The Peanut Gallery

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

1. Business Insider: Israeli officials cited in a Ynetnews report characterized the missile strike on Friday by the US, the UK, and France on suspected chemical weapons facilities in Syria as a failure. Multiple Israeli government and military sources suggested the strike was not effective in hurting Syria's ability to conduct chemical attacks. These officials also criticized President Donald Trump's talking about the strike beforehand. The latest strike most likely didn't change anything on the battlefield in Syria, and it's hard to know how much of the chemical weapons stockpile it hit. COMMENT: Another win! 

2.An overnight missile attack against weapons storage bases in Syria destroyed some 200 surface-to-surface rockets, a regional official told The New York Times Monday. The official, from the regional alliance of Iran, Syria, Iran and its proxy Lebanese terror group Hezbollah, said the strikes killed 16 people, including 11 Iranians. COMMENT: Note to Trump from the IDF...That's how it is done Mr Trump.

3.Ehud Yaari: Israel and Iran are on course for a collision in the near future. Indeed, a military clash that could expand well beyond Syrian territory appears almost inevitable. In particular, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) is determined to transform Syria into a platform for a future war against Israel, whereas leaders of the Jewish state have sworn to prevent what they often describe as the tightening of a noose around Israel’s neck. GPF: Tehran is facing resistance at home as well, most recently with strikes in Iranian Kurdistan, farmers striking in Isfahan added to Iran’s socio-economic problems – high unemployment, inflation in the price of certain staple products and currency depreciation. COMMENT: The disappointing expectation that Iranians had from the nuclear "deal" is feeding local unrest as Iran squanders economic advantages in Syria,Iraq,Lebanon and Yemen.

4. The James Comey book is out. He should have called it "The Last True American". For me, the fact that both the Democrats and Republicans are as mad as hell at him is an indicator that he is an honest broker. COMMENT: The GOP, who tries to brand Comey as a “leaker”, leaked his memos in less than 40 minutes.

5 .China’s main strategic challenge is that the US controls the seas. Geography means China’s imports and exports must traverse coastal bottlenecks the US could easily close if it wished. That’s intolerable if your goal is to be a superpower, and that’s definitely what Xi wants. One Belt, One Road is the answer. It will link the Eurasian land mass into a giant trading bloc with Europe at one end and China at the other. The project will open land routes the US cannot interdict, thereby letting China take what it feels is its rightful place of leadership. The scope is breathtaking, but Beijing is determined to make it happen. COMMENT: Add to that the "Made in China 2025" project and it is clear that China is initiating a serious economic challenge to the US.

6. Dr. Ian Bremmer: Last week was James Comey week here in the United States. The former FBI director came out swinging, announcing that Donald Trump isn't morally fit to be president. Note to Comey: 1) We knew that. 2) We elected him anyway. What does that say about the United States? That much of the electorate is morally unfit? If so, which part? The part that voted for Trump? The (larger) part that stayed home and didn't cast a ballot in the most important election in decades? The part that continued to vote for a bunch of establishment candidates who allowed the system to progress to the point where someone like Trump could actually be elected? COMMENT: Dr Bremmer recommends buying gold.

7. So Trump thinks he is taking on China in a Tariff war. In reality, he is actually taking on the whole world. For example, China is about to slap a tariff on US soybeans. Its as if Trump thinks that US soybeans are so delicious that the Chinese are desperate for "Made in the US" soybeans. Stratfor: Today, China is a major market for Brazil's soybean exports, which account for over 40 percent of its total exports to the Asian country. And because of Beijing's trade spat with the United States and ambitious infrastructure investments in Brazil, Brazilian soybean exports to China are poised to keep growing. COMMENT: Life is tough in the fast lane. And now Trump is talking about re-entry into TPP.

“Our great democracies still tend to think that a stupid man is more likely to be honest than a clever man, and our politicians take advantage of this prejudice by pretending to be even more stupid than nature made them.” ― Bertrand Russell

“He knows nothing; and he thinks he knows everything. That points clearly to a political career.” ― George Bernard Shaw

“Today's public figures can no longer write their own speeches or books, and there is some evidence that they can't read them either. ” ― Gore Vidal

“Go to heaven for the climate and hell for the company.” ― Benjamin Franklin Wade