The Peanut Gallery

Statements, comments and forecasts that have no substance, but just might turn out to be relevant

1.The US consumer price index, gained 0.4 percent in August when including volatile food and energy prices, after an increase of 0.5 percent in July. The so-called core CPI, though, gained 0.2 percent, which was in line with expectations. Consumers paid more for a range of goods and services last month, pushing up inflation and squeezing Americans' purchasing power. Compared to a year earlier, prices rose by 3.8%. PG: The so-called core rate is total nonsense. It does not include food and energy prices. What a sham. Another bill of goods.

2. James Dines:The United States will either be forced out of the Middle East, or quit it voluntarily in order to harmonize with the brand-new phenomenon of a suddenly frugal America. Sensing America’s departure, Turkey is already asserting leadership in the region. PG: Correction! Turkey is trying to assert leadership. The Sunni arab world (Turks are not arabs) probably trusts Israel more than they would the Erdogan hot air ballon. 

3.They say there is a thin line between self-esteem and arrogance. Turkish leader, Erdogan seems to have lost all sense of reality. The man has the gumption to visit Egypt and explain to them why they need his advice on Israel. The Egyptians barely hid their contempt for this non-arab Turk, attempting to replace Egypt as leader of the Arabs. They informed him they would not recall the Egyptian ambassador to Israel. They then refused him permission to visit Gaza. Edogan's speech in Cairo to the arab world was not televised and his visit to Tahrir square was cancelled. With tail between his legs he moved on to Tunisia.

4. EU-candidate Turkey will freeze relations with the European Union if Cyprus is given the EU presidency in 2012, Deputy Prime Minister Besir Atalay was quoted as saying by state-run news agency Anatolian late on Saturday. PG: Everone must be shaking in their boots. The Turkish leadership appears to be ignorant of how ridiculous their behaviour is construed.

5.The Palestinian attempt for membership of the UN, quite frankly is turning into a farce. So what is really going on here? It appears that this is nothing less than a leadership squabble between Haniyeh of Hamas who is opposed to the attempt, and the Palestinian Authority led by Abbas. Haniyeh: "No leadership has the right to toy with the Palestinians' rights or serve up concessions," he said. Haniyeh also criticized the PA for deciding to turn to the UN without holding consultations with the Palestinian factions first, noting this went against the Palestinian reconciliation agreement. PG:So at least 50% of palestinians do not support the move, and 100% do not recognise Israel as a Jewish State. The UN has become quite the parody.

6. The Palestinian envoy to the US says that the new Palestinian State will not allow Jews to reside. It will be "Jew-free". Last time the Jewish people heard that, it was in German "Judenrein" (Cleansed of Jews). PG:Anybody hear this in the left wing media? Doubt it. Imagine if Israel demanded all its muslim citizens leave.... Forget about a Palestinian State, regardless of what happens at the UN. Its what happens on the ground that matters. As long as the palestinian arabs do not recognise Israel as a Jewish state, its all UN lip service.

7.Emmanuel Navon: The mounting diplomatic tension over the upcoming UN vote on Palestinian statehood is somewhat puzzling since this vote already took place twice. On December 15, 1988, the UN General Assembly passed a resolution with an overwhelming majority (104 in favor, 2 against, and 36 abstentions) calling for the establishment of a Palestinian state on the entire West Bank and Gaza Strip. The General Assembly passed a similar resolution on December 18, 2008. The new resolution expected to pass in the General Assembly will thus be redundant. It will also be irrelevant since General Assembly resolutions are not binding in international law. PG: The move in the security council will either be defeated or vetoed. We believe that the palestinians are not as popular as they once were.

8.President Obama's approval rating has dropped to 41%. A drop to 35% would point to a crumbling of his base. So forget any foreign policy initiatives from the president. He will be focused on shoring up his base and concentrating on staes that are critical to his re-election. Finally, Obama has realised that it all boils down to jobs. Possibly too little, too late. PG: Unfortunately, the world continues to spin and nobody will be putting their plans on hold while Obama tries to put his election house in order.

9.In one century, world population has jumped sevenfold to 7 billion. How does this happen. One explanation is that the average age of  the populations has incresed from about sixty to eighty years old in the developed countries, and from 40 to 65 years of age in the developing countries. So while more babies were being born, less folks were passing away. this might also be one of the reasons social security and medicaid find themselves with financial problems.

10.There is a misconception that the US days as a power are numbered. The peanut gallery hates to put a damper on the party, but the US is still, by far the world's largest economic and military power. Living in africa, one learns that the most dangerous animal is a wounded one. Some friendly and free advice to those celebrating....don't drink too much.

There is no education like adversity - Benjamin Disraeli