A recently published report by the Conference Board of Canada, a not-for-profit economics and policy research organization, indicates that Canadians are spending more on their healthcare and getting less than most advanced nations. Canada spend more annually per capita on healthcare – $4100/person, or 10% of GDP – than all but three advanced nations, but […]
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Death By Trolley: The Wall Street Triple-Penetration
The Young Turks have ran a number of stories on how major investment banks have gamed the US and global economic systems. In the video presented below, they discuss how major investment bankers (e.g., Goldman Sachs) have effectively triple penetrated their investors and the global oil market, which affects all of us by driving up […]
Continue readingbastard.logic: Obama’s Citizenship & Race: Separated at Birth?
It never ceases to amaze me how eager some white liberals are to divorce race from political analysis when it comes to Obama. Bob Somerby of the Daily Howler (who seems to have settled nicely into his blogospheric role as … Continue reading →
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: The Treasury Transfer Effect – You Read It Here First
Munir Sheikh, former head of Statistics Canada and of tax policy at Finance Canada, has an op-ed in today’s Globe: “A Canada-U.S. tax gap means a Canada-U.S. tax transfer.” As he notes, “any U.S. citizen, resident or company earning income in Canada is subject to U.S. tax, with a credit for Canadian tax paid or […]
Continue readingWorld Headlines Review: China: Fear of its Rise is Fear of Ourselves
A recent Economist article, The dangers of a rising China, leads a 14 page report loosely discussing the dangers posed to the world by China’s eclipsing of the USA’s international economic and military order. The article attempts to draw parallels in the power-balance shift between Britain and Germany which led
Continue readingWorld Headlines Review: Switzerland: Swiss Franc -ly Under Attack
Separate reports this week in the Swiss newspaper Neue Zuericher Zeitung (NZZ) are highlighting the difficult choices Switzerland, and by extension other nations, are facing in the continued onslaught of effective currency devaluation by US and Eurozone officials. The Greenback and the Euro have fallen significantly against the Franc and
Continue readingWorld Headlines Review: Afghanistan: War, Power and Illusion
Canadian LAVs, Afghanistan, by isafmedia This week, Project Censored has released its annual list of top 25 censored news stories in a volume entitled Censored 2011: The Top Censored Stories of 2009-2010. An astounding article published by The Nation on November 11, 2009; How the US funds the Taliban, resurfaces
Continue readingWorld Headlines Review: Drones, Torture, Rendition: Democratic Values?
A Huffington Post column by Johann Hari summarizes certain revelations stemming from the leaked USG diplomatic cables by Wikileaks. The piece posits that Julian Assange’s efforts have made the world safer and are a boon to US National Security, that a better educated public with proof of government wrongdoings can
Continue readingWorld Headlines Review: Wikileaks: Misanthropy and the Spectre of Scrutiny
Amid the bluster surrounding the public release of 278 of 251,287 secret and confidential USG diplomatic cables by Wikileaks as of Monday November 29th; more telling as to the behaviour and thinking of governments and vested interests is the current reaction in the world media and of public officials, than
Continue readingWorld Headlines Review: East eats West?
This week’s Economist magazine’s headlining articles and cover-page, ‘Buying up the world- The coming wave of Chinese takeovers’ highlight the process and nature of foreign takeovers by Chinese firms. The piece offers surprisingly little discussion or speculation as to China’s deeper motivations and timing in its recent takeover bids for
Continue readingWorld Headlines Review: Seoul G20: Perplexing Conclusion, Clear Result
The conclusion of the most recent G20 summit in Seoul last Friday, hailed as a success for political reasons by attending politicians, was punctuated with the following agreed upon statement: “Uneven growth and widening imbalances are fueling the temptation to diverge from global solutions into uncoordinated action… uncoordinated policy actions
Continue readingbastard.logic: Israel & the Freedom Flotilla Assault: It’s All About the Gaza Blockade
by matttbastard Israel does it again. With one deadly commando raid of an aid flotilla bearing essential goods in violation of Israel’s (illegal) blockade of Gaza, the Israeli government has reasserted its expressed right to, essentially, defend its borders by … Continue reading →
Continue readingbastard.logic: Quote of the Day: Bartlett 1, Libertarianism 0.
by matttbastard As we know from history, the free market did not lead to a breakdown of segregation. Indeed, it got much worse, not just because it was enforced by law but because it was mandated by self-reinforcing societal pressure. … Continue reading →
Continue readingbastard.logic: Rand Paul Parties Like It’s 1964
by matttbastard Belated congratulations to newly-minted Kentucky GOP Senate candidate and latest Tea Party ubermensch of the moment Rand ‘Son of Ron’ Paul, for defeating the establishment candidate with Chuck Norris round-house kicks a well-fought insurgent primary campaign. Why, It’s enough to make … Continue reading →
Continue readingbastard.logic: Red Meat Straight Outta Ann Coulter’s Rider
by matttbastard No, just…no: Even before she opened her mouth for the first of three speeches this week on Canadian soil, American right-wing antagonist Ann Coulter had already scored a victory of sorts. Coulter, who spoke to an audience of … Continue reading →
Continue readingbastard.logic: Unintended Consequences, Redux
by matttbastard (Photo: Paul Keller, Flickr) Jane Mayer on the sudden prominence of ex-W speechwriter (and current Hiatt-approved pro-torture propagandist*) Marc Thiessen and why those who don’t pop wood for enhanced interrogation [sic] should be wary: The publication of “Courting Disaster” suggests that Obama’s avowed … Continue reading →
Continue readingbastard.logic: Burn, Hollywood, Burn
by matttbastard Salon knows the score – no Hollywood wingnut roundup is complete without giving mad props to alpha-wingnut Victoria Jackson: Again – no Hollywood wingnut roundup is complete without giving mad props to alpha-wingnut Victoria ”There’s A Communist Living in the White … Continue reading →
Continue readingbastard.logic: Bye Bayh, Mon Cowboy
by matttbastard Every Republican’s favourite soon-to-be retired moderate [sic] DINO gunslinger Evan Bayh refuses to quietly ride off into the sunset: “There’s just too much brain-dead partisanship, tactical maneuvering for short-term political advantage rather than focusing on the greater good, … Continue reading →
Continue readingbastard.logic: Choosy Moms Choose Teleprompter
by matttbastard Much like wealth redistribution, she was for it before she was against it. (Read Katrina vanden Heuvel on ‘Palinland’, and then try your goddamndest to not give Palin’s latest scorchingly stupid [yet unfortunately all-too-effective] PR offensive any more … Continue reading →
Continue readingbastard.logic: “Roger Ailes as Howard Hughes”?
by matttbastard Let’s hope the ugly SOB still clips his toenails. Seriously — producing daily crypto-fascistic dispatches carefully crafted to rile up the rubes while scoring mega ad rev? Understandable. Poor hygeine? Absolutely unforgivable. h/t Krugman (who, speaking of unforgivable … Continue reading →
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