America Fails the 'Rule of Law' Test … The U.S. doesn't even come close to meeting the standards articulated by its own army. Why isn't establishment Washington alarmed? … The U.S. Army field manual defines "the rule of law" as follows: "The rule of law refers to a principle of governance in which all persons, institutions and entities, public and private...Read More
Americans have lost out on $6.6 trillion … The inability to maintain 2000-level prosperity has cost us all … Why are so many Americans feeling squeezed economically even as the economy expands at an accelerating pace? … So what's missing? … The answer lies in a very large sum of missing money – about $6.6 trillion by my count – over the first 12 years of thi...Read More
The 113th Congress is historically good at not passing bills … With its August recess imminent and midterm elections following soon after, it's regularly assumed that Congress is done for the year. And, therefore, the 113th Congress, barring a legislative miracle, will soon officially be the least productive ever. – Washington PostDominant Social Theme: Congress needs to do more, n...Read More
Americans have lost out on $6.6 trillion … The inability to maintain 2000-level prosperity has cost us all … Why are so many Americans feeling squeezed economically even as the economy expands at an accelerating pace? … So what's missing? … The answer lies in a very large sum of missing money – about $6.6 trillion by my count – over the first 12 years of thi...Read More
The 113th Congress is historically good at not passing bills … With its August recess imminent and midterm elections following soon after, it's regularly assumed that Congress is done for the year. And, therefore, the 113th Congress, barring a legislative miracle, will soon officially be the least productive ever. – Washington PostDominant Social Theme: Congress needs to do more, n...Read More
China says it's up to US to drive global economy … China's finance minister said Wednesday that the country is not planning any new stimulus measures and it is up to the United States to drive the global economy. Lou Jiwei said that leaders are satisfied with the country's economic performance so far this year and that in the first five months China had created up to 6 million jo...Read More
Fossil industry is the subprime danger of this cycle … The cumulative blitz on energy exploration and production over the past six years has been $5.4 trillion, yet little has come of it … Oil and gas investment in the US has soared to $200bn a year … The epicentre of irrational behaviour across global markets has moved to the fossil fuel complex of oil, gas and coal. This is whe...Read More
China says it's up to US to drive global economy … China's finance minister said Wednesday that the country is not planning any new stimulus measures and it is up to the United States to drive the global economy. Lou Jiwei said that leaders are satisfied with the country's economic performance so far this year and that in the first five months China had created up to 6 million jo...Read More
Fossil industry is the subprime danger of this cycle … The cumulative blitz on energy exploration and production over the past six years has been $5.4 trillion, yet little has come of it … Oil and gas investment in the US has soared to $200bn a year … The epicentre of irrational behaviour across global markets has moved to the fossil fuel complex of oil, gas and coal. This is whe...Read More
HMRC raid on bank accounts goes against Magna Carta, say MPs … MPs say they are "horrified" by the tax authorities' plans to dip into the personal bank accounts of 17,000 "recalcitrant debtors". HMRC says it needs the powers to stop people "gaming the system". Lin Homer, chief executive of HMRC, wants powers to raid the personal bank accounts of "recalc...Read More
Why Music Is Dying … Taylor Swift, the seven-time Grammy winner, is known for her articulate lyrics, so there was nothing surprising about her writing a long column for the Wall Street Journal about the future of the music industry. Yet there's reason to doubt the optimism of what she had to say. "This moment in music is so exciting because the creative avenues an artist can explore...Read More
HMRC raid on bank accounts goes against Magna Carta, say MPs … MPs say they are "horrified" by the tax authorities' plans to dip into the personal bank accounts of 17,000 "recalcitrant debtors". HMRC says it needs the powers to stop people "gaming the system". Lin Homer, chief executive of HMRC, wants powers to raid the personal bank accounts of "recalc...Read More
Why Music Is Dying … Taylor Swift, the seven-time Grammy winner, is known for her articulate lyrics, so there was nothing surprising about her writing a long column for the Wall Street Journal about the future of the music industry. Yet there's reason to doubt the optimism of what she had to say. "This moment in music is so exciting because the creative avenues an artist can explore...Read More
Matteo Renzi is on a roll. The Italian prime minister is a brilliant politician. His youthful dynamism has bought him time with his people, the markets and the European Union to carry out the immense job of reforming Italy. But he has yet to show he can execute. He now needs to, because even his time will run out. Renzi has had a good four months in the job after he pushed aside his predecessor En...Read More
BBC admonished for giving climate change deniers equal air time … BBC journalists are being schooled in how to cover science. A progress report from an independent body, the BBC Trust, says Britain's public broadcasting service shouldn't be giving equal air time to climate change deniers and others on the scientific fringe. The report found the BBC remains prone to "over-rigid a...Read More
Matteo Renzi is on a roll. The Italian prime minister is a brilliant politician. His youthful dynamism has bought him time with his people, the markets and the European Union to carry out the immense job of reforming Italy. But he has yet to show he can execute. He now needs to, because even his time will run out. Renzi has had a good four months in the job after he pushed aside his predecessor En...Read More
BBC admonished for giving climate change deniers equal air time … BBC journalists are being schooled in how to cover science. A progress report from an independent body, the BBC Trust, says Britain's public broadcasting service shouldn't be giving equal air time to climate change deniers and others on the scientific fringe. The report found the BBC remains prone to "over-rigid a...Read More
IMF's Lagarde hints at world growth forecast cut … Global economic activity should strengthen in the second half of the year and accelerate in 2015, although momentum could be weaker than expected, IMF chief Christine Lagarde said on Sunday, hinting at a slight cut in the Fund's growth forecasts. Lagarde said central banks' accommodative policies may have only limited impact on d...Read More
Feds to Bring in Riot Squad Against Illegal Immigration … As illegal immigrants continue to spill across the U.S.-Mexico border, federal authorities are attempting to relocate the migrants from South Texas to housing facilities in states across the nation. One such facility is located in Murrieta, California, where a large group of protesters recently blocked a bus full of migrants from arri...Read More
IMF's Lagarde hints at world growth forecast cut … Global economic activity should strengthen in the second half of the year and accelerate in 2015, although momentum could be weaker than expected, IMF chief Christine Lagarde said on Sunday, hinting at a slight cut in the Fund's growth forecasts. Lagarde said central banks' accommodative policies may have only limited impact on d...Read More