism," "Islamic fundamentalist," "Islamic radicalism," or any reference of any connection between Islam and terrorist or revolutionary groups; al-Qaida, Hamas, and Hizballah; Iran's regime or al-Qaida, I said to myself, oh that's nothing new. That kind of policy started under Bush. The U.S.-Israel Crisis May Be Over and We Can Celebrate the Achievement of Nothing
Prof. Barry Rubin - 5/2/2010
Something very interesting is happening very quietly. The Obama Administration appears to have forgotten about its quarrel with Israel, in part because it is being reported with increasing reliability that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has quietly agreed to suspend all construction in eastern or northern Jerusalem outside the 1967 lines. . Obama's Wall Street Rx: This 'fix' won't fly
Prof. Peter Morici - 5/2/2010
President Obama yesterday spoke in New York in support of the bills before Congress that, he said, would "enact a set of updated, commonsense rules to ensure accountability on Wall Street." But would they really do the job -- or, as Mayor Bloomberg has warned, interfere with markets (and slam New York) without preventing a future crisis? A Shocking Secret in Plain Sight: U.S. Policy Sabotages U.S. Policy
Prof. Barry Rubin - 5/2/2010
"The Palestinian Authority is, in effect, a lifeline to more than half a million people in Gaza, making sure that PA salaries are paid and social welfare payments are made on time. The PA plans to devote roughly half of its $3.9 billion budget to Gaza in 2010." GDP Gains 3.2 in First Quarter, False Spring for the Middle Class
Prof. Peter Morici - 5/2/2010
The Commerce Department reported GDP grew a modest 3.2 percent in the first quarter, further confirming the end of the recession and that the recovery is only moderate and disappointing. Half of the growth came from inventory adjustments, and the prospects for future growth and wage gains are only modest. General Jones Tells A Joke
Prof. Barry Rubin - 5/1/2010
Today's public culture focuses a lot more on categorization than though processes. The immediate question that arises after various incidents is whether or not they meet the criterion of categorizing something as objectionable rather than considering what it actually tells us. So it is with the joke General Jones, national security advisor to President Barack Obama. Hate Crimes in New York State
Todd Spodek, Esq. - 4/25/2010
The Hate Crimes Act of 2000 is listed in the New York State Penal Law under Article 485. There are three sections which are summarized below: Derivatives!
Prof. Peter Morici - 4/24/2010
Derivatives are as ancient as civilization. Greek famers insured crops with investors prepared to speculate on the weather, just as life insurers hedge mortgage-backed securities by purchasing credit default swaps. When written against real assets—farmers’ crops or homes--derivatives spread risk, lower capital costs and foster growth. Trade Deficit, China’s Currency Require U.S. Action Now
Prof. Peter Morici - 4/14/2010
The Commerce Department reported the February deficit on international trade in goods and services increased to $39.7 billion from $37.0 billion in January. President Hu Jintao has told President Obama that China will not revalue its currency in response to U.S. requests. Obama’s Pie in the Sky
Ted Belman - 4/14/2010
There is no solution to the final status issues of Jerusalem, borders and refugees that both sides will agree to. Nevertheless President Obama is committed to forcing an agreement. Trade Deficit Burdens Economic Recovery
Prof. Peter Morici - 4/11/2010
Tuesday, the Commerce Department will report the February deficit on international trade in goods and services. Analysts expect it to increase to $39.0 billion from $37.3 billion in January. My forecast is in line with the consensus. Stock Market: Dow Headed for 12,000
Prof. Peter Morici - 4/9/2010
Stocks prices have enjoyed a lot of help in recent months. A moderate recovery—three percent GDP growth expected this year and next—and more robust growth in Asia are good for the profits of large U.S. multinationals. Obama Seeks to Impose a Solution on Israel
Ted Belman - 4/4/2010
After his inauguration, President Obama made it his business to end the Mideast conflict within two years. To achieve that end he embraced the “Saudi peace plan†and put enormous pressure on Israel to accept it. The hallmark of this plan was “ending the occupation that began in 1967″ and the division of Jerusalem. Can we conclude from this that Obama is anti-Semitic, just hostile to Israel, or intent on changing U.S./Israel relations? The answer is not immediately self-evident. Jobs Report Confirms Better Policies Needed
Prof. Peter Morici - 4/3/2010
The Labor Department announced the economy added 162,000 jobs, confirming my earlier, more conservative than the consensus forecast of 150,000. As expected, temporary census jobs contributed a significant but not overwhelming 48,000 to the jobs total. The private sector gained 128,000 new positions. This reflects moderate GDP growth—something in the range of three percent for the balance of 2010. Not enough to bring down unemployment, which remains at 9.7 percent. Just Say No
Prof. Barry Rubin - 4/3/2010
Friedrich Nietzsche famously said, "That which does not kill me makes me stronger." A good Middle East equivalent, at least among the anti-democratic forces, would be: That which does not scare me makes me bolder. Reasons to hate the health insurance bill
Joshua Fulton - 4/2/2010
The health insurance bill passed, and it's one more triumph of the federal government over individual rights. All statists, rejoice! You've managed to succeed in having Big Brother intrude into one more aspect of your life. I, for one, am not happy about it, not only because I don't like living under the watchful eye of Big Brother, but also because I know that American health care used to be run in a very different way. President Obama Follows Up on His Middle East Victory, A Satire
Prof. Barry Rubin - 4/2/2010
"President Obama! President Obama," said the aide in a cheery voice as he entered the Oval Office, "we just heard that Prime Minister Netanyahu is going to stop all construction in Jerusalem and give in to all your demands!" Friday’s Jobs Report
Prof. Peter Morici - 4/1/2010
Friday, the Labor Department will release March employment data, and economists have been optimistic the economy is finally gaining jobs and the recession has ended. NY Times Defends Obama, Not U.S. Interests
Prof. Barry Rubin - 3/31/2010
The New York Times has now crossed the line from being a grossly slanted newspaper in its Middle East coverage to being one so partisan, blinkered, and defensive as to lose its value altogether. I do not write this lightly and have no wish to exaggerate. But the newspaper's editorial of March 26 is so mendacious, so made up to suit the political purposes of the Obama administration without any reference to the facts that it is a work of politically tailored fiction. Re-Packaging Illusion
Jonathan Spyer, Ph.D. - 3/29/2010
The Obama administration's approach to the Middle East is characterized by an apparent desire to revive the sunny illusions of the 1990s peace process - in an era that is far more uncertain and dangerous. This is particularly noticeable in the Israeli-Palestinian arena, in which the United States, the dominant world power, sets the parameters of debate. As a result, international discussion of the conflict is now more detached from reality than at any time in the past 40 years. Has the Obama Administration, Against U.S. Interests, Declared Diplomatic War on Israel?
Prof. Barry Rubin - 3/29/2010
Has the Obama Administration, against U.S. interests, declared diplomatic war on Israel? Up to now my view has been that the U.S. government didn't want a crisis but merely sought to get indirect negotiations going between Israel and Palestinians in order to look good. CAIR Attacks Book Series on Islam; Unable to Find Anything
Prof. Barry Rubin - 3/29/2010
I've heard a lot about the methods of CAIR, and of course we are all familiar with the incredible intimidation (combined with clever strategy) used against anyone who writes about Islam in any way other than simpering reverence. But experiencing it is another matter, showing the intense dishonesty with which such campaigns are conducted. On the positive side, though, there may be some signs that media gullibility on this matter may be declining. Breakthrough Jobs Repot Expected
Prof. Peter Morici - 3/29/2010
Economists are looking for a breakthrough employment report that will send the stock market soaring, and buoy Democrats coming off a big win on health care. The Roots of Washington’s Failures in Dealing with Rogue Regimes
Rabbi Dr. Daniel M. Zucker - 3/29/2010
The United States has had a lousy track record in dealing with “rogue regimes” for at least the past three decades. There are very few successes that Washington can claim in its attempts to wean such rogue states back into the council of civility, especially from among rogue Islamic states and/or liberation movements. Why is this so? Is American diplomacy inherently inept? Does the American Foreign Service mis-train its students? Why can’t the U.S. Department of State get it right? Why is American foreign policy such a dismal failure when dealing with Islamic and/or totalitarian rogue regimes? White House Ignores Iran's Help to al-Qaida in Its Passion over Jerusalem Apartments
Prof. Barry Rubin - 3/29/2010
The United States is at war with al-Qaida. Al-Qaida carried out the attack on the World Trade Center that killed 3,000 Americans. Al-Qaida is killing Americans in Iraq and elsewhere. So one would think the fact that al-Qaida has found a powerful ally would be a big story in the American media and by a big priority for setting off U.S. government anger. NY Times Coverage Buries Middle East Reality
Prof. Barry Rubin - 3/23/2010
In my entire life I have rarely read an article which simultaneously showed the need to be well-informed before reading a newspaper and the shocking shortcomings of mass media coverage of the Middle East than this minor piece about the reopening of the Cairo synagogue. I've never said this before but will now: If you want to understand the Middle East's reality and how it is distorted in the media, read the following anlysis. Why What General Patraeus Said Is Wrong About the Middle East
Prof. Barry Rubin - 3/18/2010
General David Petraeus is a smart guy, one of the smartest in the U.S. government at present. But he's no Middle East expert. Let's examine two remarks he made in his congressional testimony. Before we do, though, promise me you will read paragraph 17 because there's a very explosive point made there you won't find anywhere else. Agreed? OK, let's go. The Difference Between Probation and Parole
Todd Spodek, Esq. - 3/18/2010
What's the difference between probation and parole? Many people misuse those terms, so the following is an explanation and the difference between probation and parole in New York. Explaining the U.S.-Israel Crisis
Prof. Barry Rubin - 3/17/2010
It is important to understand that the current controversy over construction in east Jerusalem is neither a public relations' problem nor a bilateral policy dispute. It arises because of things having nothing directly to do with this specific point. Dodd Financial Reforms Won't Fix Banks
Prof. Peter Morici - 3/15/2010
America’s banks are as vulnerable today as before the credit crisis, and reforms offered by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd won’t fix things. How to Make Defeatism Look Good: Let's Give Up and Cheer the Islamists
Prof. Barry Rubin - 3/13/2010
I'm not going to bash or rant about a Newsweek article about Turkey by Owen Matthews-shocking and dangerous as it is--but rather talk about what is wrong and inaccurate about it. That article is part of a new wave of defeatism sweeping the West, though it still remains subordinate to the more ostensibly attractive idea that there is no real conflict or at least one easy to fix by Western concessions.
Here's the title: "The Army Is Beaten: Why the U.S. should hail the Islamists." Yes, we should thank the Islamists for taking over Turkey. ... Obama Plans to Impose a Solution on Israel
Ted Belman - 3/11/2010
During the lead up to his election victory, he surrounded himself with a host of vehemently anti-Israel advisors including Lee Hamilton, Zbigniew Brzezinski, Samantha Power, Susan Rice and Gen Jones, many of whom advocated imposing a solution on Israel. He also made common cause with Jewish leftists represented by J Street and Israel Policy Forum who were urging him to increase the pressure on Israel and if that didn’t work, to impose a solution on Israel. Understanding Attempts to Resolve the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
Prof. Barry Rubin - 3/11/2010
Last September, President Barack Obama said before a large audience at the UN that within two months there would be intensive, direct, final status talks between Israel and the Palestinians. Sort of a Camp David III. Now, six months later we are back in the pre-1992 era of indirect talks. The Rise of the Tea Party
David Huntwork - 3/10/2010
In less than a year well over a thousand independent groups have sprung up around the nation to organize and demonstrate against the attempted government takeover of entire industries, high taxes, crippling debt, and the agenda of President Barack Obama. While many have ridiculed and guffawed about the “teabaggers,” these motivated and angry voters have very quickly shown the ability to raise millions of dollars, target specific political races, grab headlines and media exposure, stage large rallies, and mobilize volunteers. Sarah Palin is one of a kind
Ted Belman - 3/10/2010
Sarah Palin is a self made woman who marches to her own drummer. Its easy to come down on her for her couple of bad interviews or for her English grammar errors or her former ignorance of international and national politics and …oh, is that all? Pardon Me, Obama Administration, But Isn't Your Policy on Fire?
Prof. Barry Rubin - 3/8/2010
The story of the U.S. engagement with Syria and the sanctions issue regarding Iran's nuclear program are fascinating. Each day there's some new development showing how the Obama Administration is acting like a deer standing in the middle of a busy highway admiring the pretty automobile headlights. Economy Sheds More Jobs: Obama’s Policies Not Enough
Prof. Peter Morici - 3/6/2010
The Labor Department reported the economy shed 36,000 jobs in February and the unemployment rate held 9.7 percent. Counting workers compelled to work part time for lack of full time opportunities and discouraged workers that have quit looking, the unemployment rate rose to 16.8 percent. Friday’s Jobs Report
Prof. Peter Morici - 3/4/2010
Friday, the Labor Department will release February employment figures. Since December 2007, the economy has shed 8.4 million jobs. A sharp uptick in employment would indicate the recession is ending, while more job losses would indicate a double dip recession is more imminent. Obama’s Ersatz Church : Launching Pad For A Catholic Bashing Presidential Appointee?
Madeline Brooks, M.A. - 3/2/2010
Where is the baptism certificate? We do not see one because there was no baptism. That central part of Christianity was not required at Obama’s former church, the Trinity United Church of Christ, during the years Obama attended while he lived in Chicago (1988 – 2008). Obama has not attended another church with any frequency since then. In addition, there was no necessary renunciation of his prior faith, Islam, because in the Trinity United Church of Christ one can be both a Muslim and a member. Delusional USA - Syrian Overtures
Elias Bejjani - 3/2/2010
It is extremely bizarre and astonishing that Western countries, especially the USA and France, stubbornly refuse to learn from their own manifold mistakes and finally see and grasp the deeply rooted criminal, inhuman, savage and terrorist nature of the Syrian Baathist dictatorial regime. They naively kept on repeating their same unproductive strategies and accordingly reaped with frustration the same disappointments and failures. America: No celebrations yet
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 3/2/2010
The FBI defines terrorism as, “The unlawful use of force or violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a Government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives.” The definition of terrorism may not be single and it varies but one thing is certain - the goal of terrorism is to inspire fear. When It Comes to Analyzing the Middle East, We Live in an Age of Idiocy
Prof. Barry Rubin - 2/25/2010
After more than 30 years of watching people write dumb things about the Middle East, I believe that in the last month I've seen more nonsense than at any previous time. The problem arises from ignorance, lack of understanding of the region by those presented as experts; plus arrogance, treating the region and the lives of people as a game (Hey, let's try this and see what happens!), fostered by the failure of such control mechanisms as a balanced debate and editing that rejects simplistic bias or stupidity; as well as a simple lack of logic. Finding a 'Third Way' to Fix Government
Prof. Peter Morici - 2/25/2010
American government is broken, failing under promises it can’t keep. From Medicare and Medicaid to fixing the environment and potholes, governments face huge deficits. Taxes must go up and services curtailed dramatically, or massive borrowing will create hyper-inflation. Trust?
Major Dennis W. Lid - 2/25/2010
It’s all a matter of trust, and, frankly, the people don’t trust you. “You” refers to the government, big business and the media. The lack of trust applies to a huge assortment of entities. It starts with the present federal government administration, including the President and his vast assortment of gurus. It continues with congress and the judiciary, state and local governments. It extends to big business concerns such as the defunct Enron company, some auto and oil industry firms, numerous banks, several Wall Street investment brokerages, behemoths including AIG, and specific claim-dodging insurance companies. The list goes on ad infinitum. Small Airports, Big Worries
Sammy Elrom - 2/25/2010
Local, somewhat remote airports often carry an uncontested charm; cozy and familiar, they radiate warmth and create a desire to return there for your next trip. Among other reasons, there is no need to arrive three hours before departure, there is enough parking space, and there are no long lines of agitated people waiting for the embarrassing, sometime degrading security check; on the contrary, the atmosphere is calm and friendly. Security wise though, small airports are an open invitation to be attacked, either taken over by terrorist or be used as the launching pad for a sequential airborne... Health Care and Broken Government
Prof. Peter Morici - 2/25/2010
Government is broken. Nothing demonstrates this better than health care. Federal, state and local governments are broke, because spending on Medicare, Medicaid and other health programs is rising faster than the economy is growing and politicians can raise taxes. Obama’s Budget Task Force Is Clever Politics but Poor Leadership
Prof. Peter Morici - 2/22/2010
President Obama’s budget deficit taskforce is clever politics but poor leadership. Instead of drafting a responsible budget, he seeks to force Republicans to endorse wasteful spending and higher taxes, or be cast as obstructionists. President Bush was no model of austerity. He inherited a $263 billion surplus from Bill Clinton. By fiscal 2007, the year before the Great Recession, the deficit was $161 billion. Obama administration's approach to International Criminal Court reflects fear of political prosecutions
Elizabeth Samson, Esq. - 2/22/2010
From the time that US President Barack Obama came into office there has been talk of the United States joining the International Criminal Court, but those efforts may be laid to rest for the time being. It appears as though this administration has not come much further in being convinced that participation in the ICC is either beneficial to US interests or necessary, and it remains in doubt with good reason. Saudis to Obama Administration: We're Scared of Iran and You're Going Too Slow
Prof. Barry Rubin - 2/20/2010
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's trip to the Persian Gulf is generally being portrayed as a success in the media with the New York Times, for example, saying she "may have made some headway" in getting the Saudis to support sanctions. Obama’s 2011 Budget
Prof. Peter Morici - 2/8/2010
President Obama released his proposed 2011 budget, which forecasts the federal deficit will fall to $706 billion by 2014 or just 3.9 percent of GDP before rising again in 2015. Obama’s Polemics Versus the Economic Facts
Prof. Peter Morici - 2/8/2010
In politics, whatever the President can get voters to believe becomes the truth, but in economics the numbers establish the facts. Mr. President: It’s the trade deficit stupid!
Prof. Peter Morici - 2/7/2010
Since the Democrat’s debacle in Massachusetts, President Obama has been campaigning. In the State of the Union address, his new budget and other staged events for the faithful gather for hope, the President has the audacity to double down on class warfare and crowd frenzying envy, and tout as success an economic recovery about as thin as the Chicago Cubs World Series record book. Obama’s Export Initiative not up to the Task
Prof. Peter Morici - 2/7/2010
President Barack Obama is seeking to double U.S. exports and create 2 million jobs over the next five years. The new Commerce Department program to accomplish this goal is simply inadequate. Stocks Stumble as Investors Lose Confidence in the Recovery
Prof. Peter Morici - 2/7/2010
Stocks are tumbling, as investors realize President Obama is simply not offering policies that will fix the U.S. and global economies. Each week more than 450,000 Americans apply for new unemployment benefits, and 17 percent of adults can’t find a full time job or have quit looking for work altogether. The Only Health Plan We Need: Self-Insurance Cooperatives
Patricia Hess - 2/7/2010
When people talk about something false for too long of a time, it becomes known as a truth. Let's stop talking about Barack Obama's health plan before it's too late. Bless his heart, he's tried so hard to do what he thinks is right; however, admitting another government induced headache (Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security...) to the waiting room of economic emergency is not going to help the nation. Massachusetts and the Change Americans Want
Prof. Peter Morici - 2/5/2010
Whoever is declared the winner, the outcome of the Massachusetts senatorial election is neither a mandate for President Obama’s liberal agenda nor a license for a return to status quo ante of George Bush. Canada's Dysfunctional Democracy in Crisis
Michael Werbowski - 2/5/2010
Over the Christmas break, startling reports from Ottawa revealed that the Canadian conservative Prime Minster Stephen Harper had decreed the suspension of the national Parliament. The House of Commons is now officially speaking, expected to sit only as of March 3 or after the winter Olympics games. Originally, the Canadian legislature was set to reconvene on January 25. Obama's State of the Union Message Tells Us Far More About the State of Obama
Prof. Barry Rubin - 1/29/2010
Significantly, President Barack Obama's discussion of foreign policy came only at the end of his State of the Union message. Obviously, domestic matters and especially the economy come first. Yet international affairs are not only vital but often have been the issues on which administrations are judged, no matter how unlikely that seemed at the time. Obama Administration Learns the Basic Lesson on the Israel-Palestinian Issue
Prof. Barry Rubin - 1/27/2010
In contrast to its refusal to change course on Iran, the Obama administration has learned something about Israel-Palestinian peacemaking, conclusions clearly expressed in the government’s new talking points. Obama Disappoints on Bank Reform
Prof. Peter Morici - 1/27/2010
President Obama announced he wants to prohibit banks from forming hedge funds, private equity funds and trading securities on their own accounts, and he wants to limit the size of banks and financial institutions generally. Obama’s Brzezinski Plan
Ted Belman - 1/27/2010
In Appraising Obama’s Foreign Policy: From Hope to Audacity, Zbigniew Brzezinski, described Obama’s, and his, world view which he characterized as “reconnect(ing) the United States with the emerging historical context of the twenty-first century.” On banks, Obama talks tough, does little
Prof. Peter Morici - 1/27/2010
Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase and other big Wall Street banks are awarding multimillion-dollar bonuses to the same financiers who pushed the nation to the brink of financial ruin. President Barack Obama voices outrage, but he fails to take the actions available to him to stem the abuse. The Message from Massachusetts
Prof. Peter Morici - 1/22/2010
Scott Brown’s Massachusetts victory serves notice that Americans don’t want big government policies championed by liberal Democrats. It is not a mandate for Republican tax cuts and deregulation. Rather, from health care to the economy, Democrats should stop accusing critics of deceiving the public and ask what voters would embrace. The Bank Tax: Just another Bit of Demagoguery
Prof. Peter Morici - 1/21/2010
President Obama is at it again—pandering to rich and powerful political supporters, while portraying himself the guardian of the exchequer and champion of the little guy. Al Qaeda has the initiative in attacking US national security
Walid Phares, Ph.D. - 1/21/2010
In 2001, one would-be shoe bomber forced millions of travelers to take off their shoes. In 2006, terrorists planned to bring down aircraft on transatlantic flights by smuggling liquid explosives onto planes. They were thwarted but they succeeded in preventing passengers from bringing liquids into airline terminals. The Decline of the Obama Administration: Massachusetts and the Middle East
Prof. Barry Rubin - 1/21/2010
There is an iron rule in modern democratic politics that parties periodically ignore to their peril: if a party goes too far to an extreme--to the left, the right, or any other far-out viewpoint--the voters reject it. This is what's now happening in the United States. One wonders whether, or when, it will happen in a number of European countries. Obama’s Brzezinski Plan
Ted Belman - 1/17/2010
In Appraising Obama’s Foreign Policy: From Hope to Audacity, Zbigniew Brzezinski, described Obama’s, and his, world view which he characterized as “reconnect(ing) the United States with the emerging historical context of the twenty-first century.” Wall Street Rakes Big Bonuses, Obama Fails to Stem Abuse
Prof. Peter Morici - 1/14/2010
Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan and other big Wall Street banks are awarding multi-million dollar bonuses to the same financiers who pushed the nation to the brink of financial ruin. Prepare Now to Escape Obama’s Retirement Trap
Ron Holland - 1/14/2010
Rick Santelli alluded to this on on CNBC on 1/8, there is coverage on Bloomberg and Business Week and the links are at the end of the essay. What will you do if your retirement funds are forced to become the buyer of last resort for US treasury obligations? Join Ron Holland and hundreds of Americans in our “Say No To Washington Plans To Control & Steal Our Retirement Funds” on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=174721797357&ref=ts Obama's Narcissism Made Worse in First Year in Office
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 1/8/2010
Predictably, Barack Obama’s narcissistic behaviours grew worse and more visible during his first year in office. As I noted in a radio interview (an observation later picked up by George F. Will), Obama’s first person “pronoun density” has increased since his inauguration. Properly measured, first person pronoun density reflects the number of times a person substitutes first person pronouns for more appropriate third and other person pronouns. Thus, to say: “My country, right or wrong” is not indicative of a narcissistic self-preoccupation; but the sentence: “The Russians were afraid of me” is... Sealing of Criminal Records in New York
Todd Spodek, Esq. - 1/3/2010
In New York State there is no such things as an expungement of criminal records. There is what is called “sealing.” Sealing basically means that all fingerprints, palm prints, photographs and official records and papers are destroyed or returned to the defendant. New York Queen For a Day – Proffer Agreement
Todd Spodek, Esq. - 1/2/2010
In certain circumstances, the Assistant District Attorney (“ADA”) and/or the Defense Attorney and/or the Defendant will want to set up an informal meeting with the District Attorneys (“DA”) office. This meeting is called a “proffer” or “queen for a day.” The title queen for a day comes from the vintage television show of the same title, which was the predecessor to modern reality television. The contestant would tell the host all of their problems, and the audience would then ring an appl... America: Time to honor it with a Nobel Peace Prize
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 12/31/2009
The Norwegian Nobel Committee has awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009 to President Barack Obama for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples. I am happy for the great man and an inborn leader but instead The Nobel Peace Prize committee should have awarded the prize to America – a nation that has fought for others' liberty more than any other nation in the history of the world. Obama's 2010 Policy and Iran: Misconceptions Guarantee Failure
Prof. Barry Rubin - 12/31/2009
A friend of mine is angry, saying I'm too tough on President Barack Obama and that nothing he does pleases me. Well, I wish he'd do more that pleases me, and disconcerts America's enemies. Alternative to Incarceration Programs (CASES)
Todd Spodek, Esq. - 12/28/2009
There are two main types of programs. Programs that are geared to individuals with specials needs and those w/o special needs. A criminal defense attorney will know the programs that you might eligible for. In this article, I will discuss two programs available through "CASES". Senate health reform bill would increase costs, reduce quality
Prof. Peter Morici - 12/28/2009
Senate Democrats have managed a compromise on a health care bill that is a fraud on the American public, which is increasingly leery about a government-run health care option. Instead of a government health service to provide coverage to individuals not covered by company plans, the Senate bill authorizes the federal Office of Personnel Management to contract with a nonprofit insurer to provide an alternative to private health care plans. (The post office is such a nonprofit - it walks, talks and doles out mediocre service just like the motor vehicle office and Veterans' Affairs Department.) Orders of Protection in New York
Todd Spodek, Esq. - 12/27/2009
An Order of Protection (“OOP”) is a Court Order which directs a specific individual from taking specific actions in reference to another individual. It deals with contact between people. An Order of Protection can be obtained in either Family Court, Criminal Court or Supreme Court. For Obama, 2010 in the Middle East Looks Like the Precipice of Doom
Prof. Barry Rubin - 12/27/2009
The year 2010 is going to be interesting. Well, all years in the Middle East are interesting; many of them are far too interesting. The Fear of the U.S. Jihadi
Siddharth Ramana - 12/27/2009
A number of incidents involving radicalized U.S. citizens over the past couple of months have caused alarm to security agencies in the United States and around the world. These fears stem from the growing Islamic radicalization experienced in the US by its own citizens. These threats are particularly worrisome in the cases of David Headley, a suspected member of the Lashkar E Taiba, and Nidal Malik Hassan, the shooter in the Fort Hood mass shooting, and in the recent detainment of five American citizens in Pakistan, arrested for attempting to contact Al-Qaeda allied groups in the region. Miranda Warnings in New York State
Todd Spodek, Esq. - 12/23/2009
Miranda Warnings stem from the landmark case of Miranda v. Arizona. The Defendant in this case was a gentleman named Ernesto Miranda. He was arrested for kidnapping and rape. The victim made a positive identification of Mr. Miranda and he was subsequently interrogated by the Police for two hours and signed a written confession. Mr. Miranda was sentenced to 20-30 years in person which was upheld on appeal. The U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Arizona appellate Court and stated that Mr. Miranda’s Fifth Amendment rights have been violated. The Court held that the privilege against self-incrimina... The Obamas Watch but Don't See the Tragic Fate of Middle East Women
Prof. Barry Rubin - 12/23/2009
Turkey used to be a secular state striving for modernization and a place in the Western world. That dream is turning into a nightmare. The AKP regime, despite its pretense of being a center-right, family values, good government party, is moving Turkey toward Islamism. Washington and the West in general doesn't seem to notice though horrified Turkish secularists and liberals are yelling for help. Senate Democrats Health Care Ruse
Prof. Peter Morici - 12/22/2009
Senate Democrats have managed a compromise on a health care bill that is a fraud on the American public, which is increasingly leery about a government run health care option. Instead of a government health service to provide coverage to individuals not covered by company plans, the Senate Bill authorizes the federal Office of Personal Management to contract with a nonprofit insurer to provide an alternative to private health care plans. Impact of Blizzard on Northeast Holiday Shopping
Prof. Peter Morici - 12/22/2009
I have been receiving calls and emails about the likely impact of this weekend’s blizzard on holiday sales. As with everything it depends on where you are in the marketplace. Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor for the City of New York (“OSNP”)
Todd Spodek, Esq. - 12/19/2009
The Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor (“OSNP”) was created by the New York State Legislature in response to the deadly heroin trade in the 1960’s in NY.This unique legislation allows the District Attorneys of the five boroughs appoint a special narcotics prosecutor with jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute major drug trafficking crimes in the five boroughs. There are three main divisions to the OSNP: Want a Tax Break like Citigroup, Send the President 20 Bucks
Prof. Peter Morici - 12/19/2009
The Internal Revenue Service is suspending tax rules for Citigroup and other TARP recipients to permit those companies to more rapidly pay back the Treasury what they owe in TARP loans, and to their boost stock prices. Obama Talks Tough, but Kowtows to Bankers
Prof. Peter Morici - 12/19/2009
You got to admit President Obama obfuscates embarrassing facts and pays off his supporters as well as any politician since Huey Long. He slams health insurance companies, while endorsing heath care reforms that would compel thirty more million Americans to buy their policies or face a poll tax. Good News on Jobs but Don't Break Out the Champagne
Prof. Peter Morici - 12/16/2009
Job losses at only 11,000 was good news but unemployment fell to 10 percent as much because folks left the labor force--throwing up their arms in frustration--as folks finding new work. Statute of Limitations for Crimes in New York State
Todd Spodek, Esq. - 12/16/2009
In New York State there are laws called Statute of Limitations (“SOL”). These laws mean that the District Attorney’s office has to file charges against an individual within a certain time period. They can be found under Section 30.10 of the the Criminal Procedure Law (“CPL”). Criminal prosecutions must be started within the following time periods: Stimulus Spending and Lost Hope
Prof. Peter Morici - 12/14/2009
American workers face a jobless recovery and more stimulus spending won’t fix what’s broke. Unemployment fell to 10 percent in November, but progress was achieved only because 291,000 more adults did not look for work and were not counted in the monthly tally of jobless Americans. Recession Ends for Summers but for Who Else?
Prof. Peter Morici - 12/14/2009
White House chief economic advisor Lawrence Summers has declared the recession over, but as with most things economic, the opinion you get depends on who you ask. Hillary's Bombshell: Obama Administration Subtly Launches Dramatic Policy Change
Prof. Barry Rubin - 12/14/2009
In a one-paragraph statement welcoming Israel’s ten-month-long freeze on building apartments in existing West Bank settlements, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made a major statement. The dramatic new U.S. stance on Israel-Palestinian Authority peace agreement is camouflaged by brevity and subtle wording. But make no mistake: this is one of the most important foreign policy steps the Obama Administration has taken. Medicaid Fraud Investigations in New York
Todd Spodek, Esq. - 12/14/2009
Medicaid is a health insurance program for New Yorker’s who are unable to pay for Health Insurance on their own. To qualify for Medicaid you must meet certain income, resource, age, or disability requirements. Google Scholar: Legal Research for Both Lawyers and Non-Lawyers
Todd Spodek, Esq. - 12/10/2009
Google has recently launched Google Scholar, which is an amazing free resource for both lawyers and non-lawyers to research the law. Everyone can now read the full legal opinions of U.S. State, Federal and Appellate cases. Trade Deficit, New Home Tax Credit and Easy Fed Policies Threaten Double Dip Recession
Prof. Peter Morici - 12/9/2009
The trade deficit, new home buyer tax credits and Federal Reserve support for the mortgage market threaten a double dip recession. More than anything, U.S. businesses need customers—people buying American-made goods and services—to hire workers and continue the economic recovery. Obama Confronting the Consequences of Bureaucracy and Corruption
Prof. Peter Morici - 12/7/2009
For Democrats, the chickens are coming home to roost. Badly conceived efforts to rescue homeowners facing foreclosure, regional banks and the unemployed are failing. Bureaucracy and corruption are to blame. Unemployment to Stay Above 10 Percent in 2010
Prof. Peter Morici - 12/7/2009
The economy continues to bleed jobs, even as GDP rebounds. Employment may be a lagging indicator, but job losses should have abated by now even if a lot of new jobs are not being added. The Palin Brand
Ted Belman - 12/3/2009
David Frum, not my favourite neocon, recently published What the Tories Have to Teach Us in Commentary Magazine. In it, he notes that the Conservative Party in the UK, after suffering a massive defeat twelve years ago, turned its fortunes around and is now expected to return to power next year. America's leadership deficit
Prof. Peter Morici - 12/2/2009
Bigger than the budget deficit, America has a leadership gap. The economic recovery is not creating jobs; unemployment is rising; and the president and Congress offer little more than nostrums and platitudes. Third Quarter GDP to Be Revised Downward
Prof. Peter Morici - 12/2/2009
Tuesday, the Commerce Department will report revised data for third quarter GDP. Third quarter growth likely will be revised down to 2.8 percent from the 3.5 percent reported on October 29. The economy contracted 0.7 percent in the second quarter. Movie ‘Kurban’ portray Islamic terrorism and the US
Syed Ali Mujtaba, Ph.D. - 12/2/2009
Real life couple Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor comes together in a highly intense melodrama ‘Kurban’ centering around the global theme Islamic terrorism and the US. Frolicking in the Quicksand: How the Obama Administration Keeps Making Huge Mistakes in the Middle East
Prof. Barry Rubin - 12/2/2009
Of course, the Obama Administration has its defenders. They either ignore criticism of the Administration’s foreign policy or claim it is all partisan and ideological. And yet the truth is that if you watch the government's policy on a daily basis it is truly remarkable how many dumb, avoidable mistakes are made. The High Cost of Health Care Reform
Prof. Peter Morici - 11/20/2009
Americans are rightfully dissatisfied with the high cost of health care and the rough treatment they receive from private insurers, but the reforms Democrats in Congress are cooking up will only make things worse Stocks Soar, Unemployment Passes 10 Percent and the Dollar Slumps
Prof. Peter Morici - 11/17/2009
Stocks are soaring, yet unemployment surges and the dollar slumps. A contradiction made possible by Washington’s neglect of international challenges to U.S. growth. During the recent expansion, the trade deficit swelled to more than $700 billion or five percent of GDP. Americans borrowed from abroad, mostly to pay for oil and Chinese consumer goods. They posted as collateral homes at values inflated by slap-dash appraisals and slick Wall Street financial engineering. America’s Leadership Deficit
Prof. Peter Morici - 11/17/2009
Bigger than the budget deficit, America has a leadership gap. The economic recovery is not creating jobs, unemployment is rising, and the President and Congress offer little more than nostrums and platitudes. Republicans push tax cuts that experience teaches have doubtful prospects for success. China’s Yuan, Not the Dollar, Is Too Cheap
Prof. Peter Morici - 11/17/2009
From Berlin to Bangkok, governments are screaming about the falling dollar, because they can no longer rely on reckless American consumers to power their economies. Time Ticking for Copenhagen Summit
Syed Ali Mujtaba, Ph.D. - 11/17/2009
It’s less than five weeks for the crucial Copenhagen summit for climate change. It’s a deadline for a deal to stop the climate catastrophe. The issue involved is developing countries won't join in a climate deal unless rich countries, which created the climate crisis, pay to fix it. Intolerance and Arrogance Cost Democrats Virginia and New Jersey
Prof. Peter Morici - 11/17/2009
Last August, I wrote that on marquee issues—health care reform, cap and trade and the recession—the Democrats are unwilling to listen to the legitimate concerns of center-leaning voters and business leaders who made possible their victories in 2008, and arrogance will destroy their grip on power. Fort Hood: The largest
Walid Phares, Ph.D. - 11/17/2009
The Fort Hood killings, perpetrated by Major Malik Nadal Hasan, a psychiatric by training, no matter what the judiciary reports will conclude is for now the largest single Terror act in America since 9/11. This quantitative finding will take into consideration dramatic change in the data released by authorities. Societal Misperception of Mentally Ill Offenders
Marina Mazur, Ph.D. candidate - 11/17/2009
The dilemma of the mentally ill within the criminal justice system has been a pressing matter since the days of deinstitutionalization. Even though, the individual rights of the mentally ill have supposedly expanded, the treatment options have declined and community outreach is basically nonexistent. Instead of treating the mentally ill with medication and psychotherapy the society has decided to lock them up in a different institution, the prison. Thus, the mentally ill are perceived as doubly guilty. Not only do they have a mental disorder, but they are also seen as criminals. The social psy... Trade Deficit Threatens a Double-Dip Recession, Economic Armageddon
Prof. Peter Morici - 11/17/2009
Friday, the Commerce Department will report September international trade in goods and services. The trade deficit—the amount imports exceed exports—is expected to rise to $32.5 billion from $30.7 billion in August. Why I Murdered 13 American Soldiers at Fort Hood: Nidal Hassan Explains It All to You
Prof. Barry Rubin - 11/15/2009
How do we know that the attack at Fort Hood was an act of Islamist terrorism? Simple, Major Nidal Hassan told us so. You’ve seen reports of a long list of things he did and said along these lines. But what’s most amazing of all is this: The Scourge of Fundamentalism
Rabbi Dr. Daniel M. Zucker - 11/13/2009
Religious fundamentalism, whether it is Muslim, Jewish, or Christian, results in the same unfortunate phenomenon: a closed mind and a view of life that ascribes the truth only to the self and those that accept that same truth. In effect, the fundamentalist frequently says: "God has whispered in my ear and in my ear alone." Sadly the recipients of such "unique" revelations frequently believe that nothing should be allowed to interfere with what they perceive as their divinely commanded duty to spread the word, and that such a crusade or jihad justifies the use of force against any that would dare oppose it. Media Wakes Up About the Obama Administration's Middle East Failure
Prof. Barry Rubin - 11/10/2009
There’s something big happening in the air regarding American media coverage of the Obama Administration. With the Washington Post in advance, the New York Times waking up the tiniest bit, the Los Angeles Times trailing far behind, and a lot of other newspapers getting tough, reality is seeping into their coverage. Even the Boston Globe, America's most liberal newspaper, is strongly criticizing Obama. America on the Children's Crusade
Prof. Barry Rubin - 11/3/2009
A friend of mine who used to be a high-ranking U.S. government official made a very interesting remark: Intelligence does not settle disputes in government, theories do. In other words, no matter how badly an enemy acts, you can interpret it as their building up bargaining chips to make a deal. They are hitting you to force you to offer them a good bargain. QUIZ: Who is This Politician? HINT: Not who you think!
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 10/27/2009
He was born to a part of the population that was often despised and mocked by the majority. President Obama Has A Problem—And Its Not Health Care Reform
Trevor Albertson, PhD - 10/13/2009
The problems facing NATO and its efforts at creating a stable situation in Afghanistan are growing. Perhaps the greatest challenge is currently unfolding in Washington. President Obama must decide what to do with the recommendation from NATO’s senior military commander in the war-torn nation, U.S. Army General Stanley McChrystal. General McChrystal has recommended President Obama increase American troop levels and continue the fight in Afghanistan. While on the surface this appears to be a fairly simple decision, it is in fact fraught with lasting implications for the future stability of Afghanistan and, more importantly, NATO itself. Washington’s Neglect of Main Street Banks Threatens Recovery
Prof. Peter Morici - 10/12/2009
The Federal Reserve has announced the recession has ended but watch out. Washington’s inclination to bail out the biggest banks while letting their Main Street brethren languish may prove the steel arrow through the heart of the economic recovery. The Indo-Us Nuke Deal: a Strategic and Defense Floodgate
Monotapash Mukherjee - 10/11/2009
Set against the backdrop of American financial Tsunami, the rise of China and Russia, the predicament of the U.S in Iraq, Afghanistan and the U.S policy failures on North Korea and Iran, the Indo-U.S Nuclear deal has profound strategic and defense implications. Trade Deficit Threatens “W” Shaped Recovery, Destroys Jobs
Prof. Peter Morici - 10/10/2009
Thursday, the Commerce Department will report July international trade in goods and services. The trade deficit, which is the amount imports exceed exports, is expected to rise to $28.0 billion from $27.0 billion in May. The Falling Dollar and China’s Cries for a Global Currency
Prof. Peter Morici - 10/10/2009
As the dollar falls against the euro, yen and other major currencies, China and other emerging economic powers holding lots of dollars and U.S. securities are crying foul, and for an end to the dollar’s central status in global commerce. If they are truly disgusted, they should look to themselves for answers. Nobel Obama – a bit too early?
Saberi Roy - 10/10/2009
The Nobel Committee for once has got it wrong, at least in terms of timing. The Nobel Peace Prize to Obama displays the bankruptcy of the Nobel Committee’s decision-making process as it seems the Committee has been too eager to give away a prize to an already overstretched process of Obama-fame. I am personally an Obama supporter but like everything else there has to be a fine line between fame and over exposure and this latest Nobel Prize stunt really leaves a bad taste in the mouth. The Nobel Committee should have waited – one year, maybe... Nobel Committee Pulls Oil Plug on Democracy
Walid Phares, Ph.D. - 10/10/2009
As soon as the Oslo committee issued its Nobel Peace Prize to President Barack Obama, an expected debate raged in America about the legitimacy of such a move so very early in a U.S. presidential term. Obama's Nobel Prize will Exacerbate His Narcissistic Tendencies
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 10/9/2009
Within a single year, Barrack Obama had been elected to the Presidency of the United States and had won the Nobel Peace Prize. While the merits of the first achievement are debatable, there is a consensus, even among his most ardent supporters, fans, and acolytes that he absolutely does not deserve the second honor. Health Care Reform is a Loser for President Obama
Prof. Peter Morici - 9/29/2009
Public opposition threatens to crush President Obama’s health care reforms and wound his presidency, because his plans would do more harm than good. The bills moving through Congress reveal the basic elements of his preferred approach. Universal Coverage and Community Ratings—everyone plays and pays what they can; insurers must accept all applicants, can’t charge higher premiums for preexisting conditions, or cancel policyholders. American workers in a global economy
Prof. Peter Morici - 9/28/2009
Breakthroughs in electronics, biochemistry, and other industries, and sweeping changes in global trade are creating two American economies -- one prosperous, another poor. This radically alters what workers need to succeed and Washington should do to help. Jihadists are mushrooming inside America
Walid Phares, Ph.D. - 9/28/2009
It is unprecedented in American counter terrorism annals: in one day the nation was dealing with three separate Jihadist plots to blow up civilian and other targets inside the Homeland. Although the cases were addressed at different time periods by the FBI and other agencies, nevertheless, the thickening web of Terror attempts breached the crossing line of US national security. The Increasingly Obvious Failure of Obama's Middle East Policy
Prof. Barry Rubin - 9/25/2009
It’s a development of shocking proportions if properly noticed and evaluated. President Barack Obama’s entire Arab-Israeli and Iranian policies are miserably failing, though partly concealed by theatrical events and media protection. How the West's Enemies Are Saving It
Prof. Barry Rubin - 9/24/2009
When people are very pessimistic, I say to them: Don’t worry our enemies will save us. By that I mean that the enemies of peace, progress, and democracy - Islamists and radical Arab nationalists, terrorists and silly people in the West alike--are so intransigent, obviously lying, and dangerously wrong about society that they will convince and force most people to reject and combat them. Regulate Bank Pay
Prof. Peter Morici - 9/24/2009
Wall Street greed and irresponsibility have nearly destroyed the U.S. economy. Big bonuses for bankers encourage reckless risk taking and were a principal cause of the credit crisis and Great Recession. Guide To A Big Mistake: U.S. Decision to Talk with Iran
Prof. Barry Rubin - 9/16/2009
Forgive me for a bit of repetition but what has just happened is so important that it deserves the closest attention and clearest analysis. A more comprehensive explanation is here. U.S Government Jumps Voluntarily into Iran's Trap; Pulls in Europeans, Too
Prof. Barry Rubin - 9/13/2009
The great French diplomatist Talleyrand put it best: "That's worse than a crime, it's a mistake."
By accepting the Iranian proposal for negotiations, the Obama Administration has just made the most important foreign policy decision of its term so far. And it is a very bad mistake, a very bad one indeed. Two hurdles for Uncle Sam
Prof. Peter Morici - 9/4/2009
On Friday, the US Labor Department will report employment data for August. In July, the economy lost 247,000 jobs, and the consensus forecast is for another 200,000 jobs lost in August. Neutrality on Iraq-Syria: Obama Administration Betrays Ally and Doesn't Even Defend Its Own Soldiers
Prof. Barry Rubin - 9/4/2009
On August 26, State Department spokesman, Ian Kelly, was asked what the United States thought about the Iraq-Syria dispute. His answer shockingly recalls the last time a U.S. government made the mistake of being neutral between an enemy radical dictatorship and a friendly moderate government. Friday’s Employment Report and the Recovery
Prof. Peter Morici - 9/3/2009
Friday, the Labor Department will report employment data for August. In July, the economy lost 247,000 jobs, and the consensus forecast is for another 200,000 jobs lost in August No Engagement Game Because Iran Burned Down
Prof. Barry Rubin - 9/1/2009
Gerald Seib’s article in the Wall Street Journal is worth responding to because it does symbolize the curious mentality about Iran prevailing in American policymaking and opinion-making circles. The article is entitled, "Iran Collapse Complicates U.S. Moves." How Obama Could Win Big on Health Care
Prof. Peter Morici - 9/1/2009
Health care reform is in trouble but with adjustments, President Obama could win big. With several bills moving through the House, the elements of his preferred approach are clear. Universal Coverage and Community Ratings—everyone plays and pays what they can, and insurers can’t charge higher premiums for preexisting conditions or cancel policyholders. Among the 46 million uninsured, many buy policies only when they anticipate major expenses, making coverage unaffordable for others seeking permanent insurance. Those reforms would fix that. Main Street Banks May Crush the Recovery
Prof. Peter Morici - 9/1/2009
Like a boxer staggering to its feet, the U.S. economy is recovering. Since May, real consumer spending has been gradually rising. Technology spending is looking up, as computers age and Asian growth pulls demand for sophisticated components. New home construction is showing new life. Interview with Anthony Woods, Congressional Candidate
Jordan Carr - 9/1/2009
Anthony Woods served two tours of duty in Iraq after graduating from West Point. Upon returning he attended Harvard Kennedy School of Government. Openly gay, he received an honorable discharge under the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell Policy. Woods is running as a Democrat in the September 1st special election to fill Ellen Tauscher’s vacated seat in California’s 10th District. An “X” Shaped Economic Recovery?
Prof. Peter Morici - 8/27/2009
Will the economic recovery be enduring—V shaped? Collapse after a short time—W shaped? For the middle class, it may be none at all—an X. Obama’s Troubles with Health Care
Prof. Peter Morici - 8/27/2009
Health care reform is in trouble, because President Obama and congressional leaders are not adequately addressing issues that trouble many Americans. Blue Dogs, Health Care and the Devil
Prof. Peter Morici - 8/21/2009
If Daniel Webster were alive, the Blue Dogs in the House of Representatives would do well to seek his counsel. On health care, these conservative-leaning lawmakers are caught between the public trust and the devil. Democrats Are Heading for a Train Wreck
Prof. Peter Morici - 8/20/2009
Intolerance has captured the Democratic Party, and arrogance will destroy its grip on power. On marquee issues—health care, cap and trade, and the recession—Democratic leaders are unwilling to listen to the legitimate concerns of center-leaning voters and business leaders who made possible their victories in 2008. Obama Administration Says: Hooray for Jihad
Prof. Barry Rubin - 8/20/2009
I’m beginning to understand the Obama administration strategy, at least in its initial phase, as a “bridge too far” approach. That expression came after the heroic Allied operation at Arnheim in World War Two, when what seemed a clever idea—to capture a key bridge far ahead of the existing Allied lines—turned into a military disaster. Would Dumping Israel Help U.S. Relations with the Muslim Middle East?
Prof. Barry Rubin - 8/20/2009
One amazing thing about bad ideas or analytical myths about the Middle East is that they never die, they just get recycled. Here’s a simple little thought experiment you can do in the privacy of your own home without requiring the purchase of any special equipment or the use of any scarce natural resources. Health Care Reform and the Divine Right of Kings
Prof. Peter Morici - 8/19/2009
President Obama and congressional Democrats have failed to convince the American people their reforms will improve the national health care system. Trade Deficit Dampens Recovery and Destroys Jobs
Prof. Peter Morici - 8/19/2009
Wednesday, the Commerce Department will report June international trade in goods and services. The trade deficit is expected to rise to $28.5 billion from $26 billion in May. Do All the World's Countries Really Love the Obama Administration? A Survey
Prof. Barry Rubin - 8/7/2009
A recent article lists seven countries, aside from Israel, where it argues relations with the U.S. have declined since Obama took office, responding to a Washington Post editorial lavishing praise on the Obama administration and saying relations are better with every country in the world except Israel. A Letter To The President on Iranian Opposition
Rabbi Dr. Daniel M. Zucker - 8/7/2009
Dear Mr. President:
It pains me to write to you of an incident that occurred today in Camp Ashraf, Iraq, home-base of the Iranian resistance organization, the Mojahedin-e Khalq (MEK), an organization that has supplied the United States with intelligence about the Iranian regime’s nuclear and missile programs. Camp Ashraf, which has been under the protection of the United States Army until the SOFA agreement of December 2008, in which the right of the residents of Ashraf to continued asylum in Iraq was assured by the Iraqi government, maintaining the status of the MEK in Ashraf that had ... Economic Talks with China Not Likely to Accomplish Much
Prof. Peter Morici - 8/7/2009
U.S. leaders are sitting down to another round of talks with China on security, the economy and the environment. With banks stabilized, nothing is more important to accomplishing a sustainable U.S. economic recovery than recalibrating trade with China. Obama Administration Recognizes Ahmadinejad as President
Prof. Barry Rubin - 8/7/2009
No, I don't want to keep writing every day about the Obama Administration's Middle East policy. There are many other topics I'd prefer, but the problem is that they keep doing things. Health Care: Creating Real Competition to Lower Costs
Prof. Peter Morici - 7/30/2009
U.S. health care is broken but President Obama’s reforms would raise costs and subsidize the beast with taxes on small businesses and the successful. Americans spend 18 percent of GDP on health care, and Obama’s patches and plugs would push that above 20. The Obama Ideology and World Affairs
Prof. Barry Rubin - 7/27/2009
Theme One: The Obama Revolution
To get a sense of Obama administration thinking, let’s examine the speech by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at the Council on Foreign Relations, July 15. Remember that the wording of such speeches is not random and that phrases and formulations are carefully chosen to convey messages. Don't Believe in Truth? Don't Be a Reporter
Prof. Barry Rubin - 7/27/2009
A reporter just wrote me a letter that contains a single sentence which I think reflects on why the Western world is in such trouble today. After understandably discussing such real problems of reporting as short deadlines, complex issues, and the duty of the reporter to report what people say, the letter concludes with this sentence: “And when it comes to the Middle East, one man’s [obscenity deleted] is another man’s truth.” Health Care and President Obama’s Sinking Approval Ratings
Prof. Peter Morici - 7/27/2009
President Obama’s approval ratings are falling, and on critical issues like health care, those are falling below 50 percent. Simply, the president has not been honest with Americans and is getting caught at it by the Congressional Budget Office. The Economics of Michael Jackson
Prof. Peter Morici - 7/27/2009
The electronic mass media has created two interconnected phenomenon that give us personalities like Michael Jackson. President Obama’s Donut Economics
Prof. Peter Morici - 7/27/2009
The stock market is rallying. The economy will recover by yearend, and strong profits among big players like Goldman Sachs, IBM and Google will spread to other big corporations. However, many small businesses and working Americans won’t be cheering. Restore nation's ability to produce
Prof. Peter Morici - 7/27/2009
The $789 billion stimulus doesn’t fix what ails the economy and is doomed to fail. Since 2007, the private sector has shed 6.6 million jobs — half in manufacturing and construction. Governments added 185 thousand employees, hired teachers, and no change in those trends can be detected since the stimulus began. A U.S. Middle East Policy Emerges: Great in Theory, Certain to Fail in Practice
Prof. Barry Rubin - 7/27/2009
A clear, consistent, and carefully formulated U.S. strategy is emerging in the Middle East. Unfortunately, it’s a badly flawed one that won’t work. Probably, the Obama administration will spend the next six months finding out what I’ve just told you. Hopefully, it will learn and change as a result. A Jobless Recovery and Strong Stock Market
Prof. Peter Morici - 7/27/2009
The economy is bottoming and a modest recovery will begin this fall. The stock market will soar but high unemployment will stain Barack Obama’s presidency. ECONOMY: Trade Deficit Negates Stimulus Spending
Prof. Peter Morici - 7/27/2009
The trade deficit rose to $31.0 billion from $29.2 billion in April. Subsidized manufactures from China and petroleum imports comprise more than 90 percent of the deficit and both will rise as consumer spending and oil prices rebound later in 2009. Health Care Reform and My Expensive Education in Economics
Prof. Peter Morici - 7/27/2009
America’s health care system is broken, but President Obama inspires little confidence with his fix. Health care absorbs 18 percent of GDP—about 50 percent more than in other wealthy countries. Prices are too high and are a terrible burden on jobs creation. 2009: A Diplomatic Odyssey
Prof. Barry Rubin - 7/27/2009
“‘If anyone unwarily draws in too close and hears the singing of the Sirens, his wife and children will never welcome him home again, for they sit in a green field and warble him to death with the sweetness of their song. There is a great heap of dead men's bones lying all around, with the flesh still rotting off them. Therefore pass these Sirens by…. The President’s Health Care Pitch
Prof. Peter Morici - 7/27/2009
On health care and other critical issues, President Obama continues to purposefully confuse the debate. He presents choices as either his way or the failed ways of the past—no other solutions are possible. That is silly. Polygamy: To Legalize or Not?”
Ron Coody - 7/27/2009
Polygamy, from a biological point of view, is a more likely candidate for legalization than homosexuality. But even it has its problems, namely, you can search the world over and find very few women or men who would gladly put up for long with sharing their spouse in a slumber party of other reproductive partners. Among Muslims, who allow for one man to have up to four wives, the data strongly suggests that the arrangement is immeasurably more popular with males than females. Lenin’s dream of financial ruin
Mike Spaniola - 7/14/2009
Clues to the nation’s financial debacle can be found in the dustbin of history, but those most responsible hide their sleights of hand as closely as any magician. ECONOMY: Why Obama’s Economic Policies Are Failing
Prof. Peter Morici - 7/14/2009
The $789 billion stimulus doesn’t fix what ails the economy and is doomed to fail. Since 2007, the private sector has shed 6.6 million jobs—half in manufacturing and construction. Governments added 185 thousand employees, hired teachers, and no change in those trends can be detected since the stimulus began. Forty-Eight Hours of Reality
Prof. Barry Rubin - 6/18/2009
In the Middle East the best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry because reality steps in. Obama: An Innocent Abroad
Jonathan Spyer, Ph.D. - 6/18/2009
The London-based Arabic newspaper Al-Quds al-Arabi has published what it claims are key details of the new Middle East peace plan to be presented by President Obama in his speech in Cairo on June 4. Details of the plan made the front page of two leading Israeli newspapers. Let's Dream of Financial Ruin
Mike Spaniola - 6/13/2009
Clues to the nation’s financial debacle are buried deep in the dustbin of history as the body politics most responsible for today’s money mess safeguard their sleights of hand as closely as any magician. Reform fractured system through competitive plan
Prof. Peter Morici - 6/13/2009
American health care is broken. At 16 percent, the United States spends a much larger share of GDP on health care than Western European economies. Yet the United States has about 45 million uninsured, while its peers do not. Israel and America: Neither Surrender nor Confrontation
Prof. Barry Rubin - 6/13/2009
The United States demands that Israel stop construction on settlements. If this doesn’t happen, it hints at dire retaliation. If Israel agrees to this step, President Barack Obama promises great things. First, he claims this will bring dramatic progress toward Israel-Palestinian peace. Trade Deficit Expected to Rise, Overwhelms Effects of Stimulus
Prof. Peter Morici - 6/12/2009
Wednesday, the Commerce Department report will report April international trade in goods and services. The U.S. trade deficit on goods and services is expected to rise to $28.7 billion from $27.6 billion in March. My forecast is $29.9 billion. Speaking Flattery to Power
Prof. Barry Rubin - 6/11/2009
Barack Obama’s speech in Cairo is one of the most bizarre orations ever made by a U.S. president, not a foreign policy statement but rather something invented by Obama, an international campaign speech, as if his main goal was to obtain votes in the next Egyptian primary. ECONOMY: A Moderate Recovery and Bull Market
Prof. Peter Morici - 6/11/2009
Finally, some good news from labor markets—job losses are slowing, recovery is in sight, and the stock market is poised for robust rally. ECONOMY: Friday’s Jobs Report: Unemployment and Stock Prices Heading Up
Prof. Peter Morici - 6/5/2009
Friday, the Labor Department will report employment data for May. In April, the economy lost 539,000 jobs, and the consensus forecast is for another 550,000 jobs lost in May. My forecast is for a 561,000 loss. Health care: America can learn lessons from abroad
Prof. Peter Morici - 6/4/2009
American health care is broken. At 16 percent, the United States spends a much larger share of GDP on health care than Western European economies. Yet the United States has about 45 million uninsured, while its peers do not. Mirror, Mirror on the Wall
Prof. Barry Rubin - 5/31/2009
Mirror, Mirror on the Wall,
Whose the most popular statesman of all?
Who Cares?
Here's one of many questions that should be asked everywhere but you might only see it here:
If President Barack Obama actually succeeds in making himself more popular among Arabs and Muslims, what material advantage would it give the United States? The Recession Still Has Time to Run but the Stock Market Is Headed North
Prof. Peter Morici - 5/28/2009
Tuesday, the Conference Board reported a sharp improvement in consumer confidence—the index scored 54.9 in May, up from 40.8 the prior month. The stock market celebrated with a strong rally. Uncle Sam's 'F'-rated bonds
Prof. Peter Morici - 5/22/2009
Were the United States any other country, its bonds would lose their AAA rating. President Barack Obama plans dramatic increases in spending over the next four years on healthcare, the environment, education, and federal employment. Yet the private economy, which must be taxed, is likely to grow slowly, resulting in too much borrowing. Detailed Analysis of the Obama-Netanyahu Meeting
Prof. Barry Rubin - 5/22/2009
Part 1
So what did President Barack Obama say after the meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and what does it mean?
First, Obama went to great lengths to stress his belief in the special relationship between the two countries, knowing his fealty to it has been (understandably and rightfully) challenged. He consciously escalated it by calling it an "extraordinary relationship" adding "historical ties, emotional ties," "only true democracy of the Middle East," "a source of admiration and inspiration for the American people." He then went on to say Is... Is There Hope that the Obama Administration Might Change?
Prof. Barry Rubin - 5/19/2009
Regarding the Obama-Netanyahu Meeting, please forgive the following: I... told... you... so... and I'm glad there's good news for once. U.S.-Israel relations are again on a firm footing. On that I was sure. But now here's some speculation. Fixing Health Care
Prof. Peter Morici - 5/19/2009
American health care is broken. At 16 percent, the United States spends a much larger share of GDP on health care than Western European economies. Yet the United States has about 45 million uninsured, while its peers do not. President Obama: You've Paid for the Report, Now Read It
Prof. Barry Rubin - 5/13/2009
The U.S. State Department has produced excellent research and analysis in its “Country Reports on Terrorism 2008” report just released. Now the only problem is to ensure the Obama administration reads and absorbs the contents. Obama’ policy toward Iran
Hassan Daioleslam - 5/13/2009
Over the past four months, the Obama administration has been sending good will signals to the Iranian regime and has confirmed its policy of overture toward Tehran. Obama’s Nowrouz message combined with the entry of two well known Iranian-American experts into the administration, illustrates this trend. Trade Deficit Rise in March, Drags on Recovery
Prof. Peter Morici - 5/13/2009
Yesterday, the Commerce Department reported the March trade deficit was $27.6 billion, up from $26.1 billion in February. Stress Tests: Investors Should Steer Clear of Banks Found Needing New Capital
Prof. Peter Morici - 5/13/2009
Whether or not the banks needed them, the Federal Reserve has completed the stressed tests. It has acted on pleadings from bank executives and will announce which major banks need to raise more capital late Thursday afternoon. Obama Administration Withdraws Proposed Concessions to Hamas
Prof. Barry Rubin - 5/13/2009
This has become a very interesting situation. On May 1, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in congressional testimony, reinterpreted the proposal discussed below to make it clear that the United States did not embrace the proposal (earlier raised by the French) to back a PA coalition with Hamas. She said that every individual minister of such a government would have to accept the quartet provisions that included recognizing Israel and abandoning terrorism. This would effetively rule out U.S. aid to a Fatah-Hamas coalition (which isn't going to happen any way). Here Comes Hillary; There Goes Lebanon
Prof. Barry Rubin - 5/4/2009
Suddenly, the United States has awoken to the fact that in one month Lebanon is likely to be taken over by a radical government and hijacked into the Iran-Syria alliance. Unfortunately, this apparently doesn�t mean it�or European states�are going to do anything about it. Barack Obama's Crossroads
Lorna Thomas - 5/4/2009
Addressing students and young professionals gathered at Strasbourg in April 2009, for the NATO Youth Summit, President Barack Obama said "We find ourselves at a crossroads, ... all of us, for we've arrived at a moment where each nation and every citizen must choose, at last, how we respond to a world that has grown smaller and more connected than at any time in its existence." He added "But it's also a tremendous responsibility, because it is you who must ultimately decide what we do with this incredible moment in history." America: Is violence linked with recession?
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 5/3/2009
“If you can’t do the time, don’t do the crime.” In few countries does the old adage resonate more loudly than in the United States of America . America may be pulverizing the Taliban and al- Qaeda in the Pak- Afghan border and watching post-conflict transition in Nepal , especially the Maoists snail like lackluster transformation with caution after the signing of Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in 21 November 2006, but back home, it is facing a much tougher enemy – Gun Violence. Chrysler, Stress Tests and Swine Flu
Prof. Peter Morici - 5/3/2009
This week we will get a first glimpse of the beginning of the end of the recession, perhaps. Chrysler and How the Government Can Screw Up Capitalism
Prof. Peter Morici - 5/1/2009
Chrysler is teetering on Chapter 11, and the federal bailout illustrates how government efforts to rescue failing businesses often fall victim to crass political considerations. The Unbearable Lightness of Wishful Thinking
Prof. Barry Rubin - 5/1/2009
Congratulations, the conflict is over! Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad isn't a radical, aggressive Islamist and Holocaust denier but a peacenik! Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is against war and terrorism! Obama's Foreign Policy: Bambi Versus the Sharks
Prof. Barry Rubin - 4/29/2009
It is not such a big deal to disagree with a president and his policies. But it is shocking to realize that the leader of the world’s most powerful country doesn’t appear to understand the most basic principles of international relations.This isn’t surprising since Barrack Obama has no—zero, nada—previous experience in this area. It shows. There are two distinct ways other countries respond to this combination of his ignorance at realpolitik, urgent desire to be liked, and pride in projecting U.S. weakness: Economic Recovery and the “D” Word
Prof. Peter Morici - 4/29/2009
The consensus among economic forecasters is that the economy will achieve very modest growth in the third quarter and climb out of the doldrums in the fourth quarter. However, among those soothsayers conviction may be waning, Barack Obama's Trip to Turkey
Ron Coody - 4/27/2009
Two weeks ago police and security forces sealed streets around the ancient capitol metropolis of Istanbul for miles in every direction when US president Barak Hussein Obama and his entourage arrived for the Alliance of Civilizations conference. The boldfaced Hussein is not a misprint. For days before and since Obama’s visit, a quick glance at the Turkish newspapers or television might lead you to believe that Hussein was Obama’s only name. It is ironic that during the presidential election, Obama and company successfully managed to almost completely erase any trace of his m... Rule of Law Vetoed by President Obama
Joel S. Hirschhorn - 4/27/2009
There are no headlines or pontificating pundits, but the real news that has become crystal clear to any but the most delusional and distracted Americans is that President Obama has no commitment to applying the rule of law where it counts. Certainly, not applying it to the large number of rich and powerful people that have violated our Constitution and plunged the nation into economic disaster. The Great Recession
Prof. Peter Morici - 4/27/2009
Economists expect a late year economic recovery, but their conviction appears failing. Housing Sales and Fixing the Economy
Prof. Peter Morici - 4/22/2009
It seems an article of faith that the first signs of recovery will emerge in the housing market. March data for existing and new homes sales, due out Thursday and Friday, will be trumpeted crocuses of spring if those beat expectations. The Confrontation Con-Game
Prof. Barry Rubin - 4/21/2009
There are many people eager to see President Barack Obama and his administration bash Israel, or predict that has already happened. But the administration has yet to make any significant direct anti-Israel actions or statements. I expect this widely predicted conflict isn’t going to take place. Naivete Kills
Prof. Barry Rubin - 4/20/2009
It never ceases to amaze me that people who know nothing about the Middle East, in this case Roger Cohen but many other names come to mind, can suddenly proclaim themselves experts and make the most elementary errors involving the lives of other people. It also never ceases to amaze me that people can visit a country, especially a dictatorship, be wined and dined, handed a line and believe it so thoroughly that their mind is closed ever after. Thursday's Housing Starts Data and the Economic Outlook
Prof. Peter Morici - 4/20/2009
Thursday, the Commerce Department released key data for new home construction—housing starts and permits issued for March. After rising in February to 583,000, housing starts are expected to slip back to 550,000, and those February levels were hardly anything to cheer about. Building permits are expected to remain at recessionary levels. Bowing, Bowing…Bowed
Ron Coody - 4/19/2009
Perhaps it is much ado about nothing. In the recent trip to Europe participating in the G-20 summit with world leaders from every corner of the globe, President Obama greeted King Abdullah from Saudi Arabia with a deep bow, bending his tall frame before the much shorter king. Obama bent over ninety-degrees from the waist and bent one of his knees as the Arab monarch stretched forth his hand and smiled broadly, as anyone can easily see from the photographs set loose upon the boundary-less world of the internet. It was a sign of…what? It certainly fit comfortably within the whole Islamic pa... Neoconservatism and Nepotism: John Podhoretz at Commentary
Prof. Nicholas Stix - 4/8/2009
In the history of the Jews in America, January 1, 2009 is a day which will live in infamy. For that was the day on which John Podhoretz took the reins as editor-in-chief of Commentary magazine. Businesses Gird for Economic Depression
Prof. Peter Morici - 4/8/2009
The economy is shifting to permanently lower levels of production and employment, as the recession nears a depression. Political Correctness in the War on Muslim Terror
Rock Peters - 4/8/2009
President Barack Obama and his Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napalitano have scrapped the terms "war on terror" and "terrorist attacks." The new hygienic, sterilized language and "politically correct" term being introduced by the Obama administration for the 'war on terror" is now "Overseas Contingency Operations". In place of "terrorist attacks" the politically correct term is "Man Caused Disasters." Let's not offend murderers, al-Qaeda and the Muslim terrorists that attacked us! This will make us safer, no doubt. GOP Shall Not Go Quietly Into The Night
David Huntwork - 4/8/2009
After the schelacking of the Republican party by the Democrats on November 4th many people are asking themselves “what happened” and “what do we do next”. The “what happened” was eight years of a lackluster president who enacted the Surge about two and half years too late, surrendered on the public relations front, and abandoned the conservative principle of small government while joining the Republican controlled Congress in a frenzy of (then) unprecedented deficit spending. The Special US-Israel Relationship Under Assault
Ted Belman - 3/27/2009
Predictably, John Measheimer comes out in support of Chas Freeman in his article The Lobby Falters. According to him “the Israel lobby launched a smear campaign against Freeman” and he suggested the attack was unfounded. He faults Obama with these words “But Barack Obama’s pandering to the Israel lobby during the campaign and his silence during the Gaza War show that this is one opponent he is not willing to challenge.” ECONOMY: Obama Courting Disaster
Prof. Peter Morici - 3/27/2009
President Obama’s strategy to combat the recession courts disaster. He proposes huge federal deficits from 2009 to 2011 to prop up domestic demand and break the negative feedback cycle of rising unemployment, falling incomes and sinking consumer spending, while recapitalizing the banks to get credit flowing again. Tracked by Spies and Informers
Julia A. Shearson - 3/27/2009
The February 26, 2009 revelation in the Los Angeles Times that FBI domestic intelligence informant and ex-convict Craig Monteilh and others were paid handsomely to spy on Muslim Americans in their houses of worship in Southern California should come as no surprise. Such domestic intelligence gathering has a history in the United States . NY Times' Cartoon: Political Misunderstanding, not Hatred
Prof. Barry Rubin - 3/27/2009
It is silly to say that the Pat Oliphant Cartoon in the New York Times and many newspapers around the world is antisemitic. But it’s also a bad mistake because the cartoon deserves serious analysis to show just how dangerous and wrong it is, in ways that not only hurt Israel but all Western democracies. It's Worse Than a Crime, It's Blundering Analysis
Prof. Barry Rubin - 3/24/2009
The problem, as we see repeatedly, with much media coverage of issues involving Israel is the way the story is defined. There need not be any sense of bias by a reporter. Merely copying what other journalists do or from a specific ideological framework—not because reporters have preconceptions but because they make far less effort than in the past to balance them—leads to a conception of the story that is skewed. Fixing America's banks: Geithner's tactics not the answer
Prof. Peter Morici - 3/24/2009
Timothy Geithner’s policy to fix the banks is destroying private equity and simply inadequate. Brzezinski and the Iranian Bomb
Hassan Daioleslam and Keyvan Koboli - 3/24/2009
On March 5th, Zbigniew Brzezinski, the former US National Security advisor under President Carter testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee elaborating on the U.S. policy toward a nuclear Iran. In his testimony, Brzezinski told the Senate committee that the prospect of a nuclear Iran is not that frightening. Facts and Fictions in the Securities Industry
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 3/24/2009
The securities industry worldwide is constructed upon the quicksand of self-delusion and socially-acceptable confabulations. These serve to hold together players and agents whose interests are both disparate and diametrically opposed. In the long run, the securities markets are zero-sum games and the only possible outcome is win-lose. Teaching the Controversy
Ron Coody - 3/24/2009
The recent passing of Darwin Day continues to generate discussion in various quarters as to exactly what, if any, is the relationship between the question of evolution and the question of creation. The folks involved in promoting Intelligent Design, have in the past few years sought repeatedly to make a legal and scientific case for what they call “teaching the controversy” of evolution. The idea is that Darwinian theory, that all organism originated from a common ancestor and evolved over the eons by random mutation and natural selection, in spite of evidence for it, also has some glaring p... Senator Feingold's Constitutional Opportunity
Joel S. Hirschhorn - 3/18/2009
Like others promoting constitutional amendments, Senator Russ Feingold, Democrat, Wisconsin , apparently is unaware of the refusal by Congress to obey Article V of the Constitution. He has a fine idea: every senator must actually be elected rather than appointed to that position. In 1913 the 17th amendment created the potential for governors to make appointments to fill Senate seats until the next regular scheduled general election and 38 states allow this; there have been 185 such appointments. Feingold is right to condemn “decisions being made solely by the powerful, without the consent, or even the input, of the people.” AIG or GM: Who Is the Fool?
Prof. Peter Morici - 3/18/2009
Washington and the nation are enraged that AIG is paying millions in bonuses to retain financial wizards that sold insurance on mortgage backed securities with few assets to back up their promises. Stewart vs. Cramer
Prof. Peter Morici - 3/18/2009
I can’t attend church these days, never mind be interviewed, without being asked: Four Integrity Tests for President Obama
Joel S. Hirschhorn - 3/10/2009
A great smile does not make a truth teller. A talker of change does not define a reformer. Make no mistake, for the good of the nation I want President Obama to succeed in getting us out of the scandalous economic meltdown we are immersed in. But I do not like many of his actions, policies and strategies for accomplishing this, nor does the stock market. The Current Global Crisis in Historical Context
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 3/9/2009
Housing and financial crises often precede, or follow the disintegration of empires. The dissolution of the Habsburg and the British empires, as well as the implosion of the USSR were all marked by the eruption and then unwinding of imbalances in various asset, banking, and financial markets. Bankers and Stockbrokers as Malignant and Psychopathic Narcissists
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 3/4/2009
The perpetrators of the recent spate of financial frauds in the USA acted with callous disregard for employees, investors, and shareholders - not to mention other stakeholders. Yet, they are the tip of a pernicious iceberg of perfidious, self-enriching, callous, and antisocial bankers, stockbrokers, analysts, and other members of the professions within the financial sector. On the Menace of the Vanishing Somali Youth
Abukar Arman - 3/3/2009
Somalia has a new government that many consider to possess what it takes to spearhead sustainable peace and bring the lawlessness of the past two decades to an end. However, this article is not about that, or about the so-called Somali piracy. Hate Speech At San Francisco State University
Richard L. Cravatts, Ph.D. - 3/3/2009
The fragile ceasefire between Hamas and Israel in the recent Gaza incursion may have brought a tentative peace to that region, but on campuses in California — the veritable ground zero of anti-Israel sentiment in the academy — the debate over the 60-year conflict has gained a new, and more insidious, momentum as student demonstrations, protests, and denunciations of racist Zionism, a “brutal occupation,” and “genocide” of Arabs were heard on campuses worldwide. Would the Real Messiah Please Stand Up?
Ron Coody - 3/3/2009
During last year’s boisterous, historical, and sometimes hysterical presidential election, campaigners spared no words to elevate their man or woman. One of the lofty pontifications flowed from the tongue of world famous Louis Farrakhan, leader of the Nation of Islam, and known for his Million Man March on Washington D.C. a few years back. Extolling the virtues of Barak Obama he launched deep into the unexplored frontiers of hyperbole with accolades falling from his lips comparing Obama to the Messiah, the Chief Corner Stone. It sounded good, his listeners loved it, and if Obama ever got wind of it, he certainly never made any attempt to deny the charges. Helping Hillary While Keeping Israel Safe
Prof. Barry Rubin - 3/3/2009
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has arrived in Israel on the first of what will no doubt be many visits. Beyond the simple self-interest of making her feel appreciated, most Israelis are genuinely glad that she was appointed to this job. The reason why is critical to understanding the future of U.S. Middle East Policy and U.S.-Israel relations. Treasury’s Flawed Plan for Citigroup and Other Banks
Prof. Peter Morici - 3/3/2009
Timothy Geithner continues to destroy bank equity with a misguided TARP and vaguely-defined Financial Stability Plan. He seeming doesn’t grasp that he can’t stop a tub with a two inch drain from losing its water with a one inch stopper. Do You Recognize Barack Obama in These Texts? - First Series
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 3/2/2009
This is the first in a series of articles examining Obama's psychological makeup in minute detail. The Role of Governments in Global Crises
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 2/25/2009
Market failures signify corruption and inefficiency in the private sector. Such misconduct and misallocation of economic resources is usually thought to be the domain of the public sector, but actually it goes on eveywhere in the economy. Elizabeth Alexander, Poet of Iron
Prof. Nicholas Stix - 2/24/2009
Ought Congress to pass a law, banning the reading of official state poems at presidential inaugurations? Or should we instead use the ritual as a barometer with which to measure America’s cultural decline? Intellectual Dishonesty about the War on Terror
Anthony Tsontakis - 2/23/2009
In what follows, I have chosen a particularly eccentric example of intellectual dishonesty about the War on Terror, but this has been to illustrate a point. The point is, that, if we fail to appreciate the complexity of the War on Terror, or whatever you would like to call it, we risk, however inadvertently, the legitimization--or, worse, the institutionalization--of organizations and movements which are otherwise irreconcilable to the general rule of secular law in international affairs. The prospects of such developments are problematic, because standardized radicalism within foreign gove... Muslims in America, The Series, Part Two
Kathy Shaidle - 2/23/2009
"One in 10 inmates behind bars turns to Islam."
It was small story in a local newspaper called the Daily Herald out of Everett, Washington, but it spread quickly around the internet, thanks to that startling claim. Muslims in America, The Series, Part One
Kathy Shaidle - 2/23/2009
Imagine a Super Bowl with all male cheerleaders and half-time prayers. In that America, they drink Jihad Cola instead of Coke and thank Allah when they win an Oscar. Start by abolishing all income taxes and fire your government employees
Iqbal Latif - 2/23/2009
Atlas Shrugged* was Ayn Rand's greatest achievement and last work of fiction. "Atlas" bleakly predicted that we will treat the inept that destroy their companies as victims, while those ingenious business owners who deliver earnings are depicted as recipients of illicit boon. (According to a survey by the Library of Congress and the Book of the Month Club, readers rate "Atlas" as the second-most influential book in their lives, behind only the Bible. ) U.S. Registers $677 Billion Trade Deficit in 2008
Prof. Peter Morici - 2/23/2009
Last week, the Commerce Department reported the 2008 deficit on international trade in goods and services was $677.1 billion. This is down from $700.3 billion in 2007 but still 4.7 percent of GDP. The trade deficit was smaller in 2008, becasue economic growth and consumer spending began to decline during the second half 2008. Obama seeks American Jewish support for pressuring Israel
Ted Belman - 2/23/2009
A year ago Obama spoke in Cleveland to the leaders of the Jewish community and tipped his hand, Mesmerized by Melodic Rhetoric
Joel S. Hirschhorn - 2/23/2009
"I've been through Y2K and I've been through 9/11. I have never seen people so afraid as what we are seeing right now,” said gun shop owner Scott Moss recently. With more guns per capita – easily 250 million privately owned ones – and certainly more people in prisons than any other democracy, the intriguing question in this still worsening economic calamity is: If Americans found the courage for political rebellion now, would it preempt massive criminal violence, social havoc and armed rebellion later? The Next 18 Months: Recession, False Recovery, Depression
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 2/22/2009
The Obama stimulus package, worth some 800 billion USD, the 1.9 trillion USD in TARP funds and the endless Fed injections and auctions are bound to revive the moribund American economy by the third and fourth quarter of 2009. The Dow-Jones is likely to touch 10900, consumption will recover, as will housing starts and, in some markets, housing prices. Trade Deficit in 2008 Significant Cause of Economy's Recession
Prof. Peter Morici - 2/17/2009
The 2008 deficit on international trade in goods and services was $677.1 billion, down from $700.3 billion in 2007 but still 4.7% of GDP. The trade deficit was smaller in 2008 because economic growth and consumer spending began to decline during the second half of 2008. Why We Hear the Muslim World All Too Well
Prof. Barry Rubin - 2/10/2009
Message to New York Times: Read your own op-ed page. ECONOMY: Unemployment Headed for 9 Percent
Prof. Peter Morici - 2/6/2009
Today, the Labor Department will report employment data for January. In December, the economy lost 524,000 jobs, and the consensus forecast is for another 535,000 jobs lost in January. My forecast is for a 520,000 loss. Letter to an American Patriot
Prof. Nicholas Stix - 2/5/2009
On Monday, I received the following letter from a reader who had seen my inauguration essay, “Should Obama be Sworn in… or Arrested?”. Economy: Tax Solution to Wretched Greed
Joel S. Hirschhorn - 2/5/2009
By now most Americans have experienced extreme disgust upon hearing about the nearly $20 billion in bonuses given to people in New York City ’s financial sector at the end of 2008. After sending the nation into the current economic black hole there is no way of comprehending the audacity of financial company executives in giving themselves and their colleagues shameful rewards for abysmal and disgraceful performance. Other than screaming and moaning about all this dishonorable behavior what should the Obama administration and Congress do? World Economy to further suffer from Economic Epidemic in 2009
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 2/5/2009
How many economists does it take to fight the recession and how long will the downturn last? The world is asking questions such as these every moment but no one has been able to answer these questions with accuracy. Economy's Meltdown Creates New Global Champions
Naseem Javed - 2/5/2009
We have now arrived right in the middle of that second half of the hyper-accelerated phase, where western brands start to fall like dominos. As pointed in my column of 2006, ‘The Global Image Repositioning Shifts’, in the US alone hundreds of its world-class brands are being erased, from monster banking to mega manufacturing, some 73,000 stores alone being closed in the first half of 2009 according to the International Council of Shopping Centers, overall a Trillion-dollars worth of branding imagery that took decades of image building is getting scrubbed out worldwide. The damage so huge it can possibly be seen from the space, as streets are less bright and the cities are dimmer. Sophistry On Our Economy Reigns Supreme
Prof. Peter Morici - 2/5/2009
As Congress has added to the stimulus package, members have become ever more elastic in defining various kinds of spending and tax programs as GDP boosting and jobs creating. Expanded welfare payments, unemployment benefits for part-time workers and more generous tax write offs for past corporate losses to name just a few. Fixing Banks
Prof. Peter Morici - 1/28/2009
For every new president, campaign promises and inaugural idealism must give way to the hard choices that measure the mettle of their leadership. Obama's Decisive Actions
Ursula Siebert - 1/28/2009
It’s a joy watching the news again, e.g. Obama signing executive orders on environmental issues, making them a priority, reversing George Bush’s policies from day one in office. The Unpopular Prospect of World War III
Dr. Andreas Umland - 1/27/2009
A regularly employed analyst runs a certain risk when publicly speaking about the possibility of a destruction of humanity, in the foreseeable future. “Professional myopia” or “immaturity in judgment” may be among the less denigrating – “unprofessional hysteria” or “irresponsible conduct” the more damning – reactions by colleagues. One workplace-friend recently advised me to delete from an article the term “World War III.” I decided not to do so. Why Recessions Happen and How to Counter Them
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 1/19/2009
The fate of modern economies is determined by four types of demand: the demand for consumer goods; the demand for investment goods; the demand for money; and the demand for assets, which represent the expected utility of money (deferred money). U.S. Economy Records Huge Trade Deficit
Prof. Peter Morici - 1/18/2009
Tuesday, the Commerce Department reported the November trade deficit was $40.4 billion. This was down from $56.7 billion in October, largely because oil prices fell and the recession is curbing demand for imported consumer goods and petroleum. ECONOMY: Wall Street Produces More Villains In A Year Than the Hollywood
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 1/17/2009
Old habits die hard in Corporate America. One of the most durable is a reluctant to be at all honest about the health of the organization in charge by the top executives of the firm. Advice for President Obama on 'the Aspirations of the Iranian People'
Rabbi Dr. Daniel M. Zucker - 1/17/2009
On Sunday, January 11, 2009, President-elect Barak H. Obama stated in an interview on ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos”, that his administration would move quickly to change the U.S. approach towards Iran, moving to engagement and increased diplomacy, “sending a signal that we respect the aspirations of the Iranian people,…” Such a statement sounds admirable and it would be a very fine policy—if it was truly the aspirations of the Iranian people that were being addressed. Unfortunately, Obama is falling into the same trap as the prior two administrations, and failing to realize tha... Obama’s Policy directions for the Middle East crisis
Saberi Roy - 1/17/2009
As the world waits for the grand inauguration on January 20th, Obama will have to introduce himself to the world as the US President with more solutions and more promises. Although he has been focusing on the financial crisis and terrorism and there are too many expectations now that the economic plan with its emphasis on job growth and tax cuts could bring back US prosperity, Obama has actually been very silent about his foreign policy directions. There are many foreign policy issues that Obama has not mentioned in his campaign and although economy will take centre stage for the first few mon... Revival of U.S. Automaking Awaits if UAW Will Follow Toyota Model
Prof. Peter Morici - 1/17/2009
General Motors and Chrysler are on the anvil of history. United Auto Workers President Ron Gettelfinger holds the hammer and will determine whether they emerge more competitive or shattered in pieces and sold to foreign investors. Libertarianism: If Not Now, Then When?
Joel S. Hirschhorn - 1/12/2009
With the meltdown of the American economy, what better time to ask: Can libertarianism come to the rescue? Perhaps the most interesting statement in the Wikipedia discussion of libertarianism is that “There is no single theory that can be reliably identified as the libertarian theory, and no single principle or set of principles on which all libertarians would agree.” The Economy Is in a Depression
Prof. Peter Morici - 1/11/2009
The Labor Department reported on Jan. 9 that the economy lost 524,000 payroll jobs in December, and average employment was 1.3 million lower in the fourth quarter than in the third quarter. I believe the economy is already in the jaws of a depression. Obama, Iran and the nuclearization of the Middle East
Abid Mustafa - 1/10/2009
On 13/12/2008, Robert Gates, the US Secretary of Defence speaking at international security conference in Bahrain gave some insight about forthcoming relations between America and Iran. He said, "Nobody is after a regime change in Iran...What we are after is a change in policies and a change in behaviour so that Iran becomes a good neighbour of people in the region (rather) than a source of instability and violence." In response to a question about Iran, Gates said, "If we say that we want to try to change Iranian behaviour and want to deter Iran from developing nuclear weapons and we want to ... Rewriting Bush’s Legacy
Ron Coody - 1/9/2009
Now, at the end of George W. Bush’s presidency, a news commentator remarked it is as though President Obama is inheriting problems equivalent to the Great Depression and the bombing of Pearl Harbor , and of course it is all Bush’s fault. Is this true or exaggeration? It’s true the markets have suffered serious fluctuations and the government has stepped in with major financial bailouts. But when comparing the amounts of money involved taking into consideration the value of the dollar in 1930, plus the level of unemployment that the nation experienced at that time, the current level of unemp... Ten Rules for the Future: An Obama Suggestive
Leslie J. Sacks - 1/8/2009
1. Cap tax-deductible CEO remuneration at a maximum of 30 times the salary of that public company's lowest paid worker. Thereabove, salaries will not be tax deductible as an operating expense for an employer. In addition, no bonuses (in cash or shares) for top management of a public company will be tax deductible if the company suffered losses by the end of the relevant year. ECONOMY: Bush Auto Plan Will Test Obama's Union Loyalties
Prof. Peter Morici - 1/8/2009
President Bush has agreed to lend GM and Chrysler $17.4 billion on the condition these firms complete a plan to accomplish financial viability. Obama’s “Natural Born” Problem
David Huntwork - 1/8/2009
By now you are probably aware that there have been a multitude of lawsuits filed in regards to the question of whether or not President-elect Barack Obama is in fact eligible under the “natural born” provision of the Constitution of the United States of America to be the President of the United States (POTUS). The 99 Most Memorable, Interesting and Outrageous Political Quotes of 2008
David Huntwork - 1/8/2009
The year 2008 was politically the most exciting and unusual in a generation. It hosted a long, divisive and drama filled campaign season that featured the rapid rise and fall of Rudy Guiliani, Fred Thompson and Mike Huckabee, the unlikely rise of John McCain and Barack Obama, and the eventual bitter defeat of Hillary Clinton. It brought us an unusually long and brutal primary with emotional charges of racism and sexism, the rise of the Superdelegate, and the explosion of Sarah Palin upon the national stage. All of this was followed by a rough and tumble presidential campaign whose outcome may ... Obama Administration in the Middle East
Symposium - 1/8/2009
Barry Rubin, "The Administration's Theme: Conciliation with Enemies"
Patrick Clawson, "Obama, the Gulf, and Iran"
Norvell B. De Atkine, "Iraq: The Chimera of the 16-Month Withdrawal"
David Schenker, "Syria, Israel, and Lebanon"
John S. Duffield, "The Obama Presidency, Oil, and the Middle East"
Mark N. Katz, "What Obama Should Do About Russia in the Middle East"
Barry Rubin, "The Region's Dilemma: How to Deal with Obama"
Jeffrey Azarva, "Obama and Egypt's Coming Succession Crisis"
Tony Badran, "Syria Sets Its Traps for the Obama Administration" ECONOMY: Unemployment Headed for 8 Pecent
Prof. Peter Morici - 1/8/2009
Friday, the Labor Department will report employment data for December. In November, the economy lost 533,000 jobs, and the consensus forecast is for another 475,000 jobs lost in December. My forecast is for a 480,000 loss. Improvilating Wikipedia: Monsters of the Midway
Prof. Nicholas Stix - 1/8/2009
The Wikipedia entry, “Monsters of the Midway,” which has not been touched since November 15, 2008, is supposedly about the Chicago Bears, whose historic nickname, going back to circa 1940, is “the Monsters of the Midway,” although that name has only been used when the team was dominant. In the third paragraph however, the entry gets kidnapped, and taken away to the Wikipedia Zone: Passing the Iraq Baton to Barack Obama
Kenneth M. Pollack - 12/29/2008
All across America, people increasingly seem to believe that the war in Iraq is won. Republicans proclaim it triumphantly. Democrats acknowledge it grudgingly and then try to change the subject to Afghanistan. What's Next for the Fed: The People's National Bank?
Prof. Peter Morici - 12/29/2008
The Federal Reserve has cut the federal funds rate and its short-term lending rate to banks to near zero, but those moves have done little to unlock credit markets. Conventional mortgage money and business loans remain too scarce, as regional banks, which are the arteries and capillaries of our credit system, remain short of loanable funds. None Dare Call It News Coverage
Prof. Barry Rubin - 12/29/2008
I realized something important when reading a relatively marginal feature story from the Associated Press. Bush Auto Plan Will Test Obama's Union Loyalties
Prof. Peter Morici - 12/22/2008
President Bush has agreed to lend GM and Chrysler $17.4 billion on the condition these firms complete a plan to accomplish financial viability. Retired DEA Agents and NYPD Cops Sue Frank Lucas, 'American Gangster'
Ron Chepesiuk - 12/18/2008
“American Gangster,” the highly profitable 2007 film that grossed a reported $255 million and claimed to portray the true-life story of Frank Lucas, the 1970s Harlem gangster, has long since gone to DVD. The controversy surrounding the movie, however, is hanging around like a bad cold. Invisible Victims: Wikipedia Still Has No Page Devoted to the Winchester Atrocity
Prof. Nicholas Stix - 12/18/2008
On October 15, the tortured corpses of newlyweds, Marine Sgt. Jan Pawel Pietrzak, 24, and Quiana Jenkins-Pietrzak, 26, were found in their Winchester, CA home. Mrs. Pietrzak had been gang-raped, and husband and wife had each been bound, gagged, and shot, execution-style, in the back of the head. Twelve Years of Iranian lobby
Hassan Daioleslam - 12/18/2008
A few weeks ago, on November 18th, the National Iranian American Council (NIAC) held a conference in the Hart Senate building. A group of lawmakers, former diplomats and Iran experts gathered to indirectly advise the President elect Obama on how to deal with Iran. Or, how to reduce the pressure off the Iranian regime and augment the incentives.1 The moderator of the event was Trita Parsi, the president of NIAC. Bottom-Up Stimulus for the U.S. Economy
Yossef Ben-Meir, PhD - 12/18/2008
What development projects deliver short-term relief to people and long-term economic structural change for sustained growth and should therefore be part of the upcoming economic stimulus package? The answer: projects determined and managed by the local communities they are intended to benefit. U.S. Economy Records Huge Current Account Deficit
Prof. Peter Morici - 12/18/2008
Yesterday, the Commerce Department reported the third quarter current account deficit was $174.1 billion. This was caused largely by a $214.7 billion deficit on trade in goods. Auto Industry Bailout Testimony
Prof. Peter Morici - 12/16/2008
On Tuesday, December 9, I testified on the auto industry bailout before the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. Here is my testimony. Obama Administration and Israel: A Panel Discussion
Panel Discussion - 12/16/2008
On November 6, 2008, in light of Barack Obama's election as forty-forth president of the United States, the Global Research in International Affairs (GLORIA) Center and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce held a panel discussion on the prospects for U.S-Israeli relations under the Obama administration. Those participating were Prof. Barry Rubin, Ambassador Daniel Ayalon, Ambassador Dan Halpern, and Zvi Rafiah. Brief biographies can be found at the end of the article. U.S. Economy Registers $57.2 Billion Trade Deficit
Prof. Peter Morici - 12/15/2008
Last thursday, the Commerce Department reported the October deficit on trade in goods and services was $57.190 billion, up from $56.559 billion in September. The consensus forecast was $54.0 billion and my forecast was $53.5 billion. Dear President Obama ...
Prof. Barry Rubin - 12/15/2008
Dear President Obama: They say that you prefer the name Barry and so it pleases me no end that another Barry is finally president of the United States. In addition, I once worked as a community organizer so we have two things in common. Russia and Europe want a multi-polar world
Lorna Thomas - 12/9/2008
1. REINS OF POWER SLIPPING FROM U.S. ARE BEING TAKEN UP BY EUROPE WHICH INCLUDES RUSSIA
“We are facing the greatest economic challenge of our lifetime, and we're going to have to act swiftly to resolve it," President Elect Barack Obama said during his first public address after election. From Pearl Harbor to 9/11 to the Selection of Barack Obama
Prof. Nicholas Stix - 12/9/2008
How did America get from the patriotic nation it was on December 7, 1941, to the nation in moral collapse that it is today, in which a racial socialist, who had once made no secret of his hostility towards her, and has since given many hints of his plans to destroy her, is about to take the oath of office as the nation’s chief executive? Economy: Friday's Job Report
Prof. Peter Morici - 12/6/2008
Friday, the Labor Department will report employment data for November. In October, the economy lost 240,000 jobs, and the consensus forecast is for another 300,000 jobs lost in November. My forecast is for a 275,000 loss. Media's Pretend Objectivity and the Electorate
Tom McLaughlin - 12/3/2008
It was a bad week. Couldn't start my column on Sunday like I usually do because the hard drive on my laptop crashed while I was away for the weekend. Monday morning I got it outlined on my back-up machine before leaving for school, but after school I had to drive a hundred miles (round trip) to drop my main machine off with the nearest Apple-certified technician. Tuesday after school I picked it up and hurried home to vote before the polls closed. Election results were depressing for conservatives like me. Wednesday morning I was pulled over for speeding on the way to school. Been driving that road the same way for 31 years, but oh well. I was going 55 in a 45. Significance of Michael Jackson's Conversion to Islam
Syed Ali Mujtaba, Ph.D. - 11/26/2008
Pop star Michael Jackson has converted to Islam at a ceremony in Los Angeles recently. Jackson , whose once amazing career has been eclipsed in recent years, is said to have changed his name to Mikaeel, one of the angels of Allah name and taken the 'Shahada' or a declaration to believe in Islam. Obama and the Phenomenon of Change
Ronald Elly Wanda - 11/26/2008
I am still trembling from the griping suspense of watching the so called “Bradley” theory demolished by the Obama phenomenon in the concluded US election. Barack Obama, the Democratic presidential candidate on Wednesday 5th November 2008 secured a resounding victory over John McCain- the veteran Republican candidate, overcoming the country’s bitter legacy of slavery and bigotry, matching straight into history books as the country’s first black president. Peace Corps in a Bottom-Up and Troubled Era
Yossef Ben-Meir, PhD - 11/26/2008
Considering the economic and political challenges facing the United States and the world today, and given the lessons learned in foreign assistance since it began after World War II with the Marshall Plan, now is the time that the Peace Corps should amend the role that its volunteers play in international development. The Next Crisis: Imploding Bond Markets
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 11/16/2008
To finance enormous bailout packages for the financial sector (and potentially the auto and mining industries) as well as fiscal stimulus plans, governments will have to issue trillions of US dollars in new bonds. Consequently, the prices of bonds are bound to come under pressure from the supply side. Who Needs Investment Funds?
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 11/12/2008
The credit and banking crisis of 2007-9 has cast in doubt the three pillars of modern common investment schemes. Mutual funds (known in the UK as "unit trusts"), hedge funds, and closed-end funds all rely on three assumptions: Paulson’s Folly: Throwing Good Money after Bad at AIG
Prof. Peter Morici - 11/12/2008
The Treasury is injecting another $27 billion into AIG and raising the taxpayers’ investment to $150 billon. Secretary Paulson appears more intent on helping his pals on Wall Street than protecting taxpayer interests. Why all the Stock Exchanges Collapsed
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 11/11/2008
In the wake of the global credit crunch, stock exchanges throughout the world collapsed in tandem. Why? Paul Krugman: The Nobelist Blogger
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 11/7/2008
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the 2008 Bank of Sweden Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel to Professor Paul Robin Krugman (born 1953). There is no Free Lunch
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 11/6/2008
During the months of September-October 2008, governments throughout the world took a series of unprecedented steps to buttress tottering banks. In the USA, the Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department have flooded the financial system with liquidity; granted commercial banking licenses to the few investment banks left standing; lent funds against financial instruments turned toxic; and purchased non-voting equity and senior debt in a host of firms and banks. Several European countries have guaranteed all bank deposits and short-term interbank loans. Are Free Markets Dead?
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 11/5/2008
Three of the most important functions of free markets are: price discovery, the provision of liquidity, and capital allocation. Honest and transparent dealings between willing buyers and sellers are thought to result in liquid and efficient marketplaces. Prices are determined, second by second, in a process of public negotiation, taking old and emergent information about risks and returns into account. Capital is allocated to the highest bidder, who, presumably, can make the most profit on it. And every seller finds a buyer and vice versa. Strategies to End the Economy Crisis
Prof. Peter Morici - 11/3/2008
Global stock and commodity prices continue to drop, as the threat of a long recession looms. Fear casts a shadow that threatens the viability of democratic capitalism and threatens a wholesale breakdown of the economy into a depression. Notes on the Credit Crisis
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 11/3/2008
The global crisis of 2007-9 was, actually, a confluence of unrelated problems on three continents. In the United States, investment banks were brought down by hyper-leveraged investments in ill-understood derivatives. As stock exchanges plummeted, the resulting devastation and wealth destruction spilled over into the real economy and caused a recession which is bound to be mild by historical standards. McCain's 'Hail Mary' Tour
Ryan Mauro - 10/28/2008
As we speak, Senator McCain’s advisors may well be drafting his concession speech. The outlook is dim. Democratic turnout in early voting is huge; most polls show Obama with a five to twelve point lead, aside from the occasional outlier; Obama is pulling away in Colorado and even Virginia; the Republican base is depressed, and the media’s pre-emptive appointing of Obama as the next president may well decrease Republican turnout. Chrysler makes a poor fit for GM
Prof. Peter Morici - 10/28/2008
General Motors Corp. is having trouble lining up the financing to acquire Chrysler LLC -- either by merging it into its operations or as a scaled-down subsidiary. Observers may blame the credit crisis and the present reluctance of banks to lend. While that makes GM's task more difficult, it certainly is not the central reason why the acquisition should not go forward. Will a Stimulus Package Work For the Economy?
Prof. Peter Morici - 10/22/2008
Several reporters and producers have asked for my views on a stimulus package. Here it is. A stimulus package generally takes a quarter or more to implement and then gives the economy a temporary lift. As we saw, the last package gave consumption a lift that slipped back after a few months. That gave GDP growth a sugar high late in the second quarter and helped growth from slipping too much in the third quarter. When the Federal Government Fails the People
Joel S. Hirschhorn - 10/22/2008
The hardest thing for Americans to do right now in this presidential election season is to fight distraction and, instead, focus on the failure of all three branches of the federal government. And also to resist the propaganda masquerading as patriotic obligation that voting will fundamentally fix the federal government. The real lesson of American history is that things have turned so ugly that electing a new president and many new members of Congress will at best provide band-aids when what is needed is nothing less than what Thomas Jefferson wisely said our nation would need periodically: a political revolution. Somali Violence in Minnesota
Mohamed H. Hassan - 10/22/2008
Aside from all the daily nuisance crimes and life struggles so as to adjust into a new life and culture, Somalis in Minnesota are now havocked by hopeless and senseless killings, gang violence - Somali on Somali. In last than a year, 6 young men have been killed, three in one week - all are between the ages of 17 to 30 years. Worst, neither the Somali community nor the authorities are doing enough to divert further senseless killings. ECONOMY: U.S. Trade Deficit at $59.1 Billion in August
Prof. Peter Morici - 10/12/2008
Friday, the Commerce Department reported the August deficit on trade in goods and services was $59.1 billion. This was not much changed from the July deficit of $61.3 billion. On Patriotism and Exceptionalism
Ted Belman - 10/12/2008
In the past week, both McCain and Palin have defended patriotism and American exceptionalism both concepts that the Democrats deride. It doesn’t get more basic than that. America’s Achilles Heel: A Tale of Two Gulfs
James Leigh - 10/12/2008
Americans may have a vulnerable Achilles heel made up of two gulfs: the Gulf of Mexico and the Persian Gulf. Ten Reasons to Be Concerned about Obama’s Stance on National Security
Ryan Mauro - 10/12/2008
Due to the recent economic crisis and a McCain campaign knocked off kilter, Sen. Barack Obama is becoming more and more the presidential candidate the experts predict to win the election. Such a victory would be unprecedented but not due to his race. It will be unprecedented in that never before has America embraced a candidate with such little experience and ill-defined views. Those views which he does profess represent a naïve break from reality, a poorly thought-out exercise in moral equivalence, and a repetition of policies and philosophies with long debunked credibility. AP Blames Israel For Making Palestinians Want to Destroy It
Prof. Barry Rubin - 9/30/2008
In an article of September 20, Ali Daraghmeh, "Army says troops kill Palestinian with firebomb," there is a long discussion of the current state of the peace process. Let's be clear: virtually nobody in Israel who is not speaking as an official government spokesman believes that there is any chance that there will be a peace soon with the Palestinians. The great majority of them place most or all the blame on the Palestinians. In addition, most people in political life who would say publicly that there is a chance for peace have the opposite view in private conversations. Patriotism and Exceptionalism
Ted Belman - 9/30/2008
In the past week, both McCain and Palin have defended patriotism and American exceptionalism both concepts that the Democrats deride. It doesn’t get more basic than that. McCain’s Five-Step Path to Victory
Ryan Mauro and Nicholas Guariglia - 9/30/2008
With the post-convention bounces fading, the race has tightened and Obama appears to have settled with a slight lead in national polls and in the electoral college. Obama has the potential to substantially increase his projected margin of victory through massive turnout of African-Americans and younger voters. McCain’s pick of Sarah Palin as his running mate has provided his supporters with optimism, and his argument that he’s the “real agent of change” is resonating. However, McCain must further refine his message in order to win the election. There are five steps McCain must immediately take: Terror Pays, Capitulation Doesn’t
Ted Belman - 9/29/2008
The seventies were witness to the Munich Massacre of Israeli Olympic athletes, the Yom Kippur War, the oil embargo, the PLO terrorist attacks on international airlines and airports, and finally the appearance of gun-toting Yasser Arafat before the General Assembly of the United Nations. Unintelligence in Federal Intelligence Agencies
Joel S. Hirschhorn - 9/29/2008
The Bush administration has found yet another way to waste taxpayer money while providing huge sums to private contractors. According to a survey of activities in 2007 by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, about a third of the federal professional intelligence workforce now consists of contractors, mostly in the Washington , DC area. Microsoft's Student and Encarta Premium 2009
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 9/29/2008
Homework assignments are the bane of most students I know (not to mention their hard-pressed and nescient parents). This is mainly because of the tedious and mind-numbing chores of data mining and composition. Additionally, as knowledge multiplies every 5-10 years, few parents and teachers are able to keep up. What Really Happened on September 11? Interview with David Ray Griffin
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 9/29/2008
On September 11, I entertained a couple of house guests, senior journalists from Scandinavia. I remember watching in horror and disbelief the unfolding drama, as the United States was being subjected to multiple deadly attacks on-screen. I turned to the international affairs editor of a major Danish paper and told her "This could not have been done by al-Qaida." I am an Israeli and, as such, I have a fair "sixth sense" as to the capabilities of terrorists and their potential reach. Deception and Delusion: Dummies for Democracy
Joel S. Hirschhorn - 9/29/2008
I confess. I believe there is a ruling class that sustains the two-party plutocracy running the nation for the benefit of the rich and corporate class. Their broad strategy is deception and delusion. Tactically, they use government, the mainstream media, the financial services sector, funding of politicians and the two major parties, and many other parts of the culture and economy to maintain their power and control. Our Republic Raped and Still No Revolution!
Joel S. Hirschhorn - 9/29/2008
Are Americans ready for a revolution? What worse than the current meltdown of the financial sector, the unraveling of our economy, and burdening us and future generations with astounding debt is needed to convince Americans that the two-party plutocracy has sold out ordinary Americans? What we are witnessing is far worse than the taxation without representation that spurred the American Revolution. Taxation with MISrepresentation is a greater evil and shameful sellout of democracy that so many Americans have fought and died for. Bailout and the Economy
Prof. Peter Morici - 9/29/2008
The US trade deficit has grown to $US700 billion, which of course is money not spent on US goods and services. This has killed off well paying jobs, has slowed the economy and created unemployment. Economy: An Explanation of a Crisis
John Mangun - 9/29/2008
It is as complicated as trying to trace one noodle in a plate of spaghetti. I was asked during a recent television interview, “Who is to blame?”. That is like asking who is to blame for a bowl of tangled pasta. The guy who invented spaghetti, the cook, the sauce, and the one who is eating. No one is to blame; everyone is to blame for “The Crisis”. Can the bailout save the economy?
Prof. Peter Morici - 9/19/2008
The Treasury Department has placed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac under federal conservatorship and booted the senior management. This bailout will impose needed reforms in the companies' business practices. And, contrary to much conventional wisdom, the cost to the taxpayer may not be large - that is, if the federal government gets Wall Street to help. Obama’s Dirty Tricks KO Palin, Israel & America
Ted Belman - 9/19/2008
Yesterday we learned that Governor Sarah Palin, the Republican nominee for Vice President of the United States, had been disinvited from the anti-Iran UN rally this coming Monday in New York City that is being sponsored by the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. Hillary Clinton had agreed to speak at the rally, but abruptly canceled her engagement upon learning that Mrs. Palin would also be participating at the important event, that will coincide with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s visit to the UN. We are shocked and angered at your decision, Malcolm (Malcolm Hoe... The Iran Rally Outrage
Bill Levinson - 9/19/2008
We thought it was impossible for the National “Jewish” Democratic Council to sink any lower in terms of depravity and pure opportunism. Its effort to disrupt the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations’ Rally to Stop Iran to embarrass Vice Presidential Candidate Sarah Palin hardly surprises us, though. In addition, the National “Jewish” Democratic Council misrepresents Hillary Clinton’s reasons for not attending the rally with Palin. Obamanomics 101
J.B. Williams, CFP - 9/18/2008
Like many other definitions that have been rewritten by left-wingnuts over time, the term “general welfare” no longer means what it did when it was written in our Constitution and ratified by the colonies in 1789. Things We're Not Told
Prof. Barry Rubin - 9/18/2008
In the olden days, when night watchmen patrolled the streets of towns, they had a standard chant: "Ten o'clock and all is well!" Sleep soundly; nothing's wrong. A ‘Community Organizer’ Frame of Mind
Yossef Ben-Meir, PhD - 9/18/2008
The denigration of ‘community organizing’ by Republican vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin and former New York City mayor Rudolph Giuliani at the Republican Convention could become a setback for their party if the American public came to understand the real lessons of community organizing about how to deal with recent world events. ECONOMY: Reasons to Cheer Lehman’s Demise
Prof. Peter Morici - 9/18/2008
Lehman Brothers appears headed for liquidation and that may hasten needed reforms on Wall Street. Efforts to find a buyer or dismember the company in an orderly fashion failed this weekend for the same reasons that CEO Richard Fuld’s earlier proposal to reorganize Lehman generated little enthusiasm. ECONOMY: U.S. Records Another Huge Current Account Deficit
Prof. Peter Morici - 9/17/2008
Today, the Commerce Department reported the second quarter current account deficit was $183.1 billion. This was caused largely by a $216.3 billion deficit on trade in goods. How to Celebrate Constitution Day
Joel S. Hirschhorn - 9/17/2008
Today, September 17 is Constitution Day, but very, very few Americans know this or will celebrate it. If you think of yourself as a politically engaged, civic-minded and patriotic American, then I urge you to celebrate today by expanding your mind about a critically important but never-used part of our Constitution. Economy Loses 84,000 Jobs in August
Prof. Peter Morici - 9/9/2008
Today, the Labor Department reported the economy lost 84,000 payroll jobs in August, after losing 60,000 jobs in July. This was much worse than was expected, as the full weight of banking crisis, rising oil prices and imports from China drive up unemployment. Do not underestimate Sarah Palin
Ted Belman - 9/9/2008
Do not think of Sarah Palin as the Governor of Alaska. That obscures what matters. Focus on the qualities that enabled her to achieve such a position. The Encyclopedia Britannica 2009
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 9/9/2008
The Encyclopedia Britannica 2009 (established in 1768), both in its Ultimate (now also called "Student and Home") and Deluxe versions, builds on the success of its completely revamped previous editions in 2006-8. The rate of innovation in the last three versions was impressive and welcome. It continues apace in this rendition with Britannica Biographies (Great Minds and Leaders), Classical Music (500 audio files arranged by composer), and a great Workspace for Project Management (a kind of friendly digital den). Generous 6-12 months of free access to the myriad riches of the Britannica Online complete the package. The Google Domination
Naseem Javed - 9/9/2008
Frankly speaking, stop the guesswork and open heartedly accept that it’s Google’s turn now, as the next decade clearly belongs to Google, best not to resist and go with the flow. As a company, it’s amazing how it started and what it’s done and where it’s now headed. There have been a lot of such great success stories in the past, from Coca-Cola to General Motors, and from IBM to Microsoft, but this one had its phenomenal speed with extraordinary accuracy and extremely high profitability. When all this is combined it has clearly cut a different path over the rest. The McCain-Palin ticket made Hillary Clinton the new kingmaker
G.M. Solaiman - 9/1/2008
With an exceptional speech at Democratic National Convention 2008, Hillary Rodham Clinton proved her class. She ensured all democratic enthusiasts that post primary Hillary is all in for making the dream come true. ECONOMY: GDP UP 3.3 Percent in Second Quarter
Prof. Peter Morici - 9/1/2008
Thursday, the Commerce Department reported second quarter GDP rose 3.3 percent, as compared to 0.9 percent in the first quarter. Stronger exports, reduced imports and increased personal consumption contributed importantly to this strong growth report. 'Don’t Ask; Don’t Promise' on Troop Withdrawal
Prof. Kazem Kazerounian - 8/29/2008
The current political climate in the US is influencing many politicians on both sides of the isle to promise early withdrawal of the troops by offering all sorts of time tables unsubstantiated by the reality of the situation. The debate over troop withdrawal must not be muddle up with rationalizing or arguing against the genesis of the Iraq war. While the countries are the same, the issues and the players are drastically different. The current war is not against remnants of Sadam’s army or Al-Qaida in Iraq or Taliban in Afghanistan. It is absurd to believe that these groups have been ab... ECONOMY: Durable Goods Orders Jumped 1.3 Percent in July
Prof. Peter Morici - 8/27/2008
Today, the Commerce Department reported new orders for producer durable orders bounced up 1.3 percent in July. This confounded the more conservative estimates of forecasters�the consensus of prognosticators was for a 0.2 percent gain. A Middle East Strategy For The West
Prof. Barry Rubin - 8/27/2008
The great battle of our younger years was between Communism and democratic liberalism. Its contemporary equivalent is Arab nationalism versus Islamism. Joe Biden: Respectable but Wrong
Ryan Mauro - 8/26/2008
As predicted by the Global Politician, Barack Obama has chosen Senator Joe Biden as his running mate. Obviously, this helps Obama deal with his lack of experience and credibility on foreign policy. Biden knows his stuff and whether you agree with him or not, his knowledge can not be doubted. Would There Be Change in Obama's Americas Policy?
Laura Carlsen - 8/26/2008
The great debate on how much—or how little—Barack Obama would change our disastrous U.S. foreign policy usually focuses on the Middle East. That makes sense. Nowhere has the price of the Bush national security strategy been higher, as the violent deaths of more than 4,000 U.S. soldiers and 93,000 Iraqis attest. Is the Fed Still a Central Bank?
Prof. Peter Morici - 8/26/2008
Federal Reserve officials, academics and central bankers from abroad are gathering for Ben Bernanke’s annual confab in Jackson Hole Wyoming to discuss the management of financial crises. A better topic might be: Is the Fed Still a Central Bank? Beyond Obama's Fairth-Based Initiatives
Yossef Ben-Meir, PhD - 8/26/2008
Recently, Senator Barack Obama announced his plan for the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives if he became president. Although his proposals are in the right direction, other formative measures can be taken to strengthen community and individual empowerment through more assured nonsectarian processes. Dangerous Liaisons: Online Banking
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 8/15/2008
Banks in developing countries offer to their customers financial services and products through the Internet. However, as opposed to their counterparts in the West, none of them is aggressively pushing its clientele to adopt online banking. This may be the result of multiple reasons: (1) A computer-illiterate public, unaccustomed to working on the Web; (2) Staff lacking in training; (3) Computer systems that do not integrate seamlessly Internet-generated transactions with the banks' ledgers; (4) In poor countries, online banking may be no less costly to process than "bricks and mortar" transactions at the branch. Canada Must Stand With Georgia
Salim Mansur - 8/15/2008
Russia’s invasion of Georgia has made public the brutal face of the Russian bear. Again, Russia has set out to crush independence, undermine sovereignty and mock the democratic aspirations of its former vassal states. The disintegration of the Soviet Union had set back the Russian bear only momentarily, its weakness and lies exposed. But the Russian bear has returned menacingly and turned the clock back to 1968 when it crushed the Prague spring as it is doing today in Georgia. Barack Obama - Narcissist or Merely Narcissistic?
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 8/13/2008
Barack Obama appears to be a narcissist. Granted, only a qualified mental health diagnostician (which I am not) can determine whether someone suffers from Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) and this, following lengthy tests and personal interviews. But, in the absence of access to Barack Obama, one has to rely on his overt performance and on testimonies by his closest, nearest and dearest. A One-Term, Non-Incumbency Pledge by McCain?
Nicholas M. Guariglia - 8/13/2008
It is hard in American politics for a party to win three consecutive national elections. This is true even when the party is viewed favorably, the incumbent administration is popular, and the general mood of the electorate is optimistic. Al Gore’s loss in 2000 is a case in point. Today, however, conditions for the incumbency are even worse. The Republican Party is viewed unfavorably, President Bush is incredibly unpopular, and most Americans think we are headed in the wrong direction. ECONOMY: U.S. Trade Deficit at $56.7 billion in June
Prof. Peter Morici - 8/13/2008
Yesterday, the Commerce Department reported the June deficit on trade in goods and services was $56.7 billion, down from the $59.2 billion deficit in May. U.S. imports of consumer goods did ease, as a result of the recession in retail sales, but the cost of oil imports and the trade deficit with China continued to rise. Mr. Obama, Meet Mr. Jihadi
Prof. Barry Rubin - 8/11/2008
Barack Obama says regarding his thoughts after 9/11: "The essence of this tragedy, it seems to me, derives from a fundamental absence of empathy on the part of the attackers: an inability to imagine, or connect with, the humanity and suffering of others. Such a failure of empathy, such numbness to the pain of a child or the desperation of a parent, is not innate; nor, history tells us, is it unique to a particular culture, religion, or ethnicity. It may find expression in a particular brand of violence, and may be channeled by particular demagogues or fanatics. Most often, though, it grows out of a climate of poverty and ignorance, helplessness and despair." Crashing and Cashing, Pumping and Dumping: Stock Manipulation in the U.S. Economy
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 8/11/2008
In early July, 2008, America's Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority and New York Stock Exchange Regulation announced that they will investigate the spreading of unsubstantiated or patently false rumors in order to manipulate the prices of stocks. Bringing Barack Back Down to Earth: His Support Base Borders On Creepy
Nicholas M. Guariglia - 8/11/2008
There was an episode of HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm –– one of the better shows on television –– where Larry David begrudgingly brings his wife to the beach. “I don’t get it, I don’t understand people’s fascination with the beach,” David wryly says. “Don’t you feel calmer being here, by the ocean?” his wife innocently asks. “I feel aggravated that I don’t know what other people are getting,” David replies in classic Seinfeldian form. ECONOMY: U.S. Productivity Advances 2.2 Percent
Prof. Peter Morici - 8/8/2008
Today, the Department of Labor reported productivity in the nonfarm private business sector increased at a 2.2 percent annual rate in the second quarter of 2008. This was a very good showing the middle of an economic slowdown, and in line with the 2.6 percent increase recorded in the first quarter of 2008. Hope? Change? Yes! Hope Obama Changes!
Prof. Barry Rubin - 8/4/2008
Barack Obama has been to the Middle East. He said he supported Israel and wanted peace. So I guess everything's ok, right? Well, if he's elected president and follows through on these words that'll be just fine. Barack Obama As The Burger King Candidate
Nicholas M. Guariglia - 8/4/2008
Search the annals of American history. Scan through all of the national elections that have occurred since our inception as a nation. Now, try to find a presidential candidate, either successful in getting elected or unsuccessful, who had less experience than a few years in the Senate. Why Is Bush Silent?
Ryan Mauro - 8/4/2008
Today, a friend of mine was over my house who, although she voted for President George W. Bush, doubted the credibility of my work on the possibility of the Iraqi WMDs being housed in Syria which I described in an article I had published at WorldNetDaily. Iran: Minefield or Milestone for Next US Administration?
Robert Carpenter - 8/4/2008
If it wasn’t near the top of the agenda already, Iran’s recent ballistic missile tests firmly fixed Iranian-US policy as a key issue in the 2008 presidential election. The tests gave Tehran what it seeks most: worldwide attention and an acknowledgement that the clerical regime is a force to be reckoned with and not bullied. ECONOMY: When Will Henry Paulson Learn?
Prof. Peter Morici - 8/3/2008
Once again, we have good news and bad from Wall Street. Henry Paulson has announced Citigroup and three other banks will begin issuing covered bond in an effort to rejuvenate commercial bank mortgage lending and the housing market. Economy Loses 51,000 Jobs in July
Prof. Peter Morici - 8/3/2008
Friday, the Labor Department reported the economy lost 51,000 payroll jobs in July, after losing 51,000 jobs in June. Economists expected a 75,000 loss in June. My forecast was for a 60,000 loss. On Cholesterol Related Premature Death of South Asian Immigrants in America
Prakash Bom - 8/3/2008
Average south Asian immigrants who have come to America are middle class of India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Maldives and Sri Lanka whose whole infant life for generations have been nourished with the fatty water-buffalo-milk products. The water-buffalo-milk is high in LDL (low-density-lipid) cholesterol, which causes cardiovascular disease, and heavy in lactose or milk sugar that cause diabetes. Jews can’t vote for Obama and be pro-Israel at the same time
Ted Belman - 7/29/2008
In the poll of Jewish voters (conducted April 1-30), it showed Obama getting 61% of the Jewish vote against John McCain (32%). Yet in the same poll Hillary Clinton beat Obama among Jewish voters 62% - 38%. So obviously Jews are lifelong democrats who will vote for Obama, whom they rejected in the primaries, rather than vote for McCain. Thus, for them, party loyalty is preferable to Israel loyalty. Why Obama Will be Worse Than Bush
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 7/29/2008
I. Historical Prolegomena In the last few decades, the electorate of the United States of America has voted into the White House either psychopathic leaders or narcissistic ones. George Bush junior is a prime example of the former, while Bill Clinton of the latter. Barack Obama appears to be a narcissist. Pathological narcissism is a reaction to prolonged abuse and trauma in early childhood or early adolescence. The source of the abuse or trauma is immaterial: the perpetrators could be dysfunctional or absent parents, teachers, other adults, or peers. ECONOMY: GDP and Jobs Data Highlight the Week Ahead
Prof. Peter Morici - 7/28/2008
Second quarter GDP and the July employment report highlight this week’s economic data. The hiring data, reflecting business sentiment about future sales, are key indicators of where the economy is headed in the second half. Why Some Governments Like Inflation
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 7/28/2008
Some governments like and encourage inflation because inflation masks the true situation and makes them look good. Inflation helps to deceive the public and even experienced observers. How? ECONOMY: Bernanke, Congress and President Drive Stock Market Rout
Prof. Peter Morici - 7/16/2008
On Tuesday, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke outlined Washington efforts to restore confidence in U.S. financial institutions. Initially, this gave the market a lift. After closer examination by investors, the market continued its downward spiral on Wednesday, led by financial stocks. The Billion-Dollar Domain Babies
Naseem Javed - 7/16/2008
The latest ICANN plan to allow the global populace to assemble an entire domain name like www.yourname.yourname as their free-choice is a revolutionary and timely decision. This now open doors to cyber-brands like my.ibm, hotel.chicago, it.jobs, play.poker, fly.usa or go.dell and applicants will submit a non-refundable fee of $100-500K USD for each name idea and the businesses are already jumping to get started. U.S. Trade Deficit Remains Stifling in May
Prof. Peter Morici - 7/16/2008
Friday, the Commerce Department reported the May deficit on trade in goods and services was $59.8 billion. This was not much changed from the April deficit of $60.5 billion in April. What Do Americans Know About Obama’s ‘Black Liberation’ Theology?
Nicholas M. Guariglia - 7/7/2008
Several months ago author Christopher Hitchens, on the heels of his magnum opus God is Not Great, wrote an opinion piece suggesting it was not out of line to question former presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s Mormon faith. Besides some of the more peculiar aspects of the Mormon doctrine –– that whole business about Garden of Eden being in Missouri –– there were more pressing matters, Hitchens felt, which required an explanation on behalf of Governor Romney. The primary concern went as follows: The Domain Blast
Naseem Javed - 7/6/2008
Now you can buy any domain with any suffix. If a dotcom is gone, so what? For a cost, you can create your own suffix, any letters and any name. The Barack Obama Thrown-Under-the-Bus Club
Prof. Nicholas Stix - 7/3/2008
As Barack Obama and his supporters have repeatedly made clear, only a “racist” would criticize or fail to support the post-racial, post-political Perfect Master. And yet, His path to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is already littered with a record number of political “corpses” of His most loyal supporters. If this is “beyond politics,” give me a smoke-filled room, any time! Economy Loses 62,000 Jobs in June
Prof. Peter Morici - 7/3/2008
Today, the Labor Department reported the economy lost 62,000 payroll jobs in June, after losing 62,000 jobs in May. Economists expected a 50,000 loss in June. Propaganda, Lies, and Wire Service Articles
Prof. Barry Rubin - 7/2/2008
Today, journalism students, in our course, "Absolutely Introductory Basic Rules of Journalism, we will discuss the absolutely introductory basic rules of journalism. Classification of Social Attitudes to Health
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 7/2/2008
Somatic societies place emphasis on bodily health and performance. They regard mental functions as secondary or derivative (the outcomes of corporeal processes, "healthy mind in a healthy body"). Bursting the State Department’s Iran Fantasy Bubble
Rabbi Dr. Daniel M. Zucker - 7/2/2008
Cultural exchanges between peoples is a good way to break down the barriers that are so easily erected in the wake of the distrust and misunderstanding that result when alien cultures like those of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America collide, as they have done for the last twenty-nine years. Surely that is the reasoning behind the current contemplation within the halls of the Department of State to open an interest section in Tehran, similar to the one it has in Havana since 1977, an idea reported by Fred Hiatt of The Washington Post on Monday, June 23, 2008. Comme... The New Name-Economy of The New World
Naseem Javed - 6/27/2008
Among other things, the top one percentile of the global brand name identities also causes what's pulling the strings of the world's stock exchanges, as when they sneeze, a shiver triggers throughout the globe, altering the wealth of national economies. The fact that markets shoot up or down when customers of the world, en masse respond to their dazzling offering either jumping in joy or taking a momentary pause proves their influence on global moods of the economy. These brand identities are extremely powerful and command respect from the universal populace; they also have obtained exclusive ... ECONOMY: Bernanke aggravates trade deficit risks
Prof. Peter Morici - 6/27/2008
The growing United States deficit on trade in goods and services, rising to US$60.9 billion in April from $56.5 billion in March, heightens the risk of recession and surging unemployment. he recent comments by Federal Reserve Board chairman Ben Bernanke about oil-driven inflation only serve to distract attention from these issues and aggravate risks. Bush's Vision Requires A West Bank Subdivision
David Singer - 6/19/2008
Subdivision of the West Bank between Jewish and Arab claimants has always been an essential ingredient of President Bush's 2002 vision to create a new Arab State between Israel and Jordan. Economy: Current Account Deficit Surges in First Quarter
Prof. Peter Morici - 6/19/2008
Yesterday, the Commerce Department reported the first quarter current account deficit was $176.4 billion, up from $167.2 billion in the fourth quarter of 2007. The deficit was 5.0 percent of GDP. A Tribute to Fathers
Jeremy Reynalds, Ph.D. - 6/15/2008
Dad play a very important role in the lives of their children, and that’s true for our guests staying at Joy Junction, New Mexico’s largest emergency homeless shelter. For Father’s Day 2008, we asked a number of our residents to write down their thoughts about “Dad.” Preparing Unipolar Children for a Nonpolar World
Jennifer L. Jackson - 6/15/2008
America is still preparing our children for life in a unipolar world, and as described by Richard Haass[1] and Fareed Zakaria[2] in separate essays which appeared in a recent issue of Foreign Affairs, we are living in an emerging nonpolar world. The ability of the United States to adjust, survive, and prosper in this new world order will depend upon successful preparation of the next generation for the evolution of the international power structure already happening. ECONOMY: Bernanke Aggravates Risks and Ignores Fundamental Problems
Prof. Peter Morici - 6/10/2008
Today, the Commerce Department reported the April deficit on trade in goods and services was $60.9 billion. This was up from $56.5 billion in March, substantially larger than the 59.5 billion consensus forecast. ECONOMY: What to look for in Tuesday’s Trade Deficit Data
Prof. Peter Morici - 6/9/2008
Tuesday, the Commerce Department will report the April trade deficit. Last month, the Commerce Department reported the March deficit on goods and services was $58.2 billion. For April, my published forecast is $60.0 billion and the consensus forecast is $59.5 billion. How Barack Obama won the nomination of the Democratic Party
Reza Hossein Borr - 6/9/2008
Martin Luther King did not accept the decisions that were made for him by others. The history had decided his place in the society but he was not satisfied with that place and therefore, he changed the course of history by changing first himself and his own beliefs. These are the beliefs that make history and a person represents his beliefs when he presents them to a state of affair which is in complete contrast with it. People have never been given a wish without being given the intelligence and resolve for achieving it. For generations people thought: black and white that the state of ma... To Cope With Oil Shock, Emulate Japan
Dilip Hiro - 6/8/2008
With the price of oil rocketing to the unprecedented level of $130 a barrel, there is a talk of another oil shock. Unfortunately, unlike past instances, this one is unlikely to subside, and may indeed keep intensifying. The only way out is for Western nations, the gluttonous users of petroleum, to cut their consumption and emulate Japan in its consistent drive for energy efficiency and alternate sources. Bush Legacy: Vindication or Blunders?
Rashidul Bari - 6/8/2008
Many political pundits started writing books assessing President George Bush success and failures. He is leaving White House in seven months. How much he could do in these time period? Could he fix the damage he made over the past seven years? Could he leave Iraq before he leaves White House? Harry Truman, the 33rd President of the United States, gave a permission to drop Atomic Bombs on Japan—which killed as many as 140,000 people in Hiroshima and 80,000 in Nagasaki. However, Truman still regarded as one of the greatest presidents of United States. Will Bush eventually receive a Truman-like v... Economy: What to look for in Tuesday’s Trade Deficit Data
Prof. Peter Morici - 6/8/2008
Tuesday, the Commerce Department will report the April trade deficit. Last month, the Commerce Department reported the March deficit on goods and services was $58.2 billion. For April, my published forecast is $60.0 billion and the consensus forecast is $59.5 billion. Economy: Recession Grips the Job Market
Prof. Peter Morici - 6/7/2008
Friday, the Labor Department reported the economy lost 49,000 payroll jobs in May, after losing 28,000 jobs in April. My published forecast was for a 50,000 loss. Poisonous Plutocracy Pushes Economic Inequality
Joel S. Hirschhorn - 6/7/2008
The biggest political issue receiving no attention by the Democratic and Republican presidential candidates is the powerful plutocracy that has captured the government to produce rising economic inequality. Current Indicators Women are Still Not Equals in U.S. Society
Jennifer L. Jackson - 6/7/2008
Women in America have a choice – continue to be placated by superficial "equality" that exists in rhetoric and symbolism alone; or demand substantive change and a true equal position in all aspects of society. Why, as women, did we fight so vigorously for the right to vote, and have not fought just as tenaciously for an equal opportunity to hold office? Why have we so graciously filled the ranks of the labor market, and not demanded equal career opportunities or equal compensation? Why are we so grateful that we are finally allowed to "control" our own bodies when it comes to abortion, and ... Interview with Barry Scott Zellen: Arctic Lessons
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 6/5/2008
Barry Scott Zellen is the Deputy Editor of "Strategic Insights", and Research Editor of the Arctic Security Project at the Center for Contemporary Conflict. Legislation to limit U.S. greenhouse emissions would actually accelerate global warming
Prof. Peter Morici - 6/5/2008
Congress is finally getting serious about global warming. But ironically, the approach it is considering would hasten, rather than slow, environmental calamity. Economy: Extending discount window a threat to markets
Prof. Peter Morici - 6/4/2008
US Federal Reserve vice chairman Donald L Kohn has floated the idea of giving Wall Street securities firms permanent access to Federal Reserve loans conditional on imposing greater regulatory oversight. While temporary Fed lending to these firms helped stabilize markets during the subprime meltdown, longer-term moral hazard has been established by creating expectations that both the Wall Street banks and primary securities deals may rely in the future on big Fed bailouts. FTO-Listed Iranian Terrorist IRGC Rockets Unarmed Opposition City
Rabbi Dr. Daniel M. Zucker - 6/2/2008
On Monday, May 26, 2008, 16:23 local time, agents of the Sepah-e Qods (Qods Force), the Islamic Republic of Iran’s elite secretive unit of the Sepah-e Pasdaran (Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps), the regime’s military organization tasked with executing IRGC extra-territorial terrorist operations, and the section that was proscribed as a Foreign Terrorist Organization this past October (2007) by the U.S. Department of State,[1] in an unprovoked attack, fired a Grad missile at Ashraf City in Diyala Province, Iraq. Ashraf City is home to the 3,400 members of the Iranian opposition organization... Win-Win-Win: Employers, Employees, and the Environment
Jennifer L. Jackson - 6/2/2008
The continually rising cost of gas and goods is making it more expensive for Americans to go to work, and is also increasing the cost to operate places of employment. At the same time as employees and employers are facing these new economic challenges, the movement to "go green" is gaining momentum. There are five simple steps that employers can take to help save the planet, improve the job satisfaction and efficiency of their employees, while saving money and increasing productivity. Will Congress Aggravate Global Warming?
Prof. Peter Morici - 6/1/2008
Congress is getting serious about global warming but approaches being considered will hasten environmental calamity. The full Senate is about to take up the Warner-Lieberman Bill. It would limit U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2012 to 2005 levels, and reduce those by 70 percent in 2050. Economy: Extending Fed Discount Window to Securities Dealers Would Destabilize Markets
Prof. Peter Morici - 6/1/2008
Federal Reserve Vice Chairman Kohn has floated the idea of giving Wall Street securities firms permanent access to Federal Reserve loans conditional on imposing greater regulatory oversight. While temporary Fed lending to these firms has helped stabilized markets during the subprime meltdown, longer term moral hazard has been established by creating expectations that both the Wall Street banks and primary securities deals may rely in the future on big Fed bailouts. The Watch List Through the Prism of Global War on Terrorism
Ahmad Al-Akhras, Ph.D. - 6/1/2008
Like racial profiling, the so-called Watch List hinges on a false premise that people commit crimes because of their racial, ethnic or religious background. This false premise caused huge suffering to African America, Japanese Americans and now Arab and American Muslims. The worst part of this is the assumption that practicing Islam, never mind being an activist at that, gives one an appetite for terrorism. In the process, people who are in good standing who did not commit nor had a criminal record are treated as "posing a threat to civil aviation or national security" or as "potential enemies of the state". American Target- Terrorism or Islam?
Tanveer Jafri - 6/1/2008
Terror or terrorism is one of the oldest disasters on the earth. It can be said that this system named terrorism is, for the centuries, here on this earth. But there have always been differences to define it. If you talk from the side of terrorists, you can hear different reasons of terrorism from every affected area of terrorism. If not going deep into, it can be understood, the affected victims of the society call it terrorism what the terrorists indulged in terrorism call it crusade, revenge or an offensive action to oppose. The worldwide terrorism has different reasons in different parts o... CCD urges immediate action on eligibility of Qazi Hussain Ahmad to enter Canada
Naresh Raghubeer and David Harris - 6/1/2008
Ottawa, Canada - The Canadian Coalition for Democracies (CCD) is calling on the federal government to review the application for a Canadian visa by Mr. Qazi Hussain Ahmad, who has been invited to speak in Canada this weekend. Friday’s Home Sales Report and the Sorry State of Banking
Prof. Peter Morici - 6/1/2008
On May 21, the National Association of Realtors will report April existing home sales and prices. These are expected to continue the down trend of recent months and reflect the sorry and dysfunctional state of the banking industry. President Bush, Condoleezza Rice and Forgotten Letters
David Singer - 5/21/2008
President Bush and Condoleezza Rice have a lot on their minds as they grapple with a multitude of the world's current conflicts which - no doubt - have caused overloading of their respective memory banks. What’s behind the “appeasement” kefluffel?
Ted Belman - 5/21/2008
Democrats outraged by the remarks of President George W. Bush “appeasement” when he said, “America stands with you in breaking up terrorist networks and denying the extremists sanctuary. And America stands with you in firmly opposing Iran’s nuclear weapons ambitions. Permitting the world’s leading sponsor of terror to possess the world’s deadliest weapon would be an unforgivable betrayal of future generations. For the sake of peace, the world must not allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon.” Democracy versus the Electoral College
Jennifer L. Jackson - 5/20/2008
Democracy is more than a form of government or a political science concept; democracy is an idea, an ideal, an aspiration. Wars have been waged to spread it, and peace has been sought to protect it. While the United States claims to be the birthparent of democracy, the Electoral College puts the free child up for adoption to the least populous states. Creating a More Perfect America
Rashidul Bari - 5/20/2008
Speaking in Philadelphia , the place where 221 years ago the Constitutional Convention was held, Sen. Barrack Obama discarded racially emotional remarks made by his former Pastor Rev. Jeremiah Wright. Earlier Rev. Wright claimed that “God Dam America ” is more appropriate sentiment than “God bless America ” and asserted that the September 11 terrorist attack on America —represented the “chickens coming home to roost”. He also accused America as a racist society that dropped nuclear bombs on Japan and helped to oppress Palestinian and South American. Finally he said that America invented AIDS to eliminate blacks from the earth. The Death of the Written Word and the Rebirth of Speech
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 5/20/2008
Well into the 16th century, people in a quest for knowledge approached scholars who, in turn, consulted musty, hand-written tomes in search of answers. Gutenberg's press cut out these middlemen. The curious now obtained direct access to the accumulated wisdom of millennia in the form of printed, bound books. Still, gatekeepers (such as publishers and editors) persisted as privileged intermediaries between authors, scientists, and artists and their audiences. It's Them or U.S.
Prof. Barry Rubin - 5/20/2008
After seeing how Western leaders are handling Lebanon , said an Israeli official privately, “Hizballah could only laugh. We have to take it into consideration that nobody will ever help us.” Of course, Israel is not alone because there are so many others becoming victims of a combination of Western dithering and radical aggressiveness. What Are We Waiting For?
Joel S. Hirschhorn - 5/20/2008
Long before the disastrous George W. Bush administration, I had been waiting for profound, systemic changes in our political system. Perversely, I saw the upside of Bush as motivating more Americans to demand political change. And that happened. But the national yearning for change was co-opted by Ron Paul on the right and Barack Obama on the left while John Edwards with the most authentic populist change message fizzled out early. Measures to Contain Inflation and the Trade Deficit
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 5/20/2008
Countries around the world - from Vietnam to Kazakhstan - have adopted these measures to reduce their burgeoning inflation and trade deficit: Global warming is about the way we live
Iqbal Latif - 5/20/2008
As the world's poor suffer from severe food shortages, we 'waste' and cry about 'CO2 footprint' in the same breath at the same time. If we cut waste, we can help cut global warming, if there is one. An Open Letter To President Bush Regarding Russian
Lorna Thomas - 5/20/2008
Over the last years I have written to both you and former President Clinton that Russia and Europe are steadily growing closer in unity and power as the U.S. and Britain decline in power and prestige. I have also written that unless changes occur, as horrifying as it is to contemplate, the U.S. like Britain, is heading into captivity to its enemies. The Positive "R" Words
Naseem Javed - 5/20/2008
The current and unavoidable Recession of America, slowly impacting Canada, Mexico, spreading it wings towards Europe and Asia, all the way to the farthest corners of the world is nothing to be either afraid or surprised of. It is just one of those cycles that appear every decade or so. While some land soft, some land hard, but this may be the hardest, yet still there are some very positive things in that "R" word. Jews Must Choose Between Obama and Israel
Ted Belman - 5/15/2008
In the poll of Jewish voters (conducted April 1-30), it showed Obama getting 61% of the Jewish vote against John McCain (32%). Yet in the same poll Hillary Clinton beat Obama among Jewish voters 62% - 38%. So obviously Jews are lifelong democrats who would vote for Obama, whom they rejected in the primaries, rather than vote for McCain. Thus, for them, party loyalty is preferable to Israel loyalty. The Results of Legal Plunder
Nicholas M. Guariglia - 5/15/2008
The French philosopher Frederic Bastiat once defined the nexus of legality and morality in an 1849 treatise entitled The Law. In it, Bastiat highlights “the results of legal plunder,” a dilemma in which citizens may find the lawfulness of a practice to be ethically abhorrent. “The safest way to make laws respected is to make them respectable,” it states, continuing, “When law and morality contradict each other, the citizen has the cruel alternative of either losing his moral sense or losing his respect for the law. These two evils are of equal consequence…” The US must get real about energy independence
Ted Belman - 5/14/2008
I watched O’Reilly’s interview of John McCain last night and came away very disappointed. McCain says that voters will prefer him for his experience over Obama with his inexperience. At best this will just overcome the age factor. After all, McCain, as they say, is no spring chicken. To my mind, this election will be determined by the policies put forward. A recent poll reported the following as the big issues with their relative importance noted; The economy (35), situation in Iraq/war (21), health care (8) and fuel costs (8). This rather surprised me. McCain wants to give each... Economy: What to Watch in Wednesday's Consumer Price Data
Prof. Peter Morici - 5/14/2008
Wednesday, the Labor Department will issue April data for the Consumer Price Index. The consensus forecast is for a 0.3 percent increase in the headline number and a 0.2 percent increase in the core index—the headline number with energy and food prices removed. My published forecasts are 0.5 and 0.2 percent in these two indicators of consumer inflation. Economy: What to Watch in Tuesday's Consumer Price Data
Prof. Peter Morici - 5/12/2008
Tuesday, the Labor Department will issue April data for the Consumer Price Index. The consensus forecast is for a 0.3 percent increase in the headline number and a 0.2 percent increase in the core index—the headline number with energy and food prices removed. My published forecasts are 0.5 and 0.2 percent in these two indicators of consumer inflation. Climate Change and Tourism’s Winners and Losers
Eric Heymann - 5/11/2008
Tourism is one industry which has seen a phenomenal growth in an increasingly globalized world. But the forces of globalization have now confronted the industry with a new and serious challenge – that of climate change. It will require a series of long-term of adjustments and is bound to leave some winners and losers. Economy: U.S. Productivity Advances 1.9 Percent
Prof. Peter Morici - 5/11/2008
This week, the Department of Labor reported productivity in the nonfarm private business sector increased at a 2.2 percent annual rate in the first quarter of 2008. The consensus forecast was 1.5 percent, and my published forecast was 2.0 percent. Anti-Semitic people in Associated Press
Sunita Paul - 5/11/2008
Following the publication of my recent article titled 'Press Under Attack in Bangladesh', which was published in a number of global newspapers, I received several mails from various individuals and journalists from Bangladesh expressing thanks for putting focus on this extremely important issue, while a journalist named Ms. Parveen Ahmed, who works with Associated Press (AP) in Dhaka (Bangladesh) as well an unidentified individual named Syful Islam sent me two separate mails, almost at the same time expressing their anti-Semitic attitude. Libel Tourism is Real
Elizabeth Samson, Esq. - 5/11/2008
Several months ago I began an analysis of the misuse of foreign and domestic judicial systems for political purposes. At the same time it seemed as though there were frequently instances of strange happenings in the news. Taxi drivers not allowing passengers with seeing-eye dogs in their cars because it was inconsistent with their religious beliefs, imams being removed from a flight after acting suspiciously and then suing the airline for unspecified damages, citing "fear, depression, mental pain and financial injury", and one my personal favorites, the Oklahoma State Legislature practically... Economy: U.S. Trade Deficit Falls to 58.2 billion in March, Lowers GDP by $250 Billion
Prof. Peter Morici - 5/11/2008
Friday, the Commerce Department reported the March deficit on trade in goods and services was $58.2 billion. This was down from $61.7 billion in February and was about 4.9 percent of GDP. After Hillary, Voting With Conscience and Pride
Joel S. Hirschhorn - 5/11/2008
This general election more than most will test the courage of voters to avoid lesser-evil strategic voting that has propped up our two-party plutocracy. People with intelligence and conscience must resist peer pressure and the temptation to vote against John McCain by voting for Barack Obama. Why Waste?
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 5/11/2008
I. Waste in Nature Waste is considered to be the by-product of both natural and artificial processes: manufacturing, chemical reactions, and events in biochemical pathways. But how do we distinguish the main products of an activity from its by-products? In industry, we intend to manufacture the former and often get the latter as well. Thus, our intention seems to be the determining factor: main products we want and plan to obtain, by-products are the unfortunate, albeit inevitable outcomes of the process. We strive to maximize the former even as we minimize the latter. Economy and the World in Crisis: Gas, Food, Thought
Jennifer L. Jackson - 5/11/2008
Crisis is defined first as a "turning point" and secondly as a "crucial situation." Currently the world is deep into the latter as it relates to energy and food, though inevitably the present situation will evolve into the former. The international community, and particularly the United States, must be willing to think differently about energy, food, and the environment. The current paradigm, as expressed by consumption and inaction, reflects an underlying belief that there will always be more and that this crisis, and others before it, are temporary. Just as society had to accept that the... Why Won’t Whites, Jews, and Catholics Vote for Obama?
Bill Levinson - 5/4/2008
Despite the endorsement of Senator Robert Casey (D-PA), Barack Obama lost the Pennsylvania primary by a 55-45 margin. In Luzerne County PA, a traditional Democratic region whose demographics include factory workers and the descendents of immigrant coal miners (many Catholic), Obama lost by a three to one margin. Why does Barack Obama have so much difficulty in getting white people (and especially Catholics and Jews) to vote for him? Let’s give “Barry” some hints and see his likely conclusion. Obama has no credibility
Ted Belman - 5/4/2008
Finally, Obama’s Denunciates Rev. Wright. After days of largely ignoring the media blitz his former pastor has waged, Barack Obama reversed course and denounced the Rev. Jeremiah Wright in the strongest and most direct terms yet on Tuesday. It was a decision that may help him reclaim some of the initiative in a tight presidential primary contest, but it is not without risks. How to Get Universal Health Care
Joel S. Hirschhorn - 5/3/2008
Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama say they believe in giving Americans universal health care. I don’t believe them. Anyone who takes the time to understand universal health care should conclude that only a simple single payer system will reform the current outrageous system that benefits the insurance and pharmaceutical industries. Countries in Glass Houses Shouldn't Threaten Boycotts
Jennifer L. Jackson - 5/3/2008
A large number of organizations, celebrities, politicians, and average Americans are calling for a boycott of the 2008 summer Olympics in China. The boycott demands range from snubbing attendance at the Opening Ceremonies to complete withdrawals of athletes from competition. Public figures including Hillary Clinton, Steven Spielberg, and Bob Costas have all weighed-in on the issue; all have expressed outrage regarding China's human rights abuses and support of the Sudanese government. Mia Farrow termed the Games the "Genocide Olympics." Dick Enberg, a veteran broadcaster set to cover tennis... What US delegation may discuss
Sunita Paul - 5/2/2008
According to latest news received from Dhaka, US Assistant Secretary of States, Mr. Richard Boucher and Counter-Terrorism Department's Coordinator and Assistant Secretary Dale Daily are expected to arrive in Bangladesh on May 7 on a 3-day visit. Economy: Is The United States Headed for Economic Malaise?
Prof. Peter Morici - 5/1/2008
The Labor Department will report employment data for April on Friday. This is a key indicator of the depth and duration of the economic slowdown, which began in the fourth quarter. Obama’s Crotch Itch Problem
Joel S. Hirschhorn - 4/30/2008
I finally figured out why Obama so often looks uncomfortable, impatient and annoyed. He never seems to be a regular guy. One who can enjoy his public opportunities at local eateries and indulge himself like a real American enthralled with delicious unhealthy foods. To joyously let loose and just be a happy black guy able to live in a millionaire’s McMansion and have a shot at being president after hardly learning how to be a senator. Why? The Results of Legal Plunder
Nicholas M. Guariglia - 4/30/2008
The French philosopher Frederic Bastiat once defined the nexus of legality and morality in an 1849 treatise entitled The Law. In it, Bastiat highlights “the results of legal plunder,” a dilemma in which citizens may find the lawfulness of a practice to be ethically abhorrent. “The safest way to make laws respected is to make them respectable,” it states, continuing, “When law and morality contradict each other, the citizen has the cruel alternative of either losing his moral sense or losing his respect for the law. These two evils are of equal consequence…” Irrational Exuberance to Bust: Financial Bubbles Demand Regulation
Kemal Dervis - 4/29/2008
The last 15 years have been characterized by rapid, accelerating world growth, with three interruptions: the Asian and then Russian financial crisis around 1997, the dot-com bubble burst around 2001, and most recently a financial crisis rooted in the US sub-prime mortgages and securitized investment vehicles. In all three cases “irrational exuberance” as well as regulatory failures in the financial sector led to the shocks and growth slowdowns. The pattern suggests that there’s a strong case for overhauling regulation of the financial sector. The Economy: Not Random or By Accident
John Gregory - 4/29/2008
What happens when a person gets distracted? What they were working on or thinking about doesn't get the attention it needs; and that is what finger-pointing is all about. If a problem isn't going away, let's just blame somebody, until THEY fix it, even if their part in it is small. Who will be in the White House?
Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury - 4/29/2008
Who will finally win the presidential election in 2008 remains a million dollar question indeed! Although the Republicans are already set with Senator John McCain as the contestant in the Presidential election in 2008, Democrats are yet to finalize their contestant. According to global media reports, Senator Barack Obama and Senator Hillary Clinton are leading neck-to-neck battle in winning the nominations from the Democrats in ultimately getting into the real battle of presidency. But, due to the ongoing battle between Senator Hillary and Barack Obama, there is no doubt that Democrats are ver... Humans did not do it
Iqbal Latif - 4/29/2008
A journey into where we're from and where we're going... I like what Carl Sagan said, "I don't want to believe, I want to know." Nature has its own path to create balance and ensure survival of the fittest. Some 99.9 percent of all species that ever lived on earth are now extinct. The charges that we humans are causing the next mass extinction - the sixth in the history of life on Earth - are nothing but fiction. A latest study by researchers at Stanford University estimated that the number of early humans may have shrunk as low as 2,000, before numbers began to expand again in early Stone Age... Americans will choose whom?
Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury - 4/29/2008
The entire world is closely monitoring the pre-election battle between Democrats and republicans. US media too are busy in either predicting the potential winner or analyzing policies of the candidates. It will be surely difficult at this moment to give a clear anticipation on who will finally enter the White house after the election on November 4. Several international news media are continuing to publish their own predictions or polls on a regular basis. In Bangladesh, the only newspaper, having wide global and local readership, Weekly Blitz [online edition available on www.weeklyblitz.net] ... Why McCain may win
Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury - 4/25/2008
Undoubtedly any sensible individual will have the right to ask question as to why researchers in Weekly Blitz [who are very closely monitoring the Presidential electoral process in United States] are finally predicting a clean victory of Republican candidate Senator John McCain in the election, which is scheduled to take place on November 4, 2008. Is the World’s Greatest Golfer a Woman?
Prof. Nicholas Stix - 4/25/2008
People disagree as to who the world’s greatest athlete is. Some say it’s David Wright, some pick Carlos Beltran, still others prefer Johan Santana, and some are still carrying a torch for Jose Reyes. But not AOL’s Kevin Blackistone. In “Ochoa Hottest Athlete in Sports,” he says it’s female golfer, Lorena Ochoa, who just won four consecutive tournaments. Though Valentine’s Day was two months ago, Blackistone even wrote a valentine to Ochoa: How Hillary Can Knock-Out Obama
Joel S. Hirschhorn - 4/25/2008
Now is the time for Hilary Clinton to take a bold position that in one brilliant, courageous stroke shows the nation that she is more willing to pursue true reforms of the two-party plutocratic political system than Obama is. Cut trade deficit and clean up Wall Street
Prof. Peter Morici - 4/24/2008
THE RECESSION is a wake-up call. Americans need to confront some false gods — free trade, gas guzzlers and Wall Street. In the 1990s, the U.S. launched the World Trade Organization and opened trade with China. Americans were to import more T-shirts and TVs and sell more software and sophisticated services to a world hungry for U.S. know-how. That would move Americans into better paying jobs. Unfortunately, the U.S. welcomed imports with more enthusiasm than China and other developing countries, which kept high tariffs and notorious regulatory barriers to purchases of western products. America’... The Death debate
Geetanjali Jha - 4/24/2008
Recently, the Supreme Court of United States of America rejected a challenge to the use of lethal three-drug cocktail injections used in most U.S. executions. The case and its consequent decision in favor of the method of execution has once again triggered the long and emotional debate on death penalty; its justification, ethics and human rights. The case, made by two death row inmates convicted of murder and sentenced to death, was based on the eighth amendment of the US constitution which prohibits cruel and unusual punishment. An eternal optimist's humble riposte to Professor Krugman
Iqbal Latif - 4/24/2008
Living with hope and buoyancy is far better than gloom and kismet. We are all inherently dull creatures; we steal our moments of happiness from sorrows around us. We need to live every instant with the greatest of relish, this is what life is all about. Give it your best shot silly - GIYBSS is my motto. GOP, Dems Out of Ideas
Prof. Peter Morici - 4/23/2008
John McCain has tabled an economic program that won’t rescue the economy from its mess but Senators Clinton and Obama offer little more. McCain advocates tax cuts for parents and corporations and mortgage relief for distressed homeowners, paid for by pairing nondefense, discretionary government spending and higher Medicare premiums for the well off. Time to lean on Mexico about Extradition
Ross Kaminsky - 4/22/2008
Marine Corporal Cesar Laurean, suspected of murdering a pregnant Marine, 20-year old Corporal Maria Lauterbach, then burning her body and burying it, was arrested in Mexico by police officers who thought he looked suspicious. Ignatieff’s non-apology
Rochelle Wilner - 4/20/2008
Recently the Toronto Star reported on a speech given by Michael Ignatieff at Holy Blossom Temple. “Ignatieff Apologizes for Israeli War Crime Comment” screamed the headline in the Toronto Star’s April 14, 2008 edition. Being keenly interested in these matters I scanned the article for the words, “I am sorry.” Oddly enough the reporter did not quote them. I was more than intrigued and secured a copy of the speech in its entirety. After reading it several times I am compelled to respond. The Smarter Jimmy Carter Charter
David Singer - 4/20/2008
Ex-President Jimmy Carter has hogged the media spotlight this week over his intended - and subsequent - meetings with Hamas head honcho Khaled Meshaal and other Hamas leaders - thereby incurring the wrath of Israel, the United States, the European Union and the Palestinian Authority. Milton Friedman produced millions of millions of Tank Men
Iqbal Latif - 4/20/2008
In response to: ''Do u guys like the ideas that inspired Tieanenman Square or the ideas of Pinochet? I think u'll find they took many of their ideas from Friedman. Have a think about whether u want to be his fans in the light of that? I'm off out of here (i.e. I joined just to post this and am leaving his fan group now.' Clash of Civilizations Revisited
Safdar Jafri - 4/19/2008
As the religious violence rages across the world, Huntington's Clash of Civilizations has become one of the most talked about theories of the day. The theory argues that West and Islam are two radically different civilizations that are bound to clash in view of their extremely conflicting values. It stereotypes Islam as inherently non-progressive and anti-liberal; the two most core values of the western civilization. Recent surge of radical Islam that culminated in the ghastly events of 9/11, has catapulted this once obscure theory into political and intellectual limelight. Clock Running Out on Irreversible Climate Change – Part II
Bo Ekman - 4/19/2008
To all intents and purposes, the Kyoto Protocol is dead, and unless urgent actions are taken its successor, the Copenhagen process may turn out to be dead on arrival or comatose. Kyoto never delivered reductions of CO2 emissions, but still binds 174 nations until 2012. Meanwhile, global greenhouse gas emissions have steadily increased since the reference year of 1990. Clock Running Out on Irreversible Climate Change
Jim Hansen - 4/18/2008
Fifty years ago, Yankee Stadium had about 70,000 seats. It seldom sold out, and almost any kid could afford the cheapest seats. Capacity was reduced to about 57,000 when the stadium was remodeled in the 1970s. Most games sell out now, and prices have gone up. The G7, the Banks and GE
Prof. Peter Morici - 4/18/2008
This week, it’s tough to pick the most significant news. The G7 Finance Ministers Meeting was significant for what it didn’t do—something truly constructive about the credit crisis. Tired carpenters, the ministers and central bank chiefs hammered the same old nails. Their Financial Stabilities Forum report served up the same tired nostrums—extended capital requirements, transparency, closer international cooperation and the like. The Domain Exchange
Naseem Javed - 4/18/2008
Forget the bricks and mortar for a minute, and just dream of owning a universal domain name identity in cyberspace, along the likes of priceline.com, food.com, creditcards.com or cheapflights.com, as such identities are valued in tens of millions and continue to double in price every year. The entire domain name industry has advanced to a more mature level, which now fully recognizes the super value of having a generic globally recognizable domain identity as a true cyber-real-estate asset. But the name game in this current race must be played under the correct laws, as most of these assets sometimes simply evaporate into thin air. The Most Powerful People in America
Joel S. Hirschhorn - 4/17/2008
They are not the rich and superrich, nor the politically powerful running the two-party plutocracy, nor the greedy heads of banking and finance companies, and certainly not the media moguls and bloviating pundits. The most powerful people are US, American consumers that account for over 70 percent of the economy. It is exactly now, when the economy is in the toilet, that consumers hold the maximum power. So why are we the people still deluding ourselves that the path to a better future rests on electing a new president? Knocking Down False Gods
Prof. Peter Morici - 4/17/2008
The recession is a wake up call. Americans need to confront some false gods -- free trade, gas guzzlers and Wall Street. Lennonism Imagines The Middle East
Prof. Barry Rubin - 4/17/2008
The Middle East today is driven by five big conflicts: Among states for power; the Iran-Syria alliance’s war on everyone else; the struggle between Arab nationalists and Islamists to control each country, and the Sunni-Shia and the Arab-Israeli conflicts. McCain Confirms GOP Out of Ideas but So Are the Democrats
Prof. Peter Morici - 4/16/2008
John McCain has tabled an economic program that won’t rescue the economy from its mess but Senators Clinton and Obama offer little more. McCain advocates tax cuts for parents and corporations and mortgage relief for distressed homeowners, paid for by pairing nondefense, discretionary government spending and higher Medicare premiums for the well off. Democratic Party will endanger the chance of Middle East Peace
Ghazal Omid - 4/14/2008
stonebridge medicare supplements - On April 08, 2008, immediately after General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker testified before the Senate, Senator Feinstein joined NIAC at a press conference in the Russell Building, as evidenced by the accompanying photo from the NIAC webpage. America's Failure: Russia and Serbia
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 4/13/2008
The United States had two strategic goals as it faced its reluctant allies in NATO in the April 2008 Bucharest Summit: Mr. Gore you are robbing Peter, paying Paul
Iqbal Latif - 4/12/2008
More people are expected to die of famine in Africa than imprinting a larger CO2 footprint. 'Al Gore Environmental policies' are aimed at 'Robbing Peter paying Paul.' Green based priorities are creating severe food shortages. Hunger in African will kill faster and will have larger impact on the flimsy structure of the growing under class of the world.Is human life less than a computer driven theoretical reading of rising CO2 emissions? Lets not forget we all make mistakes, computer generated models are far inferior than human complex life, we owe it to our conscious to save every human being. ... Barack Obama married his 'mother'
Ted Belman - 4/11/2008
Spengler points out that Obama’s women reveal his secret Economy: U.S. Trade Rises in February; Drags Growth, Lowers GDP by $250 Billion
Prof. Peter Morici - 4/11/2008
Yesterday, the Commerce Department reported the February deficit on trade in goods and services was $62.3 billion. This was up from $59.0 billion in January and about 5.3 percent of GDP. The deficit was pushed higher by rising prices from many industrial supplies and materials and increased imports of consumer goods. Commerce Department to Release February Trade Deficit Data on Thursday
Prof. Peter Morici - 4/10/2008
Thursday, the Commerce Department will report the February trade deficit. Podhoretz in defense of Bush, Sharon and himself
Ted Belman - 4/10/2008
Norman Podhoretz, as you will recall, was a staunch supporter of George W. Bush, and is staying the course, and was in support of Sharon’s Disengagement. He now replies to his critics of both these positions, in his Commentary article, Israel and the Palestinians:Has Bush Reneged?. Anyone interested in the peace process from its beginning in Madrid should read this very informative article. He begins, Brzezinski’s Back
Ted Belman - 4/10/2008
Events of the past few days indicate that the Zbigniew Brzezinski faction of lunatic Russia haters have now won the upper hand inside the secret councils of the Anglo-American finance oligarchy, displacing the hitherto dominant George Shultz-neocon faction. Although George Bush and his cronies still occupy the White House, the policies that are being carried out are coming from the Brzezinski left CIA machine. Brzezinski has returned to public prominence in recent months due to his role as top establishment controller for the Obama campaign. But Brzezinski is not waiting for the outcome of the November elections to take over key parts of the US government. A Return From The Feminist Abyss?
Prof. Nicholas Stix - 4/9/2008
In her 1998 book, A Return to Modesty: Discovering the Lost Virtue, Wendy Shalit argues that not money, but modesty (read: chastity) makes the world go ‘round. Shalit sees the loss of female sexual modesty as having made girls and women miserable, and invited men—who hardly need such an invitation—to treat them badly. In the name of a more “authentic” sexual culture, everyone’s “doing it,” yet almost everyone’s miserable.
A 23-year-old recent graduate of Williams College at the time of the book's publishing, Shalit believes that real sex differences exist, as o... Obama is in bed with the Iraq Study Group
Ted Belman - 4/9/2008
A number of people have written to me to tell me Brzezinski, either is not on Obama’s foreign policy team or is just one member of it. Ever since Brzezinski introduced Obama last summer, Brzezinski has remained in the background for fear of alienating Obama’s Jewish support. It makes little difference because all the others on the team are generally in agreement with his policies. Americans must live within their means
Prof. Peter Morici - 4/8/2008
The U.S. economy is in recession, with no end in sight. Falling housing prices and questionable mortgages are blamed. But digging out will require Americans to use less gasoline, get tough on trade with China, and learn to live within their means. Is Barack Obama a Muslim wolf in Christian wool?
Reuven Koret - 4/7/2008
The glib handling of criticism of his relationship with the anti-American ("God Damn America!") and anti-Israel ("a dirty word for Negroes") Reverend James Wright may have bought him a little time. But the legacy of dissimulation about his long-concealed identity is about to come crashing down around the ears of Barack Hussein Obama, courtesy of the assembled testimony of his family, friends, classmates and teachers. Obama favors an unholly alliance between Marxism and Islam
Ted Belman - 4/5/2008
In "Obama’s Muslim connection"I wrote, that Obama’s foreign policy favours accommodation to Islam. Here's more information about the Democrats' likely nominee: The Yin and Yang of US Debt
Prof. Dwight Jaffee and Ashok Bardhan - 4/5/2008
American homeowners worried about dwindling property values and the burden of adjustable-rate mortgages may not care to know what made their mortgages so affordable. Increased purchase of US Treasury bills, Agency bonds and mortgage-backed securities by foreign government institutions that made mortgages so low, however, has worried economists. With the US economy reeling from multiple shocks, economists have another source for concern – the increasing role played by foreign institutions and sovereign wealth funds, mostly belonging to emerging economies, in financing imports of goods and services to the US that support its lifestyle. Toronto 18 Suspects Undergo Trial By Media
Beenish Gaya - 4/5/2008
The trial of the only remaining youth in the Toronto 18 case commenced last week in a Brampton courtroom. The new details disclosed in the Crown factum filed in the case elicited depressingly new emotional lows in all of the accused and their families. Reminiscent of that fateful day in June, 2006, the media sensationalism started all over again, with the reporting of incomplete evidence and outrageous headlines. Having attended the entire preliminary hearing, I must confess my shock and disbelief at the fact that these allegations continue to be presented in a manner which precludes the public from seeing a complete or accurate picture. Obama’s 'change' comes through agitating a community, not uniting all communities
Ted Belman - 4/4/2008
Why did Obama not pursue a corporate law practice but instead looked to community work as his life’s work? Why has he identified with agents of radical change, including William Ayers a convicted terrorist, throughout out his adult life. Why did he join a Black Nationalist, Africacentric Church? Why did he write (see Damning Quotes from Obama) US Pushes Pie-in-the-Sky Missile Defense in Europe
Prof. Tom Sauer and Prof. Dave Webb - 4/4/2008
Missile defense will figure high on the agenda at the NATO summit of heads of state in Bucharest. The odds are that, without any meaningful parliamentary debate within or between European states, Europe will quietly go along with the US proposal to install missile-defense interceptors in Poland and a powerful radar system in the Czech Republic. Labor Department Releases Key March Jobs Data Friday
Prof. Peter Morici - 4/4/2008
The Labor Department will report employment data for March on Friday. This is a key indicator of the depth and duration of the recession, which began in December. If the payroll jobs decline for a third straight month, it will be hard to deny that the economy has entered a recession of unknown depth and duration. Paulson Regulatory Reform Plan Falls Short
Prof. Peter Morici - 4/1/2008
The regulatory framework proposed by Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson will not address fundamental problems in the banking sector that contributed significantly to the recession and that must be fixed to rescue the U.S. economy from recession and avoid future crises. Antarctic ice 7 times the size of Manhattan suddenly collapsed
Iqbal Latif - 3/31/2008
A chunk of Antarctic ice about seven times the size of Manhattan suddenly collapsed, putting an even greater portion of glacial ice at risk and an ice shelf about the size of Connecticut is "hanging by a thread," scientists told March 25, 2008. In my humble opinion, this is a grand marketing exercise and an extreme example of ' Voodoo Science of global warming.' Can Obama be a catalyst for change in the Middle East?
Namjoo Hashemi - 3/30/2008
With the 2008 primaries and caucuses nearing their end the likely presidential nominees are John McCain as the Republican Party representative and a hotly contested battle continues to broom between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton as the representative for the Democratic Party. The Jewish Left wants Washington to pressure Israel
Ted Belman - 3/30/2008
Following up on my article Liberal Jews support Obama in part because they blame the Jews too in which I pointed out that "progressive Jews" were naturally allies of Obama, I came upon this Prospect Magazine article by Gershom Gorenberg entitled A Liberal Jewish Lobby. Knocking Down False Gods
Prof. Peter Morici - 3/28/2008
The recession is a wake up call. Americans need to confront some false gods--free trade, gas guzzlers and Wall Street. In the 1990s, the U.S. launched the World Trade Organization and opened trade with China. Americans were to import more tee-shirts and TVs and sell more software and sophisticated services to a world hungry for U.S. knowhow. That would move Americans into better paying jobs. Obama’s Muslim connection
Ted Belman - 3/28/2008
What is Barack Obama's Muslim connection? The question has been discussed and subject to a lot of rumors, but recently overshadowed by his membership in Rev. Jeremiah Wright's racist, anti-Semitic and anti-American church. But it remains important to answer this question. Reconquista: Mexico's Retaking of US Territory
Jake Jacobsen and MJ Jacobsen - 3/28/2008
The what is the “retaking” of vast portions of the American southwest: the phrase itself translates as “the reconquest.” Things gFirst, lets talk about what we think is the less concerning of the two. It’s led by groups such as MECha, which others might lull you into believing no longer has any desire to take back La Raza's stolen land of Aztlan, except their name still means the Chicano Student Movement of Aztlan. Their race-driven activities are aided and abetted by groups like the NCLR, whose well-known slogan means “for The Race everything, outside the race nothing.” Hope We Can Hope In
Nicholas M. Guariglia - 3/28/2008
Like a modern-day Demosthenes, it’s becoming increasingly evident that Senator Obama has embraced the prose of the classic pied-piper, the role of abstract orator. He says everything and nothing all at once, with a kind of eerie religiosity sweeping across his great, mystifying vernacular. Chris Matthews has declared that “(Obama) comes along, and he seems to have the answers. This is the New Testament.” Oprah Winfrey and Maria Shriver swear up and down that Barack is “the truth” –– leaving one only to wonder if he is likewise the way and the light. Obama: Saint or Nihilist?
Prof. Nicholas Stix - 3/28/2008
Writing on Barack Obama Wednesday at his blog, Blithe Spirit, my Oak Park, IL journalist friend, Jim Bowman, raises “The Grandmother Issue.” Economy: Fixing the Banks
Prof. Peter Morici - 3/26/2008
America's banks are broken, and the U.S. economy cannot be pulled out of recession until they are fixed. Thirty years ago, mortgages were straightforward. Homebuyers went to banks, which checked incomes, purchased independent appraisals and loaned buyers the money. The bank held notes or sold them to Fannie Mae or perhaps insurance companies. Fed Bernanke and the HKMA Donald Tsang
Iqbal Latif - 3/26/2008
Via MediaBistro, we learn that Fox Business Network has bought ad space in the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, poking fun at CNBC's Jim Cramer, and what he said about Bear Stearns, days before its collapse. Skeptical about Environmentalist Solutions: A Review of Bjorn Lomborg’s 'Cool It'
Nicholas M. Guariglia - 3/26/2008
In Cool It: The Skeptical Environmentalist’s Guide to Global Warming, Bjorn Lomborg expands on previously written firestorm articles regarding the state of the environment. His central thesis if contentious to say the least. Lomborg’s writings prior to Cool It had already spawned over 400 articles in major metropolitan papers, and his latest work was no less controversial. But what precisely is it about this Greenpeace-advocate self-described environmentalist Dane that so irks the so-called environmentalist community? Digging The Economy Out of the Recession
Prof. Peter Morici - 3/25/2008
The U.S. economy is in recession with no end in sight. Falling housing prices are blamed, but the root causes are bad economic policies and lousy banking practices. Oil May Not Grease Friendship
Amity Shlaes - 3/25/2008
In the post-Cold War period, researchers have long wondered why some countries befriend the US. They have noted some common characteristics of US friends – cultural affinity, urban dominance, level of entrepreneurship and so on. They also noticed that oil wealth can correlate with hostility towards the US. Much of this work, while evocative, is anecdotal. Liberation Theology in Kenya and the U.S. Elections
David J. Jonsson - 3/25/2008
This is the sixth of a series of articles on The Clash of Ideologies and Leftist/Marxist – Islamist Alliance We are seeing first hand the role Liberation Theology is playing in the Ideological conflicts in Kenya led by Barack Hussein Obama and the opposition leader, Raila Odinga. In spite of Obama’s and to some extent Hillary Clinton’s objections to involvement in the political situations in foreign countries we are see the fingerprints of Obama in his support of Raila Odinga and the implementation of Shariah law in Kenya. ... Financing Failure: How Foreign Aid is Mismanaged
Nicholas M. Guariglia - 3/25/2008
Who can explain the logic of first propping up a seemingly friendly autocrat, then disregarding the autocrat’s disloyalty, only to end this trifecta by subsidizing it all along? Take for example the late Yasser Arafat, whose decades of murdering diplomats and overseeing hit-squads was legitimized overnight by overt international assistance. Somewhere along the line, it was deemed that any hypothetical Palestinian state required the presence of an imposing “strongman,” someone to keep the apparently crazier folk down. (So who better than a Jordanian to do it?) Anti-Feminism: What Is It?
Pranav S. Atit - 3/24/2008
It is uncertain as to what anti-feminism is or it can also be said that it is uncertain as to what feminism is. Although, it is ambiguous as to when anti-feminism originated, it originated due to adverse views against feminism. The origin of feminism in turn originated due to the fact that women traditionally had been regarded as inferior to men, physically and intellectually. Both the law and the feminist movement, however, was concretely established when an issue for declaration of independence for women , demanding full legal parity, equal compensation and the right to vote was pressed for ... Eliot Spitzer, David Brooks, and the State of Nature
Prof. Nicholas Stix - 3/24/2008
The article by David Brooks on March 14 in the New York Times, “The Rank-Link Imbalance,” purports to explain the mindset of New York’s fallen ex-governor. Open Letter to John McCain
Joel S. Hirschhorn - 3/23/2008
Every few days I get yet another mailing begging me for money for your campaign. There is always explicit language about my being one of your supporters. But I do not support you for president. You are an abomination, because of your support for President George W. Bush and his unjustified, immoral and illegal Iraq war. Everyone who sees a McCain presidency as a continuation of the Bush administration is totally correct. Economy and The Global Meltdown
Iqbal Latif - 3/23/2008
For an average trader the real day starts at nearly 1.30 in the morning as Japanese markets pick up steam and ends at 8.00 in the evening, just six hours into the close New Zealand is trading and with yen carry trade being unwound the pain never seems to end around the clock. The six hours are the real party time, the sun down time. Ask me would I like to live any other way, burning at two ends I would rather resign and burn to the end, life in the slow lane is not for me. The ecstasy never ends, the fatalities mount and profits search is like unending pursuit of Eldorado, seeing perfectly nor... What You Don't Know About Obama Can Hurt The Nation
Ted Belman - 3/23/2008
In Obama’s, a More Perfect Union speech, he said of Pastor Wright, Presidential Branding
Naseem Javed - 3/19/2008
The boy wonder of the USA minority blacks, Senator Obama, is being referred to as being a "just do it" brand, and Lady Clinton of the good old Whitehouse days of the sleek Clinton era as a "yes we can" brand. You surely would know what these two slogans being created by the big advertising machines stand for, American people, have become fully entrenched in the ad lingo, bombarded with daily ads, where some of these lines have become catch phrases, while very often, no one recalls their true commercial origin, like "where’s the beef"? With the election frenzy on the way, another wicked way is ... Obama's Pastor and Politics of Noam Chomsky
Iqbal Latif - 3/19/2008
Sen. Barack Obama's pastor says blacks should not chant "God Bless America" but "God damn America." Obama's Pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, has a record of what even Obama's Campaign aides declare is 'Inflammatory Rhetoric.' My opinion is that Jeremiah Wright is a fervent pastor affronted by the injustices of the system. The rhetoric of the pastor is Politics of Noam Chomsky. Chomsky has stated that his "personal visions are fairly traditional anarchist ones, with origins in libertarian socialism. It is obvious that Obama has found inspiration and motivation in his pastor's rage and therefore he... U.S. Economy Records $738.6 Billion Current Account Deficit
Prof. Peter Morici - 3/19/2008
Monday, the Commerce Department reported the 2007 current account deficit was $738.6 billion, down from $811.5 billion in 2006. The deficit exceeded 5.3 percent of GDP. The fourth quarter deficit was $172.9 billion. Economy: Fire Sale at Bear Stearns and Panic at the Fed
Prof. Peter Morici - 3/18/2008
Sunday evening J.P. Morgan announced its purchase of Bear Stearns at $2 per share after it had closed at $30 on Friday, and the Federal Reserve announced yet another emergency credit facility. Interview with Sam Vaknin: Private Armies and Private Military Companies
Barry Zellen - 3/18/2008
Barry Zellen conducted this interview with Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. Dr. Vaknin (http://samvak.tripod.com) is the author of Malignant Self Love - Narcissism Revisited and After the Rain - How the West Lost the East. He is the associate editor of the Global Politician and has served as a columnist for Central Europe Review, PopMatters, Bellaonline, and eBookWeb, a United Press International (UPI) Senior Business Correspondent, and the editor of mental health and Central East Europe categories in The Open Directory and Suite101. Why I wouldn’t vote for Obama
Ted Belman - 3/18/2008
My article Obama will win the nomination but lose the election got a lot of attention and caused quite a stir. It informed about his views on Israel, his church and its connection to SABEEL and Farrakhan, his pastor, his statements in his book and his association with the Palestinian cause and much more. The Orange Democratic Movement and The National Muslim Leaders Forum
David J. Jonsson - 3/16/2008
This is the fifth of a series of articles on The Clash of Ideologies and Leftist/Marxist – Islamist Alliance. Candlelight Vigil Met With Anti-Semitic Protest
Jennifer Kutner - 3/16/2008
One day after the brutal terrorist attack in Jerusalem in which a Palestinian terrorist infiltrated the Mercaz Harav rabbinical seminary and opened fire on a crowded library and study hall, killing eight students and wounding 11 others. Among those killed or injured were students who held dual Israeli-American citizenship. A candlelight vigil in memory of the innocent victims was held outside the Consulate General of Israel in Los Angeles, organized by StandWithUs, an international education organization. Bernier should disclose conditions for latest $300 million to Palestinian Authority
Naresh Raghubeer and David Harris - 3/13/2008
Ottawa, Canada - In December, Foreign Affairs Minister Maxime Bernier announced $300 million in new funding over five years to the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority (PA). This amount was on top of the $500 million given to the PA since 1993. As part of the new announcement, Minister Bernier proclaimed that "our funding is not unconditional. We will need to see … a viable Palestinian state that is democratic, accountable, and living in peace and security as a neighbour to Israel.” Pyrrhic Victories of Anti-Trade Crusaders
Ernesto Zedollo - Former President of Mexico - 3/13/2008
With the American election season upon us, fear once again emerges as the most salable commodity for aspiring presidential candidates. As the primary results show, the fear of trade has emerged as the potent weapon in the hands of Democratic candidates, much as fear of terrorism was in the hands of their Republican rivals for the previous two election seasons. Trade Deficit Rises to $58.2 billion in January
Prof. Peter Morici - 3/13/2008
Yesterday, the Commerce Department reported the January deficit on trade in goods and services was $58.2 billion. This was up from $57.9 billion in December and was about 5 percent of GDP. Undervaluation of the dollar against the Chinese yuan and high oil prices keep dragging the trade deficit up. The change Obama believes in
Ted Belman - 3/13/2008
Obama has taken offense to the mention of his middle name “Hussein” and to the publication of his picture shown in East African garb and has been at pains to say he never was a Muslim, notwithstanding that anyone born of a Muslim father is automatically regarded as Muslim. Economy Loses 63,000 Jobs in February
Prof. Peter Morici - 3/9/2008
Friday, the Labor Department reported the economy lost 63,000 payroll jobs in February, after losing 22,000 jobs in January. Governments added 38,000 jobs and private sector employment contracted 101,000. Businesses have become too pessimistic about the outlook for the economy, and the capacity of the Bush Administration and Federal Reserve to manage it, to be adding new employees or replacing those that leave. Obama: Charisma Isn't Enough
Prof. Barry Rubin - 3/9/2008
The U.S. presidential election is not--at least not supposed to be--like electing a high school class president. Vague promises, glib speeches, and personal popularity shouldn’t be enough to gain victory. This should be especially true this year since so many Americans don’t seem to think they did such a great job of choosing the last time they voted. God Bless Ralph Nader
Joel S. Hirschhorn - 3/6/2008
Because he wants to salvage American democracy and help Americans, Ralph Nader is running for president again. He deserves the support of all Americans that see themselves as progressives, dissidents, independents, and patriots who want to remove the stranglehold of the two-party plutocracy on our political system. Boys: Casualties of the Gender War
Robert A. Fink, MD - 3/6/2008
Recently, educational researchers have begun to review the changes within our educational system brought about by such diverse factors as standardized testing in the schools, the rise of gender feminism, and the currently widespread use of drugs to treat alleged behavioral disorders in our schoolchildren. Obama will win the nomination but lose the election
Ted Belman - 3/6/2008
Obama will win the nomination but lose the election. The media is now on to him. The arguments of our "smear" campaign are gaining traction and some of the media is running with them. Slowly, but surely Obama, is doing himself in. It is not just the company he keeps, but also what he is now saying. Establishing the Islamic Kingdom of God in Kenya
David J. Jonsson - 3/6/2008
This is the fourth of a series of articles on The Clash of Ideologies and Leftist/Marxist – Islamist Alliance Slow housing economy needs jolt
Prof. Peter Morici - 3/6/2008
The National Association of Realtors reported January existing home sales sank to 4.89 million from 6.38 million a year earlier, and the average price was $201,100, down 4.6 percent from $210,900 from a year earlier. In December, sales were 4.91 million and the median price was $207,000. The large price drop from December was particularly disturbing. More than Three Hots and a Cot
Jeremy Reynalds, Ph.D. - 3/5/2008
New Mexico’s Joy Junction is more than just a place where the homeless go to get a meal and a bed. Bernanke should encourage banks to adopt sounder business models
Prof. Peter Morici - 3/5/2008
Ben Bernanke, in recent testimony before the Senate Banking Committee, noted the shortages of credit, especially the reluctance of banks to extend credit to one another. Are we ready to vote?
Nickolas Hoog - 3/5/2008
With non-proliferation hanging by a thread, tension boiling world wide, U.S. hegemony and soft power at its lowest point in decades, it is difficult to imagine that a single individual carries the solutions to these crises. But, here we are, skeptical and a little demoralized, watching the democratic and republican presidential candidates sweep across the nation, waving flags, shaking hands with farmers, kissing children, promising to pull us from the depths of what many have criticized as the worst administration in American history. The weight of responsibility that every citizen of the Unit... The Lure of Protectionism in Ohio
Morgan Robinson and Susan Froetschel - 3/5/2008
The candidates for US president sense deepening anxiety over globalization among workers, blue and white collar alike. But too often, they frame globalization as a choice for employers or government, and not for consumers. The experience of a tiny TV manufacturer shows how an electorate’s inability to look at globalization in its totality risks taking the country in a wrong direction. Media: Pledges Not Made, Fairness Not Met
Prof. Barry Rubin - 3/4/2008
Keep repeating to yourself what the media institution's spokespeople tell us: Coverage is fair, coverage is fair, coverage is fair. But as you do so be sure not to look at the actual articles. Corruption and Culture – Part 2
Saberi Roy - 3/3/2008
The term culture as we understand would refer to our social and moral systems, as well as all forms of human activity that are carried through generations comprising the gamut of human beliefs, values, arts, religions, languages and behavior. Culture is the product of civilization, a way of life and establishes traditions for societies. Corruption is counter to culture and erodes cultural integrity and moral systems of societies and thus has a deep and long lasting impact on the continuous evolution of human society. The different facets of culture are reflected through arts, knowledge systems, music, entertainment, religions and rituals. Strangulation in the Dark: Palestine, Somalia, and the American Mainstream Media
Abukar Arman - 3/3/2008
Whenever the media fails to press and keep the powerful at check the inevitable consequence is prolonged oppression, lethal destruction, and radicalized insurgency. Aside from Baghdad, nowhere is such consequence more evident than in Gaza and Mogadishu. The North American Union Farce
Laura Carlsen - 3/3/2008
It's got millions of rightwing citizens calling Congress, sponsoring legislation, and writing manifestos in defense of U.S. sovereignty. It comes up in presidential candidates' public appearances, has made it into primetime debates, and one presidential candidate—Ron Paul—used it as a central theme of his (short-lived) campaign. Primary Economics
Prof. Peter Morici - 3/3/2008
The Texas and Ohio primaries could well determine the Democratic nominee for President. Its high time Barak Obama and Hillary Clinton quit musing about change and explain what they will do to fix the economy. Is the Sun Setting on US Dominance? – Part II
Jiang Qian - 3/3/2008
CAMBRIDGE: It has become fashionable to talk about the arrival of a multipolar world, in which the US faces increasing competition from rising powers like Europe, China and India, or resurgent powers like Russia and Japan. Proponents of such a "multipolar worldview" often claim to hold a "realist" view of international relations. They believe the US should retreat from its ideological crusade and instead engage in a contest for influence with other global "poles", à la "the Great Game," on "unclaimed playgrounds such as Africa or Latin America. David vs Goliath; Homeowner Forced to Live on the Streets
Jeremy Reynalds, Ph.D. - 3/3/2008
Neatly dressed and immaculately groomed, Joe Calkins shatters any stereotype image you may have had of a homeless person. Ignorance and Realism: A Critique of Mearsheimer-Walt
Ofira Seliktar - 2/28/2008
John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt's assertion that the Israel lobby, acting as an agent of Israel, has turned American foreign policy into a tool of Zionism and hurt the national interest is based on their realist view of international relations mixed with ignorance about the politics of the Middle East. This account either misrepresents or glosses over the complex realities in the region, among them such "non-rational" factors as the power of a messianic Islamist ideology and the existence of radical regimes that require continuous conflict in order to survive. The Auction-Rate Securities Fiasco
Prof. Peter Morici - 2/28/2008
I dont know how Broadway sells tickets these days when folly is in so plain array on Wall Street. Auction-rate securities drama provides the latest tale of greed and betrayal. Is the Sun Setting on US Dominance?
Joergen Oerstroem Moeller - 2/28/2008
As the world’s economic and security interests become increasingly interconnected, many analysts speculate on what global leadership will emerge throughout the 21st century. This two-part series examines the changing role of the United States in the world‘s economic and security scene. In the first part of the series, Joergen Oerstroem Moeller, visiting senior research fellow with the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, argues that the US may be losing grip of the steering wheel and Asia will likely emerge as the world’s largest and most dynamic economy. Asian financial institutions coming t... America's Destruction of the Control Spy Satellite US 193
Monotapash Mukherjee - 2/28/2008
Feb. 21, the US military destroyed a defunct and out-of –control spy satellite US 193 with a specially designed SM3 ballistic missile with pin-point accuracy. It was an unprecedented mission for the navy, so extraordinary that the final go ahead to launch the missile was reserved for Defense Secretary Robert Gates rather than a military commander. Economy: Home Sales, Home Prices Sink Again
Prof. Peter Morici - 2/26/2008
The National Association of Realtors reported January existing home sales sank to 4.890 million from 6.380 million a year earlier, and the average price was $201,100, down from $210,900 or 4.6, percent from a year earlier. In December, sales were 4.910 million and the median price was $207,000. The large price drop from December was particularly disturbing. The Next President Should End The Madness
Prof. Peter Morici - 2/26/2008
VOTERS ARE FOCUSING too much on personalities and not enough on issues. This is unfortunate. Americans need a president to address tough problems and implement solutions. Obama Promotes Anti-Semitism, Racism, Hatred of Israel
Bill Levinson - 2/26/2008
A growing number of bloggers are pointing out Barack Obama’s numerous connections to unsavory individuals and organizations that espouse and promote hatred of Jews, Catholics, white people, Israel, and/or the United States. Corruption and Culture - Part I
Saberi Roy - 2/26/2008
Corruption is not just the abuse of power for personal gain but also personal gain at the expense of others so it has moral, ethical, social, economic, political and broader geographical impact. Although some form of corruption has always existed in human society, the practice or culture of corruption has taken up gigantic forms since the 20th century. From politics to the corporate world, from entertainment to education corruption is a disease and a vice of organizational systems. Almost like cancer, corruption begins slowly and gradually permeates to affect the whole of society. Most people ... Obama's "Hope" is beating Clinton's "Help"
Joel S. Hirschhorn - 2/26/2008
Hope mongering has been working much better than experience mongering. Now, the rest of the story…. As befits American culture, politics is all about slick selling to the masses. Hillary Clinton is selling Day-1 help to victims and sufferers. Barack Obama is selling effervescent hope to yes-we-can dreamers. This media hyped horse race is like a fight between diet Coke and diet Pepsi, artificially sweetened candidates devoid of real nourishment. Presidential gutter debates
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 2/26/2008
Presidential primary debates in the United States of America has spawned media coverage and caught the public’s attention, but the debates however has failed to lived up to its expectation - it has been labeled as monotonous and too personal by the public. Delusional Hope: The Obama Rapture
Joel S. Hirschhorn - 2/22/2008
Never have so many hoped for so much because of rollicking rhetoric and pulsating platitudes. A tsunami of hope has plunged America into electoral euphoria. In its path is the wreckage of critical thinking about what ails the US and what bold, revolutionary actions are needed. Barry Obama has accomplished semantic alchemy, turning justified but grim distrust and outrage with government and politics into hallelujah hope. But most hope never materializes and is a terrible predictor of reality. The Clash of Ideologies in Africa – Kenya
David J. Jonsson - 2/22/2008
This is the third of a series of articles on The Clash of Ideologies and Leftist/Marxist – Islamist Alliance. Global Economy: Recession in America , Inflation in China
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 2/22/2008
Possible fear of Recession has created panic in America as its economy is in doldrums, whereas China is trying hard to cool its economy from overheating as inflation lurks in. Economy and Stagflation
Prof. Peter Morici - 2/22/2008
The chickens are coming home to roost. Reckless trade and energy policies and fraudulent banking have set up Americans for a tough bout with stagflation - rising prices and unemployment. Washington offer palliatives but no solutions. The Trinity United Church of Christ and Louis Farrakhan
David J. Jonsson - 2/21/2008
This is the second of a series of articles on The Clash of Ideologies and Leftist/Marxist – Islamist Alliance. Doing Something about Global Warming
Prof. Peter Morici - 2/21/2008
Americans appear poised to act on global warming, but despite the best intentions, we may hasten environmental calamity. The Lieberman-Warner Bill has passed Committee and appears headed to a full Senate vote. It would limit U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2012 to 2005 levels, and reduce those by 70 percent in 2050. Sadly, by encouraging energy-intensive industries to move to developing countries, it would accelerate global warming and harm U.S. industries that could contribute importantly to a sustainable global solution. A Lament for John Edwards
Amir Khan, Ph.D. candidate - 2/21/2008
If ambition is the original sin for any politician, then John Edwards’ exit from the political arena is some form of poetic justice. No one embodied vanity better than Edwards. His White House bid was a transparent attempt to capture yet another trophy for his rather formidable display case, one which currently houses wares attesting to a rather remarkable career as a civil litigator. Economy: Cerberus Acquisition of Chrysler Makes Little Sense
Prof. Peter Morici - 2/21/2008
Cerberus will acquire control of the Chrysler Group from DaimlerChrysler. Cerberus will pay $7.4 billion for 80.1 percent of Chrysler Group and assume the North American automaker’s pension and health care liabilities. Daimler would retain 19.9 percent ownership. Barack Hussein Obama’s Contribution to the Clash of Ideologies
David J. Jonsson - 2/20/2008
This is the first of a series of articles on The Clash of Ideologies and Leftist/Marxist – Islamist Alliance Economy: 2007 Trade Deficit Exceeds $700
Prof. Peter Morici - 2/20/2008
Last Thursday, the Commerce Department reported the 2007 deficit on international trade in goods and services was $711.6 billion. This is down from $758.5 billion in 2006 but still 5.1 percent of GDP. Economy: Is Bernanke Headed for the Exit?
Prof. Peter Morici - 2/19/2008
Last Thursday, Ben Bernanke appeared before the Senate Banking Committee. In his testimony, he noted the shortages of credit, especially the reluctance of banks to extend credit to one another, and the inability of the banks to securitize Alt-A, Subprime and Jumbo mortgages. The latter makes all but Fannie Mae conforming mortgages and home equity loans too scarce. Are White Men an Elections Albatross?
Prof. Nicholas Stix - 2/19/2008
In Frank Rich’s New York Times column yesterday (you know, the same one he’s rehashed hundreds of times before, with slight edits), he speaks of the “demographic monotony: all white and nearly all male” of Sen. John McCain’s (Media-AZ) victory “posse” (“The Grand Old White Party Confronts Obama,” February 17, 2008). US Ranks Below India In Report On Environmental Issues And GDP
Angelique van Engelen - 2/18/2008
The US ranks at the bottom of the G8 in the report which was compiled by researchers at the Yale and Columbia Universities. That's below India and only just above China, two countries that have been exempt from stringent climate regulations due to their Third World status. Economy: Bernanke's silence ignores his task
Prof. Peter Morici - 2/18/2008
Ben Bernanke appeared before the Senate Banking Committee Thursday. In his testimony, he noted the shortages of credit, especially the reluctance of banks to extend credit to one another, and the inability of the banks to securitize alt-A, subprime and jumbo mortgages. The latter makes all but Fannie Mae conforming mortgages and home equity loans scarce. Obama Hopes Beating Clinton Will Help
Joel S. Hirschhorn - 2/18/2008
Hope mongering has been working much better than experience mongering. Now, the rest of the story…. Researchers Show Why Road Traffic Pollutes Worse Than Aviation
Angelique van Engelen - 2/14/2008
A new study into various transport sectors’ contributions to pollution reveals that road traffic is the worst offender. It causes more greenhouse gas emissions than aviation, which is the second-largest pollutor. By contrast, shipping has a cooling effect. Investments by Sovereign Wealth Funds in the United States
Prof. Peter Morici - 2/14/2008
In purest form, a sovereign wealth fund is a pool of resources, owned and/or controlled by a government, invested in public or private assets, including debt instruments, equities and direct investments in property. Challenges for the New President
Prof. Peter Morici - 2/13/2008
Voters are focusing too much on personalities and not enough on issues. This is unfortunate. Americans need a president to address tough problems and implement solutions. Stimulus Package, Interest Cuts Should Help, but Crisis Continues
Prof. Peter Morici - 2/12/2008
The $150 billion dollar stimulus package announced by the George W. Bush Administration and Democratic leaders, coupled with interest rate cuts implemented by the Federal Reserve, should help avert an economic debacle but the danger of recession continues. With Expected Upsurge in Homeless Veterans, Joy Junction Vets Give Advice to Their Comrades Returning Home
Jeremy Reynalds, Ph.D. - 2/12/2008
According to a Nov. 7 2007 story in the New York Times, more than 400 veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars are homeless, and the Veterans Affairs Department and other service groups are expecting a new surge in homeless veterans in the years to come. The Bush - Bernanke Show Goes On
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 2/12/2008
Many Americans have lost confidence in their country's "economic security" over the last few years and as the recent CNN poll found that 57% of the public believe that the U.S. is already is recession. One Journalist’s Experience With the Media Elite: Gangsters, Cadavers and Misinformation
Ron Chepesiuk - 2/12/2008
Last December, the U.S.´s Federal Communications (FCC) pushed through new rules that will unleash a torrent of further media consolidation and wipe out independent voices in cities already woefully short on local news and investigative journalism. Six major companies own most of the media outlets in the U.S., and since 1995, the number of companies owning commercial TV stations has declined by 40 percent. This trend is reflected globally, as News Corp, Viacom and the other multinationals continue to gobble up media companies. Jenny’s Story-A Tale of Horror and Redemption
Jeremy Reynalds, Ph.D. - 2/10/2008
If I’d had to endure the terror-filled life experienced by one of our young clients at Joy Junction I doubt whether I would even be at the place she’s at. Fed Interest Rate Cuts Will Not Be Enough
Prof. Peter Morici - 2/10/2008
In recent weeks, the Federal Reserve cut the federal funds rate a half point to 3.0 percent, as expected. It really had little choice. Not Even Pretending to be Fair: The New York Times On Gaza
Prof. Barry Rubin - 2/7/2008
The New York Times coverage of the Middle East, especially Steven Erlanger (who will soon be leaving) has often been terrible. Naturally, the Times and Mr. Erlanger will dispute this, but they will not do so by examining the specific stories filed and what these articles do--and do not--say. Decision 2008: Will America pick a President of Peace or War?
Ghazal Omid - 2/5/2008
The process of picking a President has become so lengthy most Americans wait until Super Tuesday to choose who to vote for. Sort of like the Friday after Christmas when everything is on sale and you take what is left. Smart shoppers know that just because there is a line up for something or someone, that doesn’t means it is worth buying or voting for! Economy Loses 17,000 Jobs in January
Prof. Peter Morici - 2/4/2008
Friday, the Labor Department reported the economy lost 17,000 payroll jobs in January. These poor jobs data are the strongest evidence so far that the economic expansion is grinding to a halt. The Evolution of Evil
Joel S. Hirschhorn - 2/4/2008
Perhaps a global political apocalypse has already arrived. Activists and dissidents should understand that evil forces and tyrannical governments have evolved. Just as human knowledge and science expand, so do the strategies and instruments used by rulers, elites and plutocrats. By learning from history and using new technology they have smarter tools of tyranny. The best ones prevent uprisings, revolutions and political reforms. Rather than violently destroy rebellious movements, they let them survive as marginalized and ineffective efforts that divert and sap the energy of nonconformist and rebellious thinkers. Real revolution remains an energy-draining dream, as evil forces thrive. American Economy: Flirting with Recession
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 2/4/2008
The Earth revolves around the Sun, and around the Earth, US dollar revolves - until few years ago this used to be an omnipotent realism. But today, Earth still revolves around the Sun, but same cannot be said of the U. S dollar’s circulation around the Earth. Presidents and Populist Platitudes
Nicholas M. Guariglia - 2/4/2008
The most annoying poll taken during election cycles is without a doubt the much-sought “likeability” poll. “Who would you rather have a BBQ with?” “Who would you like to go to a baseball game with?” “If lost, who would you most like to ask for directions?” It is a stale test, one that should be done away with, and one in which the lowest common denominator of an executive is trumpeted as something other than it should be. The intangibles of personal attractiveness and likeability ought not to be a desire our nominee choices pander for, but rather a byproduct of their genuine character. False Gods Create False Hope
Joel S. Hirschhorn - 1/30/2008
The good news is the huge pent up public demand for political change. The bad news is that presidential candidates have made a mockery of the concept of change while ignoring true political reforms. Missing are details about fixing the corrupt, dysfunctional political system and restoring balance among the three branches of government and between the states and the federal government. Harper Government Withdraws From UN
Naresh Raghubeer and David Harris - 1/30/2008
Ottawa, Canada - The Stephen Harper government has withdrawn its support for a UN anti-racism conference scheduled to take place next year in South Africa, according to a media release today from the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. American Economy: Strolling over the troubled waters
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 1/29/2008
Against a backdrop of growing concern about the recession, the central bank of the United States, the Federal Reserve unexpectedly, out of the blue, slashed a key interest rate by three – quarters of a percentage point, from 4.25 percent down to 3.5 percent on Tuesday January 22nd after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and his team approved the huge rate cut after an emergency video conference on Monday night. Democrats’ Chickens Come Home to Roost: Black Fairy Tale, White Nightmare?
Prof. Nicholas Stix - 1/29/2008
The following passage was added by AOL to Black Leaders Question Clinton Remarks, New York Times on Jan 12, 2008: Bush's lasting legacy for Arab League
David Singer - 1/22/2008
President George W. Bush delivered a severe rebuff to the Arab League in remarks made by him at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem on 10 January 2008 ( "the King David Declaration"). McCain Reinforces Role As Frontrunner; Still Can't Win The Conservative Vote
Ryan Mauro - 1/22/2008
The Republican race may not be as anti-climactic as some anticipated. The majority of pundits on TV predicted a Huckabee victory due to the large evangelical base, but McCain managed to come through. The winner of the South Carolina primary for the past few decades has always become the Republican nominee. With momentum on his side, and polls putting him ahead of Giuliani on the east and west coasts, it seems very likely that McCain will be the Republican nominee. The amazing dynamic at play is that should be become the Republican nominee, it will not be with the blessing of conservatives. In ... Bush and Musharraf - The greater evil and the lesser evil!
Iqbal Latif - 1/21/2008
The hatred of the two unite Liberals and Extremists with equal zest and enthusiasm Miscalculating Inflation
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 1/18/2008
The most accurate yardstick of inflation is the GDP deflator (which includes the prices of capital goods and export and import prices). Regrettably, it is rarely used or mentioned in public. Five-Way for the GOP Nomination: The Race Just Became Even More Unpredictable
Ryan Mauro - 1/18/2008
Mitt Romney’s comfortable victory in Michigan keeps him in the race, and may very well provide him with a bounce due to the low expectations for his campaign after New Hampshire. Commentators will argue over whether Romney won because of high Republican turnout, relatively low Independent turnout, or perhaps, the orders from the Daily Kos for Democrats to vote for him. If the pundits and rival campaigns can point out how McCain has only performed so well in contests where independents can vote, and loses among conservative Republicans, McCain may be derailed in South Carolina. The GOP Primaries: New Hampshire, Michigan, & Beyond
Prof. Nicholas Stix - 1/18/2008
And the winner of the first two Republican primaries is … Big Media! Well, whaddya expect? As the sayings go, “The media make their own history, but not on their own terms,” and “Journalists write the first drafts of historians’ lies.” Here We Go Round The Mulberry Bush
Prof. Barry Rubin - 1/17/2008
Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of articles have been written on President George Bush's visit to the Middle East and the Israeli-Palestinian issue. And not a single one that I've seen has mentioned the ridiculously obvious point that goes so far in explaining everything. US-Iran Tensions Heightened
Roger Gale - UK Member of Parliament - 1/17/2008
The war of words and actions between the Iranian regime and the US administration has been at the forefront of all Middle Eastern affairs since the invasion of Iraq in 2003. However, one incident in the last week brought this to our sharp attention. The Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) in the Straight of Hormuz were seen to have threatened a US naval fleet with what can only be described as extremely provocative actions. This most recent event occurs less than a year after 15 British sailors were detained in international waters by Iranian officials, taken to Iran and paraded on TV. The Federal Reserve Needs More Than a New Communications Strategy
Prof. Peter Morici - 1/17/2008
Ben Bernanke has indicated that the Federal Reserve will redouble its efforts to communicate clearly about the outlook for the economy and monetary policy. On the Streets of Albuquerque
Jeremy Reynalds, Ph.D. - 1/11/2008
It was a cold January afternoon in Albuquerque as I came out of the post office. I was just about to get in my car as a man who was, I suspect, much younger than he looked approached me and with obvious difficulty slurred out the words, “Can you give me 50 cents to catch the bus to get home?” Why the Trade Deficit Matters
Prof. Peter Morici - 1/10/2008
On Friday, the Commerce Department will release data for the November 2007 trade deficit. The consensus estimate is $60 billion, up from $57.8 billion in October. It may be a bit larger or smaller, but either way, it comes to about 5 percent of GDP, That is an enormous drag on national income and growth, and has corrosive consequences for our children's future.. The New Hampshire Surprise: Edwards Makes Clinton the Front-Runner
Ryan Mauro - 1/10/2008
Wow. All the polls were wrong. All the experts were wrong. Every analysis and projection for the future has to be re-worked. No major poll or expert indicated a comfortable Clinton victory, and there was almost unanimous consent that just the opposite would happen, with some predicting an Obama landslide due to Iowa’s momentum and independents. In easily the most stunning political turn-around of this election year, Clinton won brought out droves of female voters, particularly single female voters, that surpassed the tremendous advantages Obama had going in. Too Much America Bashing: Bad For World’s Security
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 1/8/2008
The fight against terrorism is not over. It is not even, in reality, nearly over as Osama bin Laden and other senior al- Qaeda leaders are yet to be captured or killed by America and her allies united for the fight against international terrorism upon the aftermath of September 11th. Nevertheless, as this year comes to its close, it can be said that the fight against terrorism though lopsided and tedious at times have so far, nevertheless, has helped to shape the future campaign. New Candidate Ratings Before New Hampshire Vote: Huckabee and Obama Remain Favorites
Ryan Mauro - 1/8/2008
In my last report, I argued that Mike Huckabee and Barack Obama were the frontrunners for their party’s nominations. Yesterday’s results in Iowa solidify their positions for the moment among the media and pundits. With New Hampshire coming up on January 6th, it is important to note this could change. The few polls that have results from the day after the Iowa caucuses puts Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama as tied or have Clinton winning by a few points, and most seem to indicate McCain is leading Romney in New Hampshire. By the time our next report is published after New Hampshire votes, there... Bush's Last Year: The Best Is Yet To Come?
Prof. Barry Rubin - 1/8/2008
What should President George W. Bush, currently visiting the Middle East, expect to achieve during his last year in office, even as the American people begin to choose his successor? President Bush, the PLO, Rocket Science and Commonsense
David Singer - 1/8/2008
President Bush's last ditch effort to save his two state vision will reach a climax with his visit to Israel and the West Bank this week. The President must have shivered in his boots as he read some of the welcoming statements that were published in the Jerusalem Post last week ["PA official says Olmert must be living on a different planet" - 2 January] - obviously made with the President's imminent visit clearly in contemplation. 2008 - Time to pay the piper!
Denis Petit - 1/8/2008
The year 2008 will be a year for the history books. All of the events since the creation of the FED and the Bank of Canada in 1913 which led to America’s first default in 1934 when the US government removed the convertibility of the US dollar into gold bullion for US citizens, then up to the US default in1971 when Nixon took America off the gold standard and officially put the US and because of the Breton Wood agreement of 1944 the rest of the world on a fiat (money back by nothing but empty government promises) monetary system has led us to where we are today. Anyone who has studied the works... 2007 - A Year For The History Books!
Denis Petit - 1/8/2008
I am convinced that future historians will look at 2007 as the year that the Over The Counter (OTC) derivative market, the largest financial market ever created in all of human history began it’s inevitable collapse that will lead to the chaos that is to come in 2008 and beyond. Canadians urge Harper to Support Democracy in Kenya
Naresh Raghubeer and David Harris - 1/8/2008
Ottawa, Canada - The Canadian Coalition for Democracies (CCD) and members of the Kenyan-Canadian community applaud Foreign Affairs Minister Maxime Bernier and International Cooperation Minister Bev Oda for their initiative during the post-election crisis in Kenya, and commend the Government for its initial offer of financial assistance to the people. Change Yes, Ron Paul No
Joel S. Hirschhorn - 1/8/2008
Ron Paul’s obnoxious supporters like more traditional political activists can spin and delude themselves about election results. But the Iowa caucus results could not be clearer: The vast national desire for political change is manifesting itself through support for both Democratic and Republican change-candidates. Despite Paul being flush with money and having a large number of workers in Iowa, he was solidly rejected as the leading change agent. Economy Adds Only 18,000 Jobs in December
Prof. Peter Morici - 1/7/2008
Friday, the Labor Department reported the economy added only 18,000 payroll jobs in December, after posting an 115,000 gain in November. Economists expected a 70,000 gain in December, and these jobs data are the strongest evidence so far that the economic expansion is grinding to a halt. Recession Watch, the Jobs Report and Fed Policy
Prof. Peter Morici - 1/4/2008
The holiday season did not bring a lot of good economic news. Weak retail sales, the flagging fortunes of automakers and declining industrial production have pundits guessing whether the U.S. economy has entered a recession and, if so, how long will it last. How The News Is Made
Prof. Barry Rubin - 1/4/2008
Ring, ring, goes the telephone. And of course I answer it. The voice on the other end says that he is “Joseph” of Reuters. I get many calls from journalists and wire services but never has someone I don’t know introduced himself by first name only. Since he has an obvious Arabic accent it is quite clear that he thinks I am either so biased as to care what his family name is or so stupid not to guess why he isn’t giving it. So the effect is to achieve the exact opposite of what he wants. It puts me on my guard. Verification of 22 Historic Climate Studies Pinpoints Patterns in Data Errors
Angelique van Engelen - 1/3/2008
We're swamped with information about anticipated levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. But the indicators vary wildly. A new study compared the historic numbers of 22 trend-setting organizations to actual findings and found out where data fouls up. Answer to “The Demise of the Expert and the Ascendance of the Layman”
Sammy Elrom - 12/28/2007
In spite of the eloquent phrasing and admirable language, I find the article "The Demise of the Expert and the Ascendance of the Layman" to be troubling. His Beatitude's Attitude Leaves Bush With No Latitude
David Singer - 12/27/2007
President Bush must be aghast at the call for the rejection of Israel as the Jewish State made by the top Roman Catholic clergyman in Israel - His Beatitude Michel Sabbah Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem. His statement mirrors similar views recently expressed by Mahmoud Abbas - Chairman of the PLO and President of the Palestinian Authority and Saeb Erekat - chief negotiator for the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). The Year of Acting Dangerously
Prof. Barry Rubin - 12/26/2007
While 2007 didn't greatly change the Middle East compared to some of its predecessors, here are some of its significant trends which will continue to dominate the year to come. What A Difference A Year Makes!
Nicholas M. Guariglia - 12/24/2007
From mid-2003 throughout the end of 2006 no one was more disheartened over the course of U.S. involvement in Iraq than I. What was a clean, successful, three-week liberation somehow devolved into an unnecessary and counterproductive occupation. Iraq, we were told, was to be a quick, in-and-out, SWAT-like takedown. Central Banks and the Credit Crunch of 2007
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 12/24/2007
I. The Credit Crunch of 2007 The global credit crunch induced by the subprime mortgage crisis in the United States, in the second half of 2007, engendered a tectonic and paradigmatic shift in the way central banks perceive themselves and their role in the banking and financial systems. Melting Ice Sheets Could Result In Sea Level Rise Twice As High As Predicted By IPCC
Angelique van Engelen - 12/23/2007
Sea levels rose as much as 1.6 metres every one hundred years on average the last time the Earth was as warm as it is predicted to be later this century. A new study predicts a six metre rise in the near future. Infinite Space And Our Difficulties Getting There
Angelique van Engelen - 12/22/2007
Pioneers of mathematics often encountered significant resistance to their work during their lifetime. Donald Coxeter, a man described as the King of Infinity knew about this first hand. As did Rene Descartes. Both made significant strides into infinity. The Demise of the Expert and the Ascendance of the Layman
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 12/22/2007
In the age of Web 2.0, authoritative expertise is slowly waning. The layman reasserts herself as a fount of collective mob "wisdom". Information - unsorted, raw, sometimes wrong - substitutes for structured, meaningful knowledge. Gatekeepers - intellectuals, academics, scientists, and editors, publishers, record companies, studios - are summarily and rudely dispensed with. Crowdsourcing (user-generated content, aggregated for commercial ends by online providers) replaces single authorship. Business as Usual: the Energy Bill, Subprime Mess and Recession Watch
Prof. Peter Morici - 12/21/2007
The stock market remains unsettled, as the nation's economic problems grow. Washington from the White House to Capitol Hill to the Federal Reserve gives us lots of bustle but no truly comforting action. Subsidizing Hunger On Borrowed Cash
Lagan Sebert - 12/21/2007
A window of opportunity for farm-subsidy reform is closing after the Senate approved a new $286 billion farm bill passed on Friday. The bill’s innocuous name belies a wide-reaching American policy. The farm bill continues to be touted as a safety net for American farmers, but the word farm isn’t even in the bill's official title this year-- The Food and Energy Security Act of 2007. An odd coalition of critics ranging from President Bush to environmental groups have charged that the Senate failed to significantly reform a subsidy system, which continues to subsidize large-scale farmers already making record profits and wealthy city-slickers cashing in on vast land ownership. Canadian Father Kills His Daughter For Not Wearing A Hijab
Ali Sina - 12/21/2007
On 11th of December, in Mississauga Canada, Aqsa Parvez, a 16 year old Canadian girl was choked to death by her Pakistani father, Muhammad Parvez, for not wearing hijab. "She wanted to live her life the way she wanted to, not the way her parents wanted her to," her classmates told the reporters. "She just wanted to be herself, honestly she just wanted to show her beauty, and not be pushed around by her parents telling her what she has to be like, what she has to do. Nobody would want to do that." Canadian aid to Palestinians
Naresh Raghubeer and David Harris - 12/19/2007
Ottawa, Canada - Foreign Affairs Minister Maxime Bernier said today that Canada would commit $300 million over the next five years in foreign aid to the Palestinian Authority (PA). This commitment is on top of the nearly 500 million Canadian tax dollars that have already been given to the Palestinians. U.S. Records $178.5 Billion Third Quarter Current Account Deficit
Prof. Peter Morici - 12/18/2007
Monday, the Commerce Department reported the third quarter current account deficit was $178.5 billion, down from $188.9 billion in the second quarter. The deficit exceeded 5.4 percent of GDP. The 2008 Campaign: New Candidate Rankings
Ryan Mauro - 12/18/2007
The following are the latest rankings of the candidates for U.S. Presidency in 2008. Huckabee, Obama the New Frontrunners…For Now
Ryan Mauro - 12/17/2007
It is hard to remember a time when the presidential race was this wide open. First, it was a Giuliani-McCain race, then a Giuliani-Romney race, with Clinton as the frontrunner by a long-shot. Then Fred Thompson entered the mix, and quickly deflated. Enter Mike Huckabee, arguably less conservative than Thompson but a far better messenger of a conservative message. In today’s 30-second sound byte world, the messenger matters more than the credibility of the message. The race, as a result, has done a complete turnaround with two new frontrunners who for so long lagged behind in national polls: Senator Barack Obama and Governor Mike Huckabee. Jews Who Speak Up for Christmas
Sharon Hughes - 12/16/2007
Once terribly divided, Jews and Christians are finding a new unity as the walls between them are coming down. Why is this happening? Primarily for two reasons. Chinese Dragon Does Not Flinch and the Bernanke's Toothless Dog
Prof. Peter Morici - 12/14/2007
This week, the big news continues to center around the dollar and the credit crisis. Secretary Henry Paulson returns from China empty handed on the dollar-yuan exchange rate, and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke is stunned when an interest rate cut sinks the stock market. America’s Socio- Economic Conundrum
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 12/14/2007
At the dawn of the 21st century, the United States is still an economic powerhouse and the one and only superpower of this world. But its economy is facing competition from the rising giants such as China and India and as well as from its internal socio-economic differences. Its lower and middle classes are facing the economic heat, and the United States which was the world’s biggest creditor until the 1980s is now the world’s biggest debtor. Hence, it’s worth scrutinizing the United States and its socio- economy more closely. Obama versus Clinton versus Plutocracy
Joel S. Hirschhorn - 12/14/2007
Here comes another inconvenient truth. Despite all the attention to Oprah for Obama and the pundit blabbering about the Democratic primary horse race the outcome has been predetermined. What people do not want to know is that power elites control what the Democratic ticket will be. When the primaries end the winner will be the reigning plutocracy. President Bush's Mortgage Program and Rumblings from Europe about the Dollar
Prof. Peter Morici - 12/11/2007
This week, the big news may be the shoes that are yet to drop: President George W. Bush's program to help distressed homeowners and halt the free fall in housing and subprime securities markets, and the continued carping from the Europeans about the decline in the dollar. ACLU's War On U.S. Immigration Law
Prof. Nicholas Stix - 12/10/2007
While President George W. Bush, ICE, and Congress act as if the U.S. had no immigration laws and no borders, some heroic local officials and private organizations have nevertheless sought, against all odds, to enforce and uphold immigration law. And every time they have done so, the ACLU has been there to fight them, on behalf of the criminals invading America. Economy Adds 94,000 Jobs in November
Prof. Peter Morici - 12/9/2007
Friday, the Labor Department reported the economy added 94,000 payroll jobs in November, after posting a 170,000 gain in October. Economists expected a 70,000 gain in November, and my published forecast was 88,000. The grip of the subprime mortgage crisis is apparent, as jobs growth has slowed to much less than the 115,000 necessary to keep even with labor force growth at one percent a year. Slow jobs growth, along with the shortage of business credit, declining home prices, and falling industrial production, indicate the risk of a recession is clearly above 50 percent. Either the economy has already entered a recession or the risk that a recession will begin soon exceeds 50 percent. Of “Moderates” and Radicals
Ted Belman - 12/8/2007
“Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists," said President George W. Bush said after 9/11. He went on to identify N. Korea, Iran and Iraq , the “axis of evil” and to declare the “war on terror”. The last thing he wanted to do was to identify the enemy. N. Korea was included in the list for fear that someone might think, G-d forbid, that Moslems were the enemy or that Islam was the enemy just as Communists and Communism were during the cold war. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Disappoints
Joel S. Hirschhorn - 12/7/2007
RFK, Jr. has disappointed millions of liberals, progressives and environmentalists by endorsing Hillary Clinton. Once he said, “the Republicans are 95 percent corrupt and the Democrats are 75 percent corrupt.” This has been widely quoted because of its honest assessment of the corrupt two-party system. He has also pointed out: "While communism is the control of business by government, fascism is the control of government by business. …The biggest threat to American democracy is corporate power. …our most visionary political leaders have warned the American public against the domination of g... Good News for Inflation, Interest Rates and Stocks
Prof. Peter Morici - 12/7/2007
Wednesday, the Department of Labor reported productivity in the nonfarm private business sector increased at a 6.3 percent annual rate in the third quarter of 2007. This was significantly higher than the 2.2 percent increase recorded in the second quarter. President Ron Paul - Could He Really Win?
Ronald Holland - 12/7/2007
What if at noon on January 20, 2009 Ron Paul is sworn in as the 44th President of the United States? First, how could Ron Paul actually win the GOP nomination? Second, could he beat Hillary Clinton and win the Presidency? Finally, what could a Ron Paul Administration accomplish with the powerful special interests allied against him and his agenda controlling the leadership of the Republican and Democrat parties? Everyone is switching to the radicals, US included
Ted Belman - 12/6/2007
The Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad leader was invited for the first time to the OCC meeting of six Gulf Cooperation Council leaders which opened in Doha Monday, Dec. 3. DEBKAfile: His warm welcome by the “moderate” Arab rulers further bankrupts Washington’s policy backed by Israel’s Olmert government, which attempts to draw a distinction between “radical” and “moderate” Middle East governments. Drilling a Hole in the Lifeboat
Prof. Barry Rubin - 12/3/2007
What would you do if your foreign policy agenda had these priorities: Avoiding A Recession
Prof. Peter Morici - 12/2/2007
Recessions are not inevitable adjustments built into the clockwork of a modern economy. Businesses no longer make products on long lead times and stumble into excess inventories of cars and appliances, triggering layoffs and pauses in consumer spending. Computer-aided supply chain management and tracking customer purchases permit businesses to better align what they make to what can be sold. Rising Hunger: The muddle in America
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 11/30/2007
When talk turns to America, the world is almost as full of self-described "realists" who believe that there is not an iota of problem in America, and the nation is an emblem of paradise. It is indeed rich, powerful and even the poor masses enjoy numerous benefits because of vast economic opportunities but everything is not rosy in the United States as it looks to the eye of the beholder. In reality, the facts are diverse. How Diasporas Can Help the Motherland
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 11/27/2007
The following steps are considered to be the "minimum package" in the strengthening of relationships between countries of origin and national diasporas: Podhoretz, like Bush, Is Staying The Course
Ted Belman - 11/27/2007
Ever since being introduced to Commentary Magazine in the sixties I have been an avid reader of Commentary and fan of Norman Podhoretz. On November 10 I attended a lecture given by him. You may recall he was responsible for preparing the intellectual groundwork that enabled Ronald Reagan to win the White House. He led the battle against Oslo Peace Accords. Unfortunately he also supported the disengagement from Gaza. Bush Pardons Turkeys While Eagles Romas and Compean Remain Caged
Dan Howard - 11/26/2007
I would give anything if I could write a syrupy-sweet, all-is-fine Thanksgiving Day message for you today. However, I have always taken pride in my endeavor of not being politically correct, but rather just ‘correct.’ Unfortunately while we should obviously offer thanks that we are still ‘technically’ free, we are in a battle to save our country. Envy Driven Society
Aleksandar Dimishkovski - 11/26/2007
Doing more, doing better… This unwritten rule that is a pure representation of envy has been the reason behind many people's successes, many victories, great business achievements, advanced technology development etc. Being envious obviously motivates humans to render a better version of themselves, by constantly comparing themselves to others. To be better than the rest is also the most important rule in business in any sense, from innovative production to pure profit making – the more, the better. Newspaper Editors' Changed Roles
Angelique van Engelen - 11/26/2007
Jeff Jarvis recently wrote a description of what he thinks the quintessential 21st Century editor is like, by analysing recruitment ads of a few renowned newspapers. The roles which the papers were looking to hire new people for, sound pretty tech savvy. Jarvis cites the Guardian's hiring of a tag editor. The people there will refer to the new recruit as a keyword manager. What he or she will be up to will amount to labelling online content, to ensure that it is consistent with the needs of readers as well as with editorial values. The $100 Zerophobia
Naseem Javed - 11/25/2007
What a difference a single dollar makes. A very big difference indeed. As a matter of fact, almost like a mind-altering-shock wave, a global hysteria, a cry of the consumer to be heard around the deepest corners of the globe, in addition to being 'breaking news' to the hearts content for the glitzy-TV-media-machine. The current oil prices have been coasting around, give or take a few dollars less than $100 for a little while; it is only a matter of time before, sooner or later, when that one dollar addition becomes the anticipated reality. So what does this mean? The global population has par... Musharraf: An American Dilemma
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 11/25/2007
Someone once asked me, what are the similarities, between Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf and the Dog’s tail. I said, I don’t know. He smiled and said, they are pretty similar, both are very stubborn. He went on saying; I’ve never seen anything as stubborn as the dog’s tail nor have I seen any human as stubborn as Musharraf. Anthropocentric Global Warming As New Geopolitics Of Energy
Edward Turner - 11/25/2007
Al Gore has an Oscar and a Nobel Peace prize. The British Conservative Party has changed its logo from a fiery torch to a green tree. The Independent newspaper has frequent front page splashes on melting Arctic ice. This article outlines three reasons why carbon emissions are being reduced in the West. None of them have anything to do with the theory of anthropocentric global warming. Because the axis on which all this public and political discussion - and an international legal treaty - spins, the idea of anthropocentric global warming, is itself in orbit around the geopolitics of oil and gas. First Woman, First Black, First Latino, or First Honest President?
Joel S. Hirschhorn - 11/22/2007
The phrase honest politician has become an oxymoron. We should not be impressed by the prospect of having the first woman, first black or first Latino president. What would be far more radical would be to have the first honest president, if not ever, certainly in a very long time. An Emergency Interest Rate Cut?
Prof. Peter Morici - 11/21/2007
Tuesday, stock markets were lifted on speculation that Ben Bernanke will call an emergency meeting at the Federal Reserve to further cut interest rates. This would be a remarkable turnaround for Chairman Bernanke. On October 31, the Fed cut the federal funds rate a quarter point to 4.50 percent but essentially said that it would not likely cut rates further. The Open Market Committee stated: "The Committee judges that, after this action, the upside risks to inflation roughly balance the downside risks to growth." A Brief History of the Book
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 11/19/2007
"The free communication of thought and opinion is one of the most precious rights of man; every citizen may therefore speak, write and print freely."
(French National Assembly, 1789) The Media Comedy Club
Prof. Barry Rubin - 11/19/2007
One of the dubious rewards of spending too much time reading newspapers on the Middle East are the laughs derived from those wonderful little phrases that seem logical but are so profoundly bizarre. Some indicate media bias but they are more often the result of some reporter, newsmaker, or editor who so takes for granted the bizarro, flat-earth version of the Middle East as to be blissfully unaware of the yawning contradiction in what they say. Primary Colors - Coloring Political Movements
Prof. Nicholas Stix - 11/19/2007
You may be politically colorblind, and not even know it. We provide therapy. While “a rose is a rose is a rose,” it is not necessarily the case that “red is red is red.” Hillary Clinton: Is Gender on Trial?
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 11/18/2007
For years, the most striking features of America under Mr. Bush was its fight against the terrorism and the close association between President Bush and his chief political strategist Karl Rove in shaping the destiny of America. Karl Rove is history now, and as people are already counting the days of Mr. Bush in the White House, American politics is on the verge of a major twist. Vaccine or Viagra: The Debate Continues
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 11/17/2007
Budgets are finite but the health care demands are almost infinite in the developing nations. From this truism springs one of the characteristics of the developing world- that the developing nations are crawling way behind in life saving medical cares too. Sane Bush Hatred
Joel S. Hirschhorn - 11/16/2007
The Wall Street Journal gave the top half of its opinion page yesterday to a long essay by Peter Berkowitz titled “The Insanity of Bush Hatred.” If anything, it deserves a gold medal for political propaganda – make that political lies. What caught my attention immediately was the frequent use of the word “progressive” to describe the people Berkowitz was attacking. It was used ten times. In other words, progressives were attacked for hating Bush. America's Grand Delusion
Joel S. Hirschhorn - 11/15/2007
With an endless, futile and costly Iraq war, a stinking economy and most Americans seeing the country on the wrong track, the greatest national group delusion is that electing Democrats in 2008 is what the country needs. Keith Olbermann was praised when he called the Bush presidency a criminal conspiracy. That missed the larger truth. The whole two-party political system is a criminal conspiracy hiding behind illusion induced delusion. Demise of US Supremacy in the Middle East and its Consequences
Mahmood Ahmad - 11/12/2007
The advent of Modern Middle East marked by Napoleon’s arrival in Egypt just two centuries ago – some 80 years after the demise of the Ottoman Empire, 50 years after the end of the colonialism, and less than 20 years after the end of the Cold War – the American era in the Middle East, has ended and a new era in the modern history of the region has started to evolve. New actors and forces competing for influence will shape it, and will try to master it. The Limits of Federal Reserve Policy
Prof. Peter Morici - 11/12/2007
Federal Reserve policymakers and critics labor under false assumptions. Hawks believe tighter credit can stave off inflation. Doves hew to lower rates to mitigate risks of recession. Newspaper Editors Are Hiring Internet Savvy Professionals
Angelique van Engelen - 11/11/2007
Jeff Jarvis recently wrote a description of what he thinks the quintessential 21st Century editor is like, by telling his audience all about recruitment ads of some renowned newspapers.The roles which the papers were looking to hire new people for, sound pretty tech savvy. The Rule of Law vs. Obedience to the Law
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 11/10/2007
We often misconstrue the concept of the "rule of Law" and take it to mean automatic "obedience to laws". But the two are antithetical. Laws have to earn observance and obeisance. To do so, they have to meet a series of rigorous criteria: they have to be unambiguous, fair, just, pragmatic, and equitable; they have to be applied uniformly and universally to one and all, regardless of sex, age, class, sexual preference, race, ethnicity, skin color, or opinion; they must not entrench the interests of one group or structure over others; they must not be leveraged to yield benefits to some at the expense of others; and, finally, they must accord with universal moral and ethical tenets. U.S. Records $56.5 Billion Trade Deficit in September
Prof. Peter Morici - 11/9/2007
Today, the Commerce Department reported the September deficit on trade in goods and services was $56.5 billion. This was down slightly from $56.8 billion in August but was still 4.9 percent of GDP. Stock Prices and the Trade Deficit
Prof. Peter Morici - 11/8/2007
Wall Street and American capitalism are suffering a crisis of confidence. Stock markets are in turmoil, because U.S. banks are taking record losses from foolish bets on subprime mortgages, the dollar is tanking against the euro and some other currencies, and oil prices are rocketing. The Falling Dollar and the Stubborn U.S. Trade Deficit
Prof. Peter Morici - 11/7/2007
Since October 2006, the euro has risen about 13 percent against the dollar but don't expect dramatic improvements in the U.S. trade deficit until China and other Asian exporters permit their currencies to rise significantly too. Clinton, Carter, Condoleezza and Candour
David Singer - 11/7/2007
State Department spokesman Sean McCormack revealed this week that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has been talking to ex-Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton about their experiences in trying to negotiate peace between Israel and its Arab enemies. Has President Bush's Vision Succumbed To Reality?
David Singer - 11/6/2007
President Bush appears to have abandoned any hope of creating a new Arab State between Israel and Jordan. His closest confidante--the Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice--suggested as much when she made this blunt observation after her visit to the Middle East this past week: Why the Bernanke Should Cut Rates
Prof. Peter Morici - 10/20/2007
This week Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson admitted the mortgage crisis and housing slump are more critical than previously assessed. Paulson is prodding major players in the private capital markets to create a safety net for bonds that fund home mortgages and refinance more adjustable rate mortgages (ARMS). The goal is to put a floor under housing prices and save the economy from recession. An interest rate cut from the Federal Reserve would help a lot. The Haunted America
Naseem Javed - 10/20/2007
Countries are like little homes; they house a nation, hold ideologies and provide shelter and comfort to its people in hopes that the occupant will nurture better ideas for themselves and further flourish humanity. Such are primary desires and goals of most countries on this small planet. America is no exception. For decades, billions of people around the world slept at night on empty stomachs amidst dreadful circumstances, often dreaming of the freedoms and liberties of America, which they likened to a great land, a paradise and a final destination point. Crafting a U.S. Response to Global Warming
Prof. Peter Morici - 10/19/2007
The United States appears poised to act soon on global warming. Hopefully, Congress will craft policies that motivate a truly international solution rather than make the problem worse, hurt the economy, and create windfall profits for some regulated industries. Most Americans are convinced that the buildup of green house gases (GHG) in the atmosphere is responsible for warming Artic seas, shrinking mountain ice caps, and 90 degree October heat in New York. U.S. Banks Offer Plan to Calm Credit Markets
Prof. Peter Morici - 10/18/2007
The creation by Citigroup, JP Morgan, and Bank of America of a special fund to purchase the collateralized debt obligations (CDOs) of major structured investment vehicles (SIVs) should be viewed as good news by the stock and bond markets. On Propaganda and Islamophobia
Abukar Arman - 10/17/2007
The daunting reality facing people of conscience is the seemingly impossible task of controlling propaganda in a free society, and how the protected freedom of the perpetrators increases the vulnerability of their potential victims. Consumer Prices Increase 0.3 Percent in September
Prof. Peter Morici - 10/17/2007
Today, the Labor Department reported that the Consumer Price Index rose 0.3 percent in September because of continuing pressures from rising food prices and a very modest rebound in consumer energy prices. Selective Bias In Media And Academia
Prof. Barry Rubin - 10/14/2007
It’s a difficult philosophical problem. President Shimon Peres said in regard to the invitation to Iran’s president to speak at Columbia that there’s a difference between academic freedom and freedom to lie. In other words, there must be some determination of what is reality. On Achievement
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 10/13/2007
If a comatose person were to earn an interest of 1 million USD annually on the sum paid to him as compensatory damages – would this be considered an achievement of his? To succeed to earn 1 million USD is universally judged to be an achievement. But to do so while comatose will almost as universally not be counted as one. It would seem that a person has to be both conscious and intelligent to have his achievements qualify. TSA and Aviation Security: What is wrong with their concepts and strategy – Part Two
Sammy Elrom - 10/13/2007
El Al on the contrary, considers profiling a vital early detection and prevention tool. In the US, in spite of the obvious necessity to widely use profiling and because of fears of being accused of state-based racism and being sued by organizations such as ACLU, CAIR and many other anti-security advocates, security personnel cannot question passengers. Adding to this diminishing factor is that local airport staffs which has the potential of becoming an important support source in aiding security personnel, lacks basic security training focused on terror aspects. Rather, security personnel is t... Abortion - The Aborted Contract
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 10/12/2007
The issue of abortion is emotionally loaded and this often makes for poor, not thoroughly thought out arguments. The questions: "Is abortion immoral" and "Is abortion a murder" are often confused. The pregnancy (and the resulting fetus) are discussed in terms normally reserved to natural catastrophes (force majeure). At times, the embryo is compared to cancer, a thief, or an invader: after all, they are both growths, clusters of cells. The difference, of course, is that no one contracts cancer willingly (except, to some extent, smokers -–but, then they gamble, not contract). Deficit Lowers GDP $1750 for Each Working American
Prof. Peter Morici - 10/12/2007
Thursday, the Commerce Department reported the August deficit on trade in goods and services was $57.6 billion. This was down from $59.0 billion in July, but the trade deficit still is about 5.0 percent of GDP and remains a big drag on economic growth and incomes. The consensus forecast was $59.0 billion, and my published forecast was $58.1 billion. TSA and Aviation Security: What is wrong with their concepts and strategy – Part One
Sammy Elrom - 10/12/2007
Aviation security is an almost forgotten topic, commonly confused with flight security because since 9/11 we did not encounter another such terror attack on American soil. This article is meant to remind us that the threat did not disappear as seen a several recent events. The author demands that Israeli aviation security philosophy be immediately adapted instead of reinventing the wheel. The Cycle of Wishful Thinking
Lee Harris - 10/11/2007
THE AGE OF illusions is over," the historian Walter Laqueur wrote recently, referring to the illusions the West continues to entertain about the confrontation with radical Islam. Needless to say, Laqueur did not mean that we in the West no longer have any illusions on this subject; those still abound. He meant, rather, that we can no longer afford to harbor them and that the time has come to shed them. Yet human beings have great difficulty in freeing themselves from illusions — even quite dangerous ones — as long as they offer comfort and provide peace of mind. The best place to start the fre... Military Use Of The Occult, Remote Viewing
Angelique van Engelen - 10/11/2007
Officially, the US military does not make use of Remote Viewing activities, having closed down the departments that were involved in them in the 1990s. Private Remote Viewing experts however, are involved in drawing sketches of far off locations, some of which turn out remarkably precise. One US ex-army officer involved from Texas who's involved in Remote Viewing, claims to have seen Iranian complexes which are used for creating nuclear bombs. An interview with UK artist Suzanne Treister, who created HEXEN2039, a project about the military's historical use of the occult for psychological warfare. The Golden Keys of E-Commerce
Naseem Javed - 10/11/2007
It only takes a minute to establish if one is holding that magical key or just toying with a rusty screwdriver. Today, in order to have a commanding presence with universal access on e-commerce, domain names must act like very special golden keys as without it, the entire exercise of Internet-centric commerce becomes almost useless. Super-success in cyber-branding lies in the sophisticated creation, development and ownership of these powerful and magical keys, so that they may open an undiscovered universe of billions of unknown customers around the world. Without this power and access, what's the point of being in the race for leadership and image positioning? Democratic Accountability and the Doha Round
Prof. Peter Morici - 10/9/2007
History teaches that open markets best promote economic progress, but markets without good rules can pitch us into chaos, and the rule makers must be broadly accountable or tyranny will follow. In our effort to bring order and fairness to global markets, the Doha Round of World Trade Organization negotiations could sabotage democratic accountability by relegating tough issues to unelected bureaucrats in Geneva. Best Beware Of This Elephant
Salim Mansur - 10/8/2007
Provincial elections in English Canada rarely have any national implication. But as Ontarians prepare to vote Oct. 10, their decisions on public funding of faith-based private schools in the province and the referendum on adopting a modified proportional representation for electing members to the legislature in the future might well reverberate across the country. Economy Adds 110,000 Jobs in September
Prof. Peter Morici - 10/7/2007
Friday, the Labor Department reported the economy added 110,000 payroll jobs in September, after posting an 89,000 gain in August. The consensus forecast was 100,000, and my published forecast was 110,000. The grip of the subprime crisis is apparent. In the third quarter, jobs growth was 99,000 per month, at bit less than is needed to keep unemployment from rising. The economy grew at a decidedly slower pace in the third quarter than the 3.8 percent posted in the second quarter. Something in the range or 2.5 percent, or a bit less, is likely for the third quarter. How stupid is this idea?
Salim Mansur - 10/7/2007
Public policy is generally judged on the basis of its intended effect. But not infrequently the public is left to contend with the unintended consequences of a policy -- for instance, the NEP of the Trudeau years or the Meech Lake Accord of the Mulroney years -- long after the intended effects would have been consummated. Politicians seek the glow of the intended effects of policies they initiate, and flee from the unintended consequences of those same policies that might leave the society worse off than the situation when a particular policy was proposed or enacted. Democrats make it a virtual secession from the Union this time
Mike Spaniola - 10/7/2007
Shortly after the fledgling Republican Party’s Abraham Lincoln defeated Democrat John C. Breckinridge in the presidential election of 1860, Democrats made it official: they would secede from the Union. Today, Democrats have effected a similar, though virtual, secession from the Union. FBI On Blackwater's Case
Angelique van Engelen - 10/6/2007
Investigations into Blackwater's Iraq dealings have been handed over to the FBI, the State Department has said. The FBI bridges the process to its next stage, which will be in the hands of the Iraqi ministry of Justice or the US Justice Department. US Investigation Into Iraqi Government's Corruption Is 'Classified Information': State Department
Angelique van Engelen - 10/3/2007
The government of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is corrupt. The Bush administration knows it. Yet the State Department in Washington has decided that the investigation into this issue will be classified to the extent that all ‘embarrassing issues’ will stay out of the public domain. An October 4 hearing by the House government oversight and reform committee (which has powers to investigate any federal legislative issue) is seriously impeded by the secrecy. How Can We Win Without Going To War With Iran?
Ghazal Omid - 10/3/2007
It would be a mistake to go to war with Iran. America neither has to go to war nor negotiate with Iran. There is a third choice. There is an expression in Farsi, “You don’t have to open a knot with your teeth when you could open it with your fingers.” This proverb should not be interpreted to mean negotiation. It simply means logical decisions based on facts that make sense are better options than are obligatory triggered by emotional fuel.” Defending Blackwater and Understanding the Western Way of War
Nicholas M. Guariglia - 10/2/2007
Judging from the reactions of fellow diplomacy students, one may have fallen under the impression I was justifying Jeffrey Dahmer’s eating habits. Regardless, I am coming to believe something is apparently very wrong with me, in that I feel private military companies (PMCs) –– particularly Blackwater USA –– are amongst the most efficient humanitarian organizations in business. The Perils of Going Slow to Clean Up Mortgage Lending and Bond Rating
Prof. Peter Morici - 10/1/2007
If the hearings at the Senate Banking and House Financial Services Committees demonstrate anything, fixes to the broken mortgage lending and bond rating processes will come only slowly, and that is bad for U.S. home buyers and capital markets more generally. The Treasury and Federal Reserve favor minimum intervention and letting market discipline establish transparency in credit markets as much as possible. However laudable that might be, it is apparent that such approaches have already failed. That is how we got into the fix we find ourselves. Personal Income up $40.2 Billion in August
Prof. Peter Morici - 9/30/2007
Friday, the Commerce Department reported in August personal income increased $40.2 billion or 0.3 percent, disposable personal income increased $37.2 billion or 0.4 percent, and personal consumption expenditures increased $54.8 billion or 0.6 percent. Consumer spending continues to support economic growth, and for July and August, consumer spending outpaced second quarter growth. Ackerman Resolution on Lebanon Passed by House 415-2
Pierre A. Maroun - 9/27/2007
(Washington, DC) Congressman Gary L. Ackerman today led the House of Representatives to pass of his resolution calling for strong U.S. support for the government of Lebanon by a vote of 415 to 2. Ackerman, the chairman of the House Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia, warned the House that “Lebanon is being bullied†by Iran, Syria and their proxies, Hezbollah, Amal and Gen. Michel Aoun’s Free Patriotic Movement. UAW - GM Pact Leaves GM at Cost Disadvantage
Prof. Peter Morici - 9/27/2007
The details that emerged in the press today about the "historic" UAW - GM labor pact indicate the deal may prove the death knell for yet many more Midwestern manufacturing jobs. Reasons to Impeach President George W. Bush
Gina-Marie Cheeseman - 9/27/2007
President George W. Bush has committed offenses which are injuries to the American society, and especially to American democracy, the system of government our Founding Fathers created. Among the President’s offenses are the “initiation and continuation of the Iraq war,†the authorization of warrantless wiretapping, and authorizing the use of torture on detainees. Canadian action needed to end military dictatorship in Burma
Naresh Raghubeer and David Harris - 9/27/2007
Ottawa, Canada - On Tuesday, Foreign Affairs Minister Maxime Bernier condemned Burma's military junta for the regime's escalating assaults on freedom, democracy and individual liberty. The junta has long detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, abused other pro-democracy leaders and protesters, and denied free expression and free association to its citizens. Tough Choices for Bernanke
Prof. Peter Morici - 9/26/2007
The Fed is in a tough box. Vital signs--housing sales, new home construction, retail sales, and jobs creation--all indicate slower growth and the risk of a recession. Cutting interest rates is a necessary but limited policy option for two sets of reasons. Why Did Columbia host Ahmadinejad?
Mohammad Parvin and Hassan Daioleslam - 9/25/2007
Iran's President Mahmood Ahmadinejad is scheduled to speak at Columbia University on Monday September 24th. This arrangement is not accidental. The event would have not been possible without the tireless and focused efforts of the well known Tehran advocate Dr. Gary Sick, an influential figure in Columbia. Mythmakers About the Middle East
Prof. Barry Rubin - 9/25/2007
People don't often threaten to murder me face to face. But in the spring of 2007, Alexis Debat, director of the terrorism program at the Nixon Center and consultant to ABC News, did so. Anthrax Letters Still Being Sorted 6 Years Later
Ross E. Getman, Esq. - 9/21/2007
On July 4, 1993, United States Postal employee Ahmed Abdel Sattar spoke to the press about Abdel Rahman's arrest and said "we haven't decided the time or place, but our Muslim community will demonstrate its outrage at the arrest of the Sheik." In the indictment of the Staten Island Post Office employee who worshipped in Brooklyn, the United States government alleged that following his arrest, Abdel Rahman, in a message to his followers recorded while he was in prison, urged: "Oh Muslims! Oh Muslims! ... It is a duty upon all the Muslims around the world to free the Sheikh, and to rescu... Producer Prices Fall 1.4 Percent in August
Prof. Peter Morici - 9/21/2007
Tuesday, the Labor Department reported the Producer Price Index fell 1.4 percent in August, after rising 0.6percent in July. Bush Must Resist The Threatened Arab Boycott
David Singer - 9/21/2007
President Bush's planned meeting on the Middle East in November has been dealt a severe body blow as the Palestinians and Saudi Arabians threaten to boycott the meeting if their agenda demands are not met. A senior advisor to Palestinian Authority and PLO Chairman Mahmoud Abbas is reported in Israelinsider on 17 September as stating: General Petraeaus Reports
Prof. Barry Rubin - 9/20/2007
Everybody in Washington has been waiting for General David H. Petraeaus to give his report on the Iraq war. Expectations became most inflated, as if he would deliver America of this seemingly unsolvable problem in a messianic manner. Fed Cuts Federal Funds and Discount Rates by 50 Basis Points
Prof. Peter Morici - 9/20/2007
Tuesday, the Federal Reserve Open Market Committee cut the target federal funds rate by 50 basis points to 4.75 percent and lowered the discount rate by the same amount to 5.25 percent. Cyber Profs Set Up A Communal Writing Project To Establish A Standard For Decentralized Legal Scholarship
Angelique van Engelen - 9/16/2007
A group of cyber professors specializing in law and intellectual property rights are conducting an interesting experiment; they are writing a communal article, just to prove that decentralized legal scholarship might be a rather viable concept. The subject? Intellectual Property. Those two words. U.S. Records $190.8 Billion First Quarter Current Account Deficit
Prof. Peter Morici - 9/16/2007
Friday, the Commerce Department reported the second quarter current account deficit was $190.8 billion, down from $197.1 billion in the first quarter. The deficit exceeded 5.5 percent of GDP. My published forecast was $191.7 billion for the second quarter. Musings on Media Coverage Of The Middle East
Prof. Barry Rubin - 9/16/2007
When is the media or non-governmental organizations fair or unfair in discussing the Arab-Israeli conflict? Critical here is how they present each side's motivations and actions. Below are some examples in both categories to give a sense of what is right, and wrong, with coverage. Oil, China and Autos Push Up Deficit - U.S. Records $59.2 Billion Trade Deficit in July
Prof. Peter Morici - 9/15/2007
Tuesday, the Commerce Department reported the July deficit on trade in goods and services was $59.2 billion. This was down slightly from the $59.4 billion deficit in June, and was still about 5.2 percent of GDP. The consensus forecast was $59.0 billion, and my published forecast was $59.4 billion. Dealing with Iran: The Key to Bush’s Middle East Legacy
Namjoo Hashemi - 9/15/2007
The recent resignation of Alberto Gonzales, Attorney General, and long-time friend of President Bush, follows the path of Carl Rove and Donald Rumsfield. While things have not been going well for the Bush administration on the domestic front, his foreign policy has taken even greater hits. There’s been no progress to report in Afghanistan; rather, the Taliban gain ground there daily and though the recent surge in troops in Iraq, while it may have offered temporary relief in limited areas, any sign of a long term positive affect are fading fast. With criticism mounting from all sides, the White... Henry Paulson's Fear Mongering
Prof. Peter Morici - 9/14/2007
Recently Treasury Secretary Paulson warned that legislation moving through Congress to address the harm imposed by Chinese protectionism could set off a trade war and unsettle global markets. Such fear mongering places the U.S. economy at grave peril. The Encyclopedia Britannica 2008
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 9/12/2007
The Encyclopedia Britannica 2008 (established in 1768), both Ultimate and Deluxe, builds on the success of its completely revamped previous editions in 2006 and 2007. The rate of innovation in the last two versions was impressive and welcome. It continues apace in this rendition with Britannica Biographies (Great Minds), Classical Music (500 audio files arranged by composer), and a great Workspace for Project Management (a kind of friendly digital den). Generous 6-12 months of free access to the myriad riches of the Britannica Online complete the package. Concerns About Canadian Government Enforcement Of Sharia Practices
David Harris - 9/11/2007
Ottawa, Canada - The Canadian Coalition for Democracies (CCD) applauds Prime Minister Stephen Harper for taking a stand against exempting one religious group from the requirement of photo identification when voting. The Cyber Narcissist
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 9/11/2007
To the narcissist, the Internet is an alluring and irresistible combination of playground and hunting grounds, the gathering place of numerous potential Sources of Narcissistic Supply, a world where false identities are the norm and mind games the bon ton. And it is beyond the reach of the law, the pale of social norms, the strictures of civilized conduct. America’s Limited Options In The War On Terror
Ted Belman - 9/11/2007
Before 9/11, Islamists attacked American forces, ships, diplomats and Embassies from time to time with relative impunity. The enormity of 9/11 demanded that the US put an end to such attacks. Her first response which came within 24 hours of the attack was to enable plane-loads of Saudi VIPs to leave the country. Thus even before determining who was responsible and what course of action to be taken, the Bush decided to absolve and protect the Saudis. Incredible, considering that 15 of the 19 terrorists were Saudis. The Judas Syndrom: American Media and the War on Terror
Major Dennis W. Lid - 9/11/2007
It's happening again, just like it did during the Vietnam Conflict. The collective voice of a disaffected public grows louder with each negative incident that occurs in Iraq. As the fatalities increase and the casualties mount from the daily incidence of improvised explosive devices, ambushes, assassinations, suicide bombings and other terrorist acts, the fainthearted and disillusioned are repulsed by the appalling statistics and disheartened from any desire to stay the course. Is American Foreign Policy Responsible for 9/11?
Ryan Mauro - 9/11/2007
After the attacks of September the 11th, many questioned, “Why do they hate us?” While any deliberate attack on innocent civilians is deplorable, it is important to find the cause of radical Islamic terrorism. Many people point to the sources of anti-Americanism as the cause of terrorism, but anti-Americanism does not translate into an acceptance of, and willingness to participate in, suicide bombings. It is not fair to blame anti-Americanism (and thus American policy causing anti-Americanism) as the cause of the sickness, because hatred of one country’s policy does not lead most people to jus... What the future might hold if we fail to deal with the Leftist/Marxist-Islamist Alliance
David J. Jonsson - 9/11/2007
With every passing year following the events of 9/11 the rise of Leftist/Marxist-Islamist Alliance has increased global instability. By the beginning of 2006, nearly all the combustible ingredients—far bigger in scale than those leading to World Wars 1 and 11 and the Gulf Wars of 1991 or 2003—were in place. The Phony War On Terror
Ted Belman - 9/11/2007
As a result of the Muslim atrocity of 9/11, President George W. Bush declared war on terror. On Sept 20th he spoke to the combined houses and declared “On September the 11th, enemies of freedom committed an act of war against our country.” Although he did call it an act of war, he limited the perpetrators to “enemies of freedom” even though all 19 hijackers were Muslims motivated by the Koran. And 15 of these were Saudis. 9/11 Terrorism: Motivation and Learning
Imran Khan - 9/11/2007
After the horrific incident of 9/11/2001 the world has seen several changes. America declared a war against terrorism, its policies have been changed and use of power is more evident after 9/11. Many things which USA has never done are in practice whether they conflict with international laws are not. Like Guantanamo prison, secret flights, secret prisons etc. The Path To 9/11
Jeremy Reynalds, Ph.D. - 9/11/2007
Almost five years ago, a horrified world stood still–transfixed when terrorists used four planes as weapons of mass destruction against thousands of innocent Americans. ABC Television is commemorating the tragic day and its aftermath by premiering a made-for-television movie entitled, "The Path to 9/11". US policy has always been the same
Kamala Sarup - 9/9/2007
US Freedom and democracy means that the general population has control of the legislators. I think, post-World war two US policy has always been the same as pre-World war two US policy. Freedom is not a short term gain; it is long term. It is about "the fundamental values of democracy". That sentimental concept is the kind of powerful statement that the US govt puts out to its citizens. The US gov't., since 1776, has used such appeals to "democracy", "American way of life", "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness", "four score and seven year ago etc., in the Declaration of Independence, the Gettysburg Address" and other appeal. Extremist Navy Officer Receives Slap On The Wrist
Christopher Pryor - 9/9/2007
On September 12, 2001 , Americans throughout the country were mourning catastrophic loss of life as well as the destruction and damage of treasured American icons - the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Economy Losses 4000 Jobs in August: Impact of Subprime Crisis Apparent, Fed Likely to Cut Rates
Prof. Peter Morici - 9/7/2007
Today, the Labor Department reported the economy lost 4000 payroll jobs in August, after posting a 68,000 gain in July. Economist expected a 110,000 gain in August and were clearly taken off guard by the sudden drop in hiring. U.S. Productivity Improves: Good News for Inflation, Interest Rates and Stocks
Prof. Peter Morici - 9/6/2007
Today, the Department of Labor reported productivity in the nonfarm private business sector increased at a 2.6 percent annual rate in the second quarter of 2007. This was significantly higher than the 0.7 percent increase recorded in the second quarter of 2007. Canada position on 'faceless voting' undermines electoral integrity and equality before the ballot box
David Harris - 9/6/2007
Ottawa, Canada – The Canadian Coalition for Democracies (CCD) regards as unconscionable Elections Canada’s reported new policy of allowing Muslim women to wear identity-concealing face veils, including full burqas, when voting in upcoming federal by-elections in Quebec and Ontario. Canada’s federal elections’ regulator says Muslim women can “vote veiled” merely by identifying themselves with a driver’s licence and second piece of identification. As an alternative, “covered” women need only swear an oath and have another voter vouch for them. Spectrum of Advertisement in Soap Opera
Panchanan Bhoi, Ph.D. - 9/4/2007
Ad expert Steward H. Britt once mentioned, “Doing business without advertising is like winking at a girl in the dark, you know what you are doing but no-body else does”. Though means of advertising include creative and media strategies, but now it is criticised on the grounds of deception, manipulation and bad taste. It manipulates the consumers against their will. Matter of taste in advertising and possible preoccupation with exploiting sex appeal is quite common in its publicity. Taking people much exposure to the electronic channels, the advertisers are now rush to this medium of communicat... Social Networks And Journalists Secrets
Angelique van Engelen - 9/4/2007
Social networks are beginning to open their eyes to the needs of journalists. Publish2.com, which is set to launch later this month, is entirely geared up for reporters. This ‘social media company’ is in beta testing, but its founders promise to deliver on a few key features which the currently available social networks like FaceBook, LinkedIn etc. miss out on. One of those promising features is a news aggregator ‘which puts journalists at the center of news’. Who gets to be a part of it depends on the community that Publish2 starts off with. They say on... Putting Lipstick On Pigs
Prof. Peter Morici - 9/1/2007
The pope and US Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke both rely on a higher force to motivate millions. The pope relies on faith in the Resurrection; poor Ben depends on the credibility of the bond market. The latter, ultimately, rests on the integrity of investment banks and bond-rating agencies, and those have proved faulty. ICE campaign - In Case of Emergency
Michael Hart - 9/1/2007
We all carry our mobile phones with names & numbers stored in its memory but nobody, other than ourselves, knows which of these numbers belong to our closest family or friends. If we were to be involved in an accident or were taken ill, the people attending us would have our mobile phone but wouldn't know who to call. Yes, there are hundreds of numbers stored but which one is the contact person in case of an emergency? Hence this "ICE" (In Case of Emergency) Campaign. The Idea of Reference
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 8/31/2007
The Wikipedia was touted as the greatest reference work in history. A collaborative effort of contributors and editors across time and space, it bloated into hundreds of thousands of articles on subjects both deserving and risible. Anyone with a connection to the Internet and a browser can edit the Wikipedia, regardless of his or her qualifications to do so. Geographical Ignorance is Bliss?
Dr. Norman Berdichevsky - 8/31/2007
“No child left behind? This has been one of the popular and hollow political catch-words used in recent electoral campaigns in the U.SHow far behind was “Beauty queen” and contestant Lauren Caitlin Upton, a hopeful in the “Miss USA Teen Pageant”, who outdid Grouch Marx’s best one-lines with her off-the-cuff response as to why one-fifth of Americans can’t locate the United States on a world map. Her explanation was….” I personally believe that ….uh… Americans are unable to do so because, uh, some people out there in our nation don't have maps,". These poor folks are obviously another group of d... Project Gutenberg's Anabasis
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 8/28/2007
In October 2003, Project Gutenberg (PG) - the Web's first and largest online library of free electronic books - released a long-awaited DVD containing close to 10,000 of its titles. Since then, another 14,000 texts were added to its burgeoning archives. The Project spawned numerous other Web sites. Some of them - such as as the late lamented Blackmask - offer free downloads and sell their own DVD with mostly Project Gutenberg eBooks in multiple formats. Others provide free browsers and library applications specific to PG's content. Losing On Democracy Promotion in the Middle East, an American Foreign Policy Challenge
Timothy Brown - 8/28/2007
The August 2007 by-elections in Lebanon were held to fill the parliament seats that became vacant by assassinations earlier this year. Former president Amin Gemayel, whose son Pierre was slain in March, lost to a relatively unknown candidate in the early August elections. In the New York Times (10 Aug 2007) article, “U.S. Backs Free Elections, Only to See Allies Lose” by Hassan M. Fattah, describes how Mr. Gemayel’s demise was more than like attributed to his backing by the United States rather than a split Christian vote, the Armenian vote, and alleged election rigging. In January of 2006, th... Barack Obama’s Silly Month: From Jane Fonda to Dr. Strangelove
Nicholas M. Guariglia - 8/27/2007
By the time President Reagan met his Soviet counterpart, he had already been eleven months into his second-term. Mikhail Gorbachev was the new Russian premier, and the first to hold talks with Reagan (the three previous Soviet leaders all passed away within the span of a few years). Washington and Moscow negotiated the conditions of the summit, set to take place in November 1985, for months. Anticipation for the conference was building since at least that May. Foreign Policy Towards Middle East: Engage, Moderate, Split
Prof. Barry Rubin - 8/27/2007
Engage, moderate, and split--that's the mantra for Middle East policy of the wrong-headed in many foreign ministries, newspaper editorial offices, universities, and other places where the rapidly growing international bad-ideas industry is centered. The Secret of anti-Americanism
Mencius Moldbug - 8/26/2007
As a young American living outside the US I often found myself exposed to the odd belief system that's often called "anti-Americanism." I had trouble understanding how or why anyone could think this way. Reality, which my father brought home every night in the slim and serious form of the Herald Trib, was one thing, and anti-Americanism quite another.
And yet the creed seemed quite popular. Moreover, it was no peasant superstition. If anything, the local elites - with whose spawn I was of course raised, and whose wealth and sophistication were unden... Barbarians Kill as West Drifts
Salim Mansur - 8/26/2007
There comes a point at which diminishing returns on most issues begin to go negative. Such a point in denouncing Islamist terrorism and equally the Muslim majority's silence against this menace was reached sometime ago. As Islamist terrorism, however despicable, became mundane occurrence in the daily news cycle, the deafening silence of Muslims -- except for lonely voices of feeble opposition -- has given credence to growing numbers of non-Muslims that Islam is as much a religion of peace as the Klanmen's politics is an expression of multiculturalism. When Trust Fails, Credit Markets Collapse
Prof. Peter Morici - 8/25/2007
The Pope and Ben Bernanke both rely on a higher force to motivate millions. The Pope relies on faith in the Resurrection, poor Ben depends on the credibility of the bond market. The latter, ultimately, rests on the integrity of investment banks and bond rating agencies, and those have proven faulty. Indo-US Nuke Deal In Line of Fire
Syed Ali Mujtaba, Ph.D. - 8/25/2007
“Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is a traitor who has betrayed the nation by continuous bluffing on the Indo-US nuclear deal. Had an American President done that he would have been removed, if it were in China they would have settled it with one bullet in his head.” These comments are made by the NDA convener and opposition leader George Fernandes. Kucinich Must Find a Better Role Model Than Bob Ney
Hassan Daioleslam - 8/24/2007
Bob Ney, a current federal prisoner and former Ohio Congressman, has left quite a legacy. Throughout his tenure in the US Congress he received bribes in exchange for providing services to a variety of clients. Ney was finally convicted for several charges including accepting bribes from lobbyists and international arms dealers in an effort to circumvent sanctions to sell US-made airplane parts to Tehran1. In the US congress, Ney was an active and outspoken advocate of the Iranian mullahs. He fought hard against sanctions, toned down the pro human right statements against Iran and worked hard t... Asset Confiscation and Asset Forfeiture
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 8/22/2007
The abuse of asset confiscation and forfeiture statutes by governments, law enforcement agencies, and political appointees and cronies throughout the world is well-documented. In many developing countries and countries in transition, assets confiscated from real and alleged criminals and tax evaders are sold in fake auctions to party hacks, cronies, police officers, tax inspectors, and relatives of prominent politicians at bargain basement prices. Voucher Communities - the Solution to Unemployment?
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 8/21/2007
I. Executive Summary "Voucher Communities" are communities of unemployed workers organized in each municipality. The unemployed exchange goods and services among themselves in a barter-like or countertrade system. They use a form of "internal money": a voucher bearing a monetary value. Thus, an unemployed electrician can offer his services to an unemployed teacher who, in return, gives the electrician's children private lessons. They pay each other with voucher money. The unemployed are allowed to use voucher money to pay for certain public goods and services (such as health and education)... Where Can Newsroom Editors Turn For International Grassroots Reporting?
Angelique van Engelen - 8/20/2007
This month, significant developments have taken place in citizen journalism. There’s no longer any doubt that audience participation is maturing; citizen reporting is on its way to become part and parcel of the established media. Handsome amounts of cash are being paid for platforms gathering reports by mere mortals who relay first hand experiences of events to the world. Associated Content landed $10 million in financing earlier this month from Canaan Partners. At the same time, NowPublic raked in $10.6 million Rho Ventures. So what are winning strategies for newsroom editors in dealing with the citizen platforms? Baghdad Ablaze: Interview with Prof Ray Tanter On Winning In Iraq and Iran
Ryan Mauro - 8/20/2007
Professor Raymond Tanter is the president of the Iran Policy Committee. The IPC has just published their new book, “Baghdad Ablaze: How to Extinguish the Fires in Iraq and Allow for a Triumphant Return Home of US Military Forces.” Raymond Tanter served at the White House as a Senior Member on the National Security Council staff, from 1981 to 1982. In 1983-1984, he was personal representative of the Secretary of Defense to arms control talks in Madrid, Helsinki, Stockholm, and Vienna. In 1967, Tanter was deputy director of behavioral sciences at the Advanced Research Projects Agency of the U.S.... Hardball Tactics In An Era Of Threats
Ross E. Getman, Esq. - 8/17/2007
a. Amerithrax: The Other "Person of Interest" A colleague of famed Russian bio-weaponeer Ken Alibek and former head of The United States Army Medical Research Institute for Infectious Diseases ("USAMRIID") Charles Bailey, has been convicted of sedition and sentenced to life in prison plus 70 years. He worked in a program co-sponsored by the American Type Culture Collection ("ATCC") and had access to ATCC facilities, as well as facilities of the DARPA-funded Center for Biodefense at George Mason University then run by Dr. Alibek and Dr. Bailey. The bionformatics grad student once had a high security clearance for mathematical support work for the Navy. Ottawa needs a comprehensive strategy for Canada-India relations
David Harris - 8/16/2007
Ottawa, Canada - August 15, 2007 - India celebrates 60 years of independence. This occasion offers Canada an opportunity to reevaluate its relationship with one of history’s oldest continuing civilizations, a nation that is the world’s largest pluralistic democracy, and a major Asian military and economic power. Oil, China and Auto Parts Push Trade Deficit Up
Prof. Peter Morici - 8/16/2007
Today, the Commerce Department reported the June deficit on trade in goods and services was $58.1 billion. This was down from the $59.2 billion deficit in May but was still about 5.1 percent of GDP. This was lower than expected. The consensus forecast was $61.0 billion. Walking on Eggs: Bigfoot and Trans-Atlantic Paralysis
Nicholas M. Guariglia - 8/16/2007
Can a keen political advisor or at least a loving God help Canadian MP Mike Lake for his probable derangement? The youthful parliamentarian has been working closely with his Edmonton constituents to make it Canadian law, as in passed by the House of Commons, to “establish immediate, comprehensive legislation to affect immediate protection of Bigfoot.” You are not reading that decree incorrectly, nor would it be inaccurate to say former French presidential candidate Segolene Royal –– of the socialist league –– enjoyed playing to the most conspiratorial neo-Marxist hooey base of French politics during her losing bid. Education With The Right Direction
Dr. Ravindra Kumar - 8/15/2007
What I understand the education with right direction, of course of the imagination of Mahatma Gandhi too, and on which I have emphasized time-to-time in India and abroad, is a process containing four kind of learning. It may be called complete education also, and through it, as I believe the real objective of education can be fulfilled. In it, apart from general education that is imparted according to the syllabus fixed to the purpose at different level, there is a provision of physical, moral and technical learning. Where Can Newsroom Editors Turn For International Grassroots Reporting?
Angelique van Engelen - 8/15/2007
This month, significant developments have taken place in citizen journalism. There’s no longer any doubt that audience participation is maturing; citizen reporting is on its way to become part and parcel of the established media. Handsome amounts of cash are being paid for platforms gathering reports by mere mortals who relay first hand experiences of events to the world. Associated Content landed $10 million in financing earlier this month from Canaan Partners. At the same time, NowPublic raked in $10.6 million Rho Ventures. So what are winning strategies for newsroom editors in dealing with the citizen platforms? Would You Chew The Meat Of Cloned Animals?
Angelique van Engelen - 8/13/2007
It is estimated that by the year 2010 Americans and Europeans will be eating the meat of cloned cows and drinking their milk. By the end of this year, US regulators will decide whether to allow cloned animals from entering the food chain and the EU is studying the issue at this moment. Experts say the decision is not going to be without consequences. In the EU, the public is largely ignorant of what is going on. Unlike in the US, where consumers are ganging up against it. Regulate the Internet!
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 8/13/2007
With the advent of Web 2.0 and UGC (User-generated Content), the Internet has completed its transformation into an anarchic and lawless ochlocracy (mob-rule). The Internet is a mass medium and like all media it must be regulated. The laws that apply offline must and, in due time, as legislators are exposed to the less savory aspects of the Web, will apply online. Tancredo's Call To Bomb Muslim Holy Sites Promotes Anti-Americanism
Ahmad Al-Akhras, Ph.D. - 8/12/2007
It was shocking to hear presidential candidate Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO) call for the bombing of Muslim holy sites as a deterrent to terrorist attacks on our nation and that is part of his “presidential anti-terror package.” When reported overseas, such bigoted words can contribute to anti-Americanism, endangering American’s and providing Al-Qaeda and its ilk with a tool to recruit support and raise funds. Hedge Funds, Private Equity Funds and Stock Markets
Prof. Peter Morici - 8/11/2007
The recent market meltdown had much less to do with bad subprime loans than advertised. It was caused more fundamentally by excesses at hedge and private equity funds. Appearance is Everything
Jonathan Spyer, Ph.D. - 8/9/2007
US Secretary of State Condolleeza Rice has now completed her four day trip to the Middle East. Dr. Rice was evidently well-pleased at what she found, describing herself as "impressed by the seriousness of (Olmert and Abbas) to really advance this two state solution." A number of commentators have remarked on the similarity between the current moment and the days of the Oslo peace process. A notable difference, however, is that during Oslo one had the sense that the protagonists, or at least some of them, really believed they were on the way to making peace in the Middle East. This time around, the whole thing has a strained, slightly unreal sense to it. What lies behind this? America Alone
Stephen W. Browne - 8/8/2007
I tend to be skeptical about disaster scenarios based on statistical reasoning. Firstly, I'm old enough to remember when the fashionable disasters were the Next Ice Age, one-square-meter-per-person overpopulation, and famine deaths in the billions - the latter set to arrive without fail in 1980. Fashion disaster accessories included exhaustion of natural resources and the extinction of blondes by the year 2000. Robert Nardelli and Chrysler
Prof. Peter Morici - 8/7/2007
Yesterday Ceberus shoved aside Thomas LaSorda to name Robert Nardelli CEO of Chrysler. One wonders why. As things currently stand, the North American automobile industry is losing money. Toyota earns about $1200 a car and the Detroit Three lose more than that. Overall, the Big Six--GM, Ford, Chrysler, Toyota, Nissan, and Honda--have trouble turning a profit. AEYRheads In American Academia
Stephen W. Browne - 8/6/2007
Until I came back from Eastern Europe I hadn’t often had to put up with a certain kind of person that infests the universities and intellectual circles of America and Western Europe. I refer to the kind of "progressive" intellectual I call the Achingly Earnest Young Radical, or AYERhead for short. You know the kind I mean, the ignorant, arrogant know-it-all little twerps who revel in their superior insight at having discerned the true patterns of history, the ulterior designs and the true motives of the rapacious ruling class. America’s Lopsided Foreign Policy
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 8/6/2007
A foreign policy crisis has loomed in America. And what should the president intrude? What he should do to mend all his mistakes and in next several months build a new foreign policy model, one that could help him earn a distinguished place in the history books. Economy Adds 92,000 Jobs in July
Prof. Peter Morici - 8/5/2007
Friday, the Labor Department reported the economy added 92,000 payroll jobs in July, down from 126,000 in June. The consensus forecast was 135,000. United States Caught in an Abusive Relation With Mullahs
Prof. Kazem Kazerounian - 8/5/2007
The dynamics of the relation between the United States and the Iran's mullahs resembles that of an abused wife and the batterer husband. Domestic violence comes as a form of bullying, as a means that is easier than other methods. There are different reasons why spouses stay in physically abusive marriages. Some women stay because they fear the community's reaction, some hope that their husbands will change, some stay out of fear of the husband's violent reaction, some stay because of low-esteem, and some stay because they can't find a way out. United States must find a way out of this dishonorable cycle. Un-American Intimidation Tactics Will Not Silence Muslims
Ahmad Al-Akhras, Ph.D. - 8/4/2007
In the short yet painful period of Senator Joseph McCarthy’s prominence, he accused people who disagreed with his views of being Communists and many were ostracized in society. People became afraid to challenge him, fearing for their reputations and livelihoods. McCarthy’s relentlessly overreaching tactics included investigating various governmental agencies, universities, and even the United Nations. He routinely coerced individuals and institutions to march to his orders or else suffer the consequences. Ethno-Politics Poison Canadian Democracy
Naresh Raghubeer and David Harris - 8/4/2007
Last week, Ontario Auditor-General Jim McCarter reported that the province's Immigration and Citizenship Ministry has been dispensing millions of dollars in grants to ethnic groups under a process that is "not open, transparent or accountable." In many cases, groups got money simply because their members were chummy with ministry insiders. "In essence, the decisions behind 'who got what' were often based on conversations, not applications," Mr. McCarter concluded. U.S. Dollar Keeps Falling
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 8/3/2007
An economist, it has been said, is an expert who will know tomorrow why the things he predicted yesterday did not happen today. This is especially true of currency forecasting too. Over the past couple of years economists have repeatedly forecast that the dollar would strengthen against the other main currencies. They have been wrong. Pro-Ayatollah Disinformation and Manipulation Campaign by Washington Think Tankers
Hassan Daioleslam - 8/3/2007
The policy of United States on Iran over the past decade has been amalgamated with confusion and shortsightedness. This is not accidental. A key factor in shaping this policy has been a disinformation campaign by the pro-Iranian circles. A leading champion of this propaganda crusade is the Council for Foreign Relations (CFR) and Dr. Ray Takeyh. Dr. Takeyh is a senior fellow at CFR and has testified frequently at various congressional committees and has appeared in numerous media venues. Takeyh until early 2000s was an ardent opponent of engagement with Iran but surprisingly became a strong adv... The Role of Politicians
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 8/3/2007
It is a common error to assume that the politician's role is to create jobs, encourage economic activity, enhance the welfare and well-being of his subjects, preserve the territorial integrity of his country, and fulfill a host of other functions. Bush And Abdullah Chew Over The Bones Of Palestine
David Singer - 8/2/2007
US President George W. Bush held talks at the White House at a hastily arranged private dinner on Tuesday with Jordan's King Abdullah II to discuss major regional issues - with no joint public appearances afterwards. The Los Angeles Times And Its Naivete of Bias
Prof. Barry Rubin - 8/2/2007
What is really amazing about something like this Los Angeles Times editorial (see below) is that those writing it don't have the least consciousness of the fact that in Arab and Palestinian media, books, politics, etc., there is not the slightest acknowledgement to anything Israelis and Jews say, feel, or have experienced is acknowledged in any way. In other words, they and others demand that Israel be completely balanced--and criticize anything that appears not to be--while not demanding anything of the other side. I might add that I am not opposed to a passage being put in Israeli textbooks saying that the Arabs consider the creation of Israel a disaster for themselves. Ron Paulism: Moral and Intellectual Confusion
Nicholas M. Guariglia - 8/1/2007
There has been much brouhaha over the quarrel between Rudy Giuliani and Ron Paul which occurred during a recent candidates debate. The topic turned to the overriding issue of transnational terrorism, where Mr. Paul went unfettered: “Have you ever read about the reasons they attacked us? They attack us because we’ve been over there… I’m suggesting that we listen to the people that attacked us and the reason they did it. And they are delighted that we’re over there…” Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Political Correctness
Prof. Barry Rubin - 7/30/2007
News item: The Iranian establishment daily Kayhan, July 26, 2007, criticized officials there for allowing the sale of the new Harry Potter book, claiming the series is a Zionist project in order to disrupt the minds of young people. A Sino-American Turf Battle In Pakistan?
Ahmed Quraishi - 7/30/2007
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan—An anti-American Islamic fanatic is arrested in Afghanistan, flown to Guantanamo Bay and then released back to Afghan authorities. He’s supposedly seething with anti-Americanism. But after crossing the border and returning to Pakistan, his first mission is to kidnap and kill a Chinese engineer. Fed Policy and Interest Rate Outlook: Fed target unchanged through November
Prof. Peter Morici - 7/29/2007
Treasuries are currently overbought. The long end of the Treasury yield curve will rise as the subprime scare subsides, freeing up additional cash for solid mortgages and enterprises with sound business plans. The ten-year Treasury rate should rise through the balance of the third quarter. Look for something above 5.10. Treasury long rates are artificially suppressed by the subprime scare. This may be a good time to move high quality corporate and municipal debt, and for investors to move from Treasuries to lower grade, but investment quality corporate debt. Second Quarter GDP Increases 3.4 Percent
Prof. Peter Morici - 7/28/2007
Yesterday, the Commerce Department reported that GDP grew at a 3.4 percent annual rate in the second quarter of 2007, up from 0.6 percent in the first quarter. This exceeded the consensus, which was 3.2 percent. Don't Blink: Interview with Jeff Harrow
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 7/28/2007
Jeff Harrow is the author and editor of the Web-based multimedia "Harrow Technology Report" journal and Webcast, available at www.TheHarrowGroup.com. He also co-authored the book "The Disappearance of Telecommunications". For more than seventeen years, beginning with "The Rapidly Changing Face of Computing", the Web's first and longest-running weekly multimedia technology journal, he has shared with people across the globe his fascination with technology and his sense of wonder at the innovations and trends of contemporary computing and the growing number of technologies that drive them. Jeff ... Is E-Voting the Next Wonder of the World?
Naseem Javed - 7/27/2007
With over 90 million e-votes, the global populace just reconfirmed the new Seven Wonders of the World and also introduced a new global E-Vote democracy. Two things: Firstly, untraceable e-votes can easily dominate the media and public perception, suggesting that even modern structures can sometimes replace the ancient wonders of the world. Second, the abundance of new global issues on the horizon makes the e-voting process a highly attractive method to suppress public opinion by camouflaging it with massive untraceable pulsating loads. Stop Telling Us To Stop Reinventing The Wheel
Michael Hart - 7/26/2007
I'm tired of people complaining about other people reinventing whatever wheel happens to be theirs in the one sense and they want it to be theirs in all the possible senses, including outright ownership. Nobody owns the wheel. It can be, and has been, reinvented over countless years and countless times, and we can benefit a countless number of times in our lifetimes. As a result there are plenty of wheels for numbers of jobs in the thousands or tens of thousands. The Universal Intuitive Interface
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 7/26/2007
The history of technology is the history of interfaces - their successes and failures. The GUI (the Graphic User Interface) - which replaced cumbersome and unwieldy ttext-based interfaces (DOS) - became an integral part of the astounding success of the PC. Obama, Sex Ed And The Forgotten Constitution
Ross Kaminsky - 7/24/2007
Much has been made in recent hours about Senator Barack Obama’s call for sex education for kindergarteners which he made at a Planned Parenthood event on Tuesday. But of the several notable position statements made by Obama during his presentation, that was probably the least objectionable. Western Civilization and It's Discontents, Part 5
Stephen W. Browne - 7/24/2007
“Nowhere at present is there such a measureless loathing of their country by educated people as in America.” Interview: Peter Suber On Copyright Law and Free Online Scholarship
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 7/24/2007
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