The Peanut Gallery

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

1.Its Europe, Greece and Europe. Thats all we hear in the marketplace these days. How about this for a REAL reason for a crisis? CNBC: China Warns of Trade War if U.S. Bill on Yuan Passes. An angry China warned Washington on Tuesday that passage of a bill aimed at forcing Beijing to let its currency rise could lead to a trade war between the world's top two economies. PG: Really not the time or place. The height of stupidity. Probably worse than the timing of Obama's Health Plan and a good reason to run for the stock market bomb shelters.... www.cnbc.com/id/44766724

2.A trade war might be the height of stupidity, but US pressure to revalue the Chinese currency is the height of hypocrisy. For at least four decades The US has systematically been borrowing from China and other countries and repaying that debt with devalued dollars. Now that the borrowing has ballooned out of control, they want to repay the debt with even cheaper dollars.....What a scam!

3.Honest Reporting Canada: In comments eerily reminiscent of Libby Davies of the NDP and Helen Thomas, formerly of Hearst News Service, Linda Sobeh Ali, the Charge D'Affaires for the Palestinian General Delegation to Canada, claimed in an interview on CBC Radio's "The Current" news program yesterday that Israel has been occupying territories since 1948, the year Israel declared its independence. In doing so, Ms. Sobeh Ali has essentially claimed that Israel has no right to exist. PG: This is continued confirmation that there never was a two-state option on the table.

4.The distance between arrogance and comeuppance sometimes can be rather short. Turkey's so-called economic boom was financed by massive short term loans, to the point where bank credit has ballooned out of control and the budget deficit is more than 10% of GDP. This credit bubble was used to finance the consumption party leading to Erdogan's recent election victory. PG: Even Advil will not fix this hangover. We are unashamed to admit that we will enjoy watching this one.

5.There is an old saying that it is easy to start a war, not so easy to finish it and it never goes as planned. The Cypriot government has to decided to search for gas in the Mediterranean, joint venturing with companies operating out of Israel. This prompted a threat from Turkey to use military force to prevent this. PG: This drop in the ocean could easily turn into a tsunami. Already Moscow has sent submarines in solidarity with Cyprus.

6.Iranian Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani is currently on trial in Rasht, Iran. He has appeared in court three times this week and each time has refused to renounce his faith when asked to do so by the court. If he does not recant his Christian faith, he could be executed at any time (on or after Thursday, September 29). The 11th branch of Iran's Gilan Provincial Court has determined that Nadarkhani has Islamic ancestry and therefore must recant his faith in Jesus Christ. PG: The far left, for all their intelligence, still haven't worked it out. Whatever their beliefs, they are still infidels as far as Islam is concerned.

7.NY Mayor Bloomberg on Immigration and a border fence: "Bottom line, Perry is right and Romney is wrong." Perry is in favour of integrating illegals into the system, and states categorically that a fence is is not a viable solution to prevent illegal immigration. PG: Totally agree with Perry. Ask the Israeli's about fences in the Sinai and Rafiah (never mind Arizona and Texas). Obviously many Americans prefer to delude themselves judging by some of the reactions.

8. In a blunt assessment made as he was traveling to Israel, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta warned Sunday that Israel is becoming increasingly isolated in the Middle East, and said Israeli leaders must restart negotiations with the Palestinians and work to restore relations with Egypt and Turkey. PG: Try this for "blunt", Mr. Panetta. When you were head of the CIA, your organization advised Obama NOT to throw Mubarak under the bus. Further, you are well aware that the palestinians have no intentention of honouring a 2 state solution with Israel. That this is just another political tactic to weaken the Jewish state. Even the lowly echelons at the CIA are aware of this. Welcome to politics....

You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves - Abraham Lincoln