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With the extension of operation twist and and the inevitable QE3, continued volatility and devaluation of the USD is the in the near future. This uncertainty has caused other countries to seek other options for international trade than the reserve currency. Hong Kong recently announced the possibilities of de-pegging from the USD and now China is making deals to
President Obama has drawn comparisons to many leaders, however former Republican Vice President Dick Cheney is a comparison that’s hardly mentioned. Obama’s rhetoric on being independent of foreign oil is very similar to Cheney’s chant back in 2000 and now Obama is following Cheney’s exact blueprint for militaristic energy politics. The Asian Times explains: As
June 22, 2012 Minsk, Belarus More than two decades after the fall of the Soviet Union, the Iron Curtain is still alive and well in an often forgotten corner of Eastern Europe… albeit a kindler, gentler version. Belarus has been ruled by the same person, Alexandr Lukashenko, practically since its independence in the early 1990s. He
Over it’s history, Hong Kong has gone from a backwater trading port to one of the financial trade capitals of the world in a relatively short period of time. For over 30 years, Hong King’s currency has been pegged to the US dollar with hope that the reserve currency would bring monetary stability.
America has a rich history of immigration, especially with the far east. Asians have been immigrating to the US since the 19th century and have been met with staunch resistence like the Chinese Exclusion Act. Recent statistics show a rise in Asian immigration, but instead of unskilled labor, they tend to be educated and highly
As one of the BRIC nations with investment grade status, Russia has the recourses and potential to be a very intriguing prospect. Since the resurgence of Vladimir Putin, the President has been constantly professing economic reform rhetoric however both international and domestic critics are extremely skeptical about how much change Putin will truly bring about.
Whether it was Xerxes recruiting defeated soldiers from across his empire or the British hiring Hessian mercenaries against the American colonists, privatized militaries have a long history of use. Today private security forces like Blackwater have made serious headlines but recently privat security has also been expanding into general policing. In an effort to reduce costs
The American entitlement system has grown immensely since the founding of the country. Only 53% of Americans pay federal income tax and the amount of people on food stamps have hit record highs. Many critics of the welfare state believe that it is heavily abused and does little to actually reduce poverty. Business Insider reports on
As currencies fluctuate in value, importers are always looking for cheaper markets to purchase commodities from. Recently there has been a global trend of increasing food prices, however, with the devaluation of the Real, Brazil is quickly picking up market share as a leading exporter of corn. Business Week analyzes the implications of this market shift
If you live in the US, it can often be difficult to get an outside perspective on how the international community views American policies and politicians. When Obama was first elected, many believed that his Presidency would lead to a more respected America within the international community. However, due to extremely hawkish tendencies
There has been a continuously growing movement to implement international identifications and a more centralized system of tracking people. Politicians have stated that measures like face-recognition databases and iris scans make the world a safer place. However recent studies on global policies in place, strongly invalidate the current effectiveness of these precautions. The Electronic Frontier
With the recent approval of drone use within the US and the crashing of a drone in Maryland, many citizens are cautiously looking up at the sky to spot a roaming Predator. The newest drones however are not the UAVs we’re accustomed to seeing. In a breakthrough straight out of a science fiction novel,
Mining ventures have been extremely popular investments in China, however officials have recently revealed that their vast rare metal reserves are depleting. Most of these metals were being used to make high-tech electronics however a shortage would cause global price increases. Investment opportunity in this area is on the decline but could result in
June 20, 2012 Vilnius, Lithuania One of the things that’s really unique about this part of the world is having access to so many people with first-hand experience of living under Soviet rule. It’s a bizarre thing to say, but the stories they have to tell are extraordinary. Last night I had dinner with some friends,
Many democrats are quick to draw comparisons between President Obama and Abraham Lincoln’s civil rights impact, however there are also some very negative similarities between their presidencies. Prior to Lincoln’s first term in office, the executive branch had very little authority and most of the power was designated to the legislative branch. Lincoln is often
