Below you will find the complete text with my comments in bold:
We’ll have some fun doing it since I have sworn off Canada and its inferior governments; just international issues of import for us now. The same approach for 2017, with no elections forthcoming, things will stay the same for our Canada...in other words 'abysmal'
In no particular order, following are my predictions on a number of international fronts:
1. Oil will begin to recover over the course of the year’s second half (i.e. up to $50 per bar); it cannot go much lower and because low oil costs will eventually spur international markets which in turn will increase demand for the black gold; Good one... oil has risen significantly over this year and currently hovers in the low $50 dollar range.
2. Speaking of Gold, it too will recover since the Western World continues to spend far too much – going further and further into debt while at the same time quite enamored with monetary easing – that is to say – the printing of money without a corresponding rise in GDP to support it; Not as good although the price did go up but only by a hundred dollars or so per oz. The day of reckoning has only been postponed...
3. Obama will continue his descent in the polls as more and more Americans come to the realization that he is a Charlatan; Big miss. Obama's personal approval ratings held although approval for the job he did fell. One of the great mysterys of our time. Bottom-line though ...I blew it.
4. Trump will finally fade out and Marco Rubio will win the Republican nod; Another miss though I am in good company.
5. Hillary will take the Democratic crown assuming that she is not charged criminally for her cavalier treatment of top secret Government Emails. (It is unlikely she will be charged but that is not to say – she should not be. If it was you or me – you can bet charges would be laid); Got that one correct but no big deal since there were only a handful of Dems running for the roses.
6. So who will win the US November Presidential Election? … you will have to await the end of this;
7. Russians head for the polls in September to elect their DUMA – (Parliament) at which time Putin’s party will make substantive gains given his high personal popularity. Shows you what military aggression can do for one’s popularity; It did.. in fact his party received a 'Super Majority'
8. Angela Merkel will see her popularity continue to decline due to the way she has handled the refugee situation – that is to say, Germans believe too many refugees are being admitted to their country. Her re-election in 2017 is very much in jeopardy; Her numbers as predicted declined over 2016 and more on this when I do my predictions for 2017. A hint though ...'she is toast'.
9. NATO will keep Putin / the Russians in check along the Eastern European Border; Again I am correct - finally 2016 saw NATO come to life. Too bad it did not entrench itself into the Middle East too.
10. He will continue to be active in the Middle East in support of Bashar al Assad thereby helping to ensure continued turmoil in that part of the world; Right again. al Assad is back in total control of his country thanks to his main man ...Vladd Putin.
11. ISIS will finally be pushed off the lands they now hold in Syria and Iraq. The combination of air strikes and ground troop action is beginning to take a heavy toll on them which they will not be able to withstand much longer; Another win for me. Realize at the time of writing the so-called experts were saying that ISIS could not be defeated without US boots on the ground. It was nonsense. Sadly though, ISIS and their Ilk are not through yet.... await my 2017 predictions.
12. ISIS will though be replaced by numerous other Islamic Extremist Groups throughout the Middle East and Many Parts of Africa. True peace will have to await the time of moderate Muslims taking control and that dear reader will not happen over the course of this New Year. It means that Islamic Terrorist Attacks will continue unabated throughout the World; See my comments in #11.
13. Even more problematic for the Muslim Countries is the fact that relations between their two major factions - the Sunnis and the Shiites, is breaking down. This deterioration will continue over 2016 and if not brought under control over the next few years will have very grave consequences for that part of the world; We are seeing the signs of this more and more. With the Russia, Iran, and Syria Axis (ie supporters of Shittes) it is a matter of time before there is all out conflict with the Sunnis. That dear reader will be the fight of the century.
14. An important aspect of this risk is the fact that Iran has been given clearance by the United States to complete the building of its atomic bomb. It is hard to imagine that Israel and now Saudi Arabia will sit back and let that happen but I do not see any action on their part against Iran in 2016. Saudi Arabia will though focus on arming itself as it now realizes it cannot depend upon Uncle Sam or should I say Uncle Barack; All these latter predictions are inter-related and they are all truisms. I have said on numerous occasions that the biggest danger for the middle east is Iran and sadly it has not only been Putin's Russia lending them a helping hand but also the little guy in the White House. I don't even think as of today he realizes the mess he has made of things. History will not be kind to him.
15. In many respects, 2016 will appear like 2015 and 2014 before it; Boy I got that one wrong...2016 was far worse.
16. And the winner is …. Marco Rubio. Another miss...but again I was in good company since I cannot recall anyone at the beginning of 2016 predicting a win for The Donald. If nothing else he will make the coming 2017 and the following 3 years most interesting.
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All and all I don't think I did too bad. I will get my predictions for 2017 out to you over the next few days. In the meantime, Happy New Year.
'K.D. Galagher'
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All and all I don't think I did too bad. I will get my predictions for 2017 out to you over the next few days. In the meantime, Happy New Year.
'K.D. Galagher'
