Friday, November 27, 2015

The Peanut Gallery

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

1. The European Union was created out of a desire to end hostilities between European countries. There do not appear to be grey areas in Europe with regards to war or peace. So this time they decided on a peaceful strategy where the gold at the end of the rainbow would be economic prosperity for all. After 2008 that all went south and I think it is fair to say that Europe was in crisis long before the refugee influx had any influence. The stream of refugees heading to Europe from the Middle East is turning into a river. Islam is imploding and the strategy of turning Europe into the new homeland for muslims is taking shape. The EU policy of open borders (The Schenghen treaty) appears to be crumbling. COMMENT: Folks this can no longer be termed a simple crisis. This is the onset of a revolution. Watch the Euro currency for further indications.

2.Michael Lewitt, author of The Credit Strategist: Commodity prices are plunging, the dollar is powering higher, the yield curve is flattening, ObamaCare is collapsing, global trade is plummeting and terrorism is spreading across the globe. The high yield credit markets are sending distress signals and 10-year swap spreads are negative. Energy companies are going out of business faster than you can say “frack” and trillions of dollars of European bonds are again trading at negative interest rates. The world is drowning in more than $200 trillion of debt that can never be repaid while European and Japanese central bankers promise to print more money and the Federal Reserve is being dragged kicking-and-screaming into raising interest rates by a paltry 25 basis points. COMMENT: Somewhere along the line markets will begin to reflect this reality. Be careful.

3.The Canadian Liberal government will not meet its self-imposed Dec. 31 deadline to resettle 25,000 Syrian refugees in Canada. Instead, 10,000 will be transported to Canada by the end of 2015 and the rest will be resettled in the first two months of 2016.(If you believe that...good on you!) Priority for government refugees will be given to families, women at risk, members of sexual minorities and single men only if they are identified as members of an LGBT community. QUESTIONS: Is this not the definition of profiling? How will they identify Gay men or women at risk? How will they identify female suicide bombers in this privileged group? Will these poor people land up in Muslim ghettoes similar to those in Europe? How long will it take for Canadian Liberals to wake up and smell the coffee?

4.So Mister Looney Toons himself, Donald Trump saw thousands of arabs celebrating the 9/11 attacks in New Jersey. CNN is having a field day with Trump and his nonsense while ignoring the fact that Palestinians and arabs all over the Muslim world cheered the Paris attacks (Google it). QUESTION: Who is more delusional....Trump or CNN?

5.The Western media is aghast at what they have created and the cover up continues. Each time they discuss ISIS one gets the sense that they are terrified of this scum (and of course conveying this fear to their audience). Every atrocity committed by the savages is broadcast over and over thus spreading the ISIS message of fear and terror. Its also great for ratings and advertising. It's a scratch my back and I'll scratch yours type of thing. Strange bedfellows working hand in hand. Whatever happened to the good ol' Palestinian question and lambasting Israel? 

6. If anyone will take care of ISIS, it will be Putin and the Russians. They are not inhibited by the PC Obama style of warfare and (to boot), they have boots on the ground to supplement their other forces. Besides the Syrian army, there are now increasing numbers of Russian armed forces on the ground. COMMENT: If this French government hopes to have the slimmest possibility of survival come election time, they will have to adopt the Russian attitude to warfare.  

7. So the Turks thought they were sending a message to Putin by knocking down one of his planes. They say they warned the Russian plane ten times. According to most sources, the Russian plane was over Turkey for 17 seconds. Ten times? Stupid mistake. Russia has now suspended buying fruit and veggies from Turkey and is importing from Israel. On another note, there is excellent co-operation between the IAF and the the Russian air force. QUESTION: Does Israel see an alternative to Assad? I doubt it. So while Obama is pushing for elections in Syria (Elections...really?) he should be more worried about his legacy.

8.It is seldom that a large company in trouble can have a geopolitical effect. However this holds true for Volkswagen, the largest auto company in the world. Germany is Europe's engine, and its economy depends largely on its exports, which equal 45 percent of its gross domestic product. The automotive sector makes up 17 percent of Germany's exports, the highest portion from any single industry. Volkswagen's woes may expand to Germany's automotive sector, which may in turn expand to the German export machine, dimming the one bright light in Germany's plan for Europe — its own performance. COMMENT: Watch for contagion.


Feeling sorry for those who want you to feel sorry for them is like giving an alcoholic a gift certificate to a liquor store - Guy Finley