-- Posted Thursday, 7 August 2008 | Digg This Article
| Source: GoldSeek.com
Rick’s Picks
Thursday, August 7, 2008
“Phenomenally accurate forecasts”
Has planet Earth’s luck changed for the better? We rarely see evidence of good fortune operating at a civilizational level, but two events in the news earlier this week promise to benefit all mankind. The first story concerned the discovery by census takers of more than twice the number of lowland gorillas thought to inhabit the Republic of Congo. An earlier census of the region conducted in the 1980s concluded there were about 100,000 of these magnificent creatures remaining, but it was thought that at least half of them had died since then, victims of poachers and disease, particularly Ebola. However, the latest census determined that there may be as many as 125,000 lowland gorillas living in the Congo’s rain forests and swamps, and a previously unknown population of 6,000 was discovered in a remote swamp.
The story is so stunning because good news on the environmental front seems so rare in this day and age. We hear so very often about global warming and its harmful effects on the ecology, of mysterious bee die-offs, mutant frogs, dying coral reefs, species extinctions, and about the catastrophic whim of nature stirring up deadly forest fires, tidal waves and earthquakes. But the discovery of a robust population of lowland gorillas surely ranks among the best environmental news that has come to light in recent years.
A Turn Toward Peace in Iraq?
The other story concerned the decision by the antic-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr to disarm his Shiite militia, the Mahdi Army, in Iraq and to remake it as a social services organization. If he’s serious, and if he succeeds in getting militiamen to lay down their arms, it would represent a major breakthrough for peace in the region, effectively shutting down an insurgency that takes it orders from Iran. It would also help to further the stability of Iraq’s government and make it possible for U.S. troops to come home sooner than might have been expected.
No one in the Bush Administration was declaring victory this time, but the story, largely underplayed by the U.S. news media (except by the Wall Street Journal, which featured it above-the-fold on the front page), is the most encouraging news to come out of the Middle East since the U.S. became enmeshed in an unpopular and demoralizing war.
We don’t see any of this as having much bearing on the U.S. economy, but even so, it could add psychological buoyancy to a stock market that had already begun to celebrate the prospect of a downtrend, or perhaps even a collapse, in energy prices.
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Information and commentary contained herein comes from sources believed to be reliable, but this cannot be guaranteed. Past performance should not be construed as an indicator of future results, so let the buyer beware. Rick's Picks does not provide investment advice to individuals, nor act as an investment advisor, nor individually advocate the purchase or sale of any security or investment. From time to time, its editor may hold positions in issues referred to in this service, and he may alter or augment them at any time. Investments recommended herein should be made only after consulting with your investment advisor, and only after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company. Rick's Picks reserves the right to use e-mail endorsements and/or profit claims from its subscribers for marketing purposes. All names will be kept anonymous and only subscribers’ initials will be used unless express written permission has been granted to the contrary. All Contents © 2008, Rick Ackerman. All Rights Reserved. www.rickackerman.com
-- Posted Thursday, 7 August 2008 | Digg This Article | Source: GoldSeek.com
