Mìdéast unrest: About Hunger, Jobs and inflation·

[midwesterner (banned)]

Face of Mideast unrest: young and hungry for jobs



I think one point many are not seeing going on here is that though it's true that many are upset with government, but inflation in food prices has pushed them into revolution. The world financial situation has cause this Islamic revolution probably more so than the status quo they have lived with for years of repressive government. Hungry people, with inflation making food more expensive, doesn't take much for them to take to the streets. It's mostly about money. About 50% of the Egyptian populations lives on $2 dollars a day. Inflation would in food prices would break the poors budgets making them go hungry fast. There have been articles in past year about inflation causing much of a problem in Egypt before this happened.


news.yahoo.com/s/ap/ap_on_re_us/ml_anatomy_of_anger

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Just days before fleeing Tunisia, the embattled leader went on national television to promise 300,000 new jobs over two years.

Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak did much the same Saturday as riots gripped Cairo and other cities: offering more economic opportunities in a country where half the people live on less than $2 a day.

[neohguy]

I think a lot of this is youth getting fed up with cronyism that is primarily controlled by older generations. This does not mean young people have an axe to grind with older people. I see many older "main" street people also marching in these demonstrations. They are probably parents of these young people that are fed up with the current power structure robbing their kids and grand kids of opportunities.
I wish their was more of a movement in the US like we are seeing in Egypt. Imo, the US has many years to go yet before we see any meaningful youth movement here.

[vl]

Take TEN STEPS back. Wow... this unrest isn't so much about a lack of jobs and hunger as it is about an OLD SYSTEM completely detached from the reality of today. Taking money off-line and replacing it with currency is the key. If any economy works on cash flow and the one we're in is clogged by hoarder stacks, the riots are NOT geared to topple governments as much as they are about toppling OLD SYSTEM thinking and wealth manipulation.

Iceland-- CLOSED IT'S BANKS. There is still an Iceland. Know your jargon... an ivory tower is a spire of organized manipulation. Fewer humans controlling substantially the cash flow of some economy. Mushrooms or pancakes are flat and broad, employing upward to millions to make cash flow faster and with greater utilization. LOOK at where we are at... funding no-cash-flow out of incurred debt that is quickly absorbed into ivory towers. Where will this lead? War is the first guess... a SUB-ECONOMIC ROUTINE is the better one. Starving job-less people will create a new economy to meet their needs and detach from organized manipulation.
Look at it this way... you could all the Confederate dollars ever printed and be declared rich by the sum total in denominations. But Confederate dollars have no value recognition today so its not likely that power translates through them, no matter how much you own. That is where we are going with-- the US Dollar, NYSE stocks, any Bonds and ALL complex financial instruments. Adversely... certain types of food, clothing and shelter materials, components and items are the new commodities because "mushrooms" need them. Check your history. They cannot be overly manipulated because value diminishes with age (FIFO like wine, not LIFO like imported junk).

[vl]

"I think a lot of this is youth getting fed up with cronyism that is primarily controlled by older generations. This does not mean young people have an Axe to grind with older people."

Read more: notmsnmoney.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=moneytalk&thread=2642&page=1#ixzz1CcE60fJj

There's a "skip" generation to this. The revolting youth are aligning with the middle-aged unemployed and both the Christian and Muslim factions are families. The anger is pointed at the oldest who won't relinquish power, the mundane who won't quit jobs they have had too long and have no other lives, and the quasi-professional who take from the economy without equal re-contribution to it.
We have the identical composite here in America and lines are certainly taking form. I think the room light is shining on the GOP to oust it's cronies and phonies and determine where its a part of this same nation We the People live in, or it's packing for some other place. We need EVERY good common sense person to recover... political philosophies downplayed for another day. It is surely obvious that those with automatic cash streams aren't backing off. That means we will likely have no choice but to throw them off the wagon. Warm weather isn't that far away.
You can't buy soldiers when you foreclosed on their buddies' families while they were fighting your commercially-motivated war and terminated mom and dad's jobs so you could take a very unearned pay raise. You can't call a legal foul when you take pay from banks to throw people out of homes when you wrote the contract and couldn't explain it in English if your life depended on it.

Know what's coming.
It IS coming.

[midwesterner (banned)]

Egypt's Food Problem In A Nutshell



Veteran Lender, your points are all valid, and a contributing factor no doubt, but I would have to say that the food prices and world inflation when they are living on a 2 dollars a day is straw that broke the camels back. Being hungry, but on top of that being fed up for years with the government is a bad mix, and I think both factors are fueling this situation overthere. It's not cut and dry, but inflation combined with growing population and people not being able to afford food like before is a huge component to this. The mainstream media only touches on this subject mildly. I seriously doubt they want us westerners believing inflation is taking it's toll on poorer nations. I may hurt here, but it's a matter of life and death there. If this continues, I foresee countries outside of Middle East reacting the same.

As food inflation is such a hot-button issue right now, here's the part on food. The gist. A rapidly growing population has not only caused demand to grow, it's also reduce the amount of land availability for growing food.

Egypt’s population has been growing rapidly (estimated at 2% per year by the CIA World Fact Book – about 3.0 children per woman), but the population is concentrated in a narrow strip along the Nile River. (Graph from Population Databrowser.)

As population grows, the amount of land needed for housing and businesses rises, and the amount of land for agriculture falls. So Egypt can produce less of its own food, as time goes on.

Egypt is reported to be the world’s largest importer of wheat. In 2010, the oil minister stated that Egypt imports 40% of its food, and 60% of its wheat. The problem this year is that world wheat production is down (at least in part due to weather problems in Russia) so world exports are down:

The higher food prices contribute to the overall inflation problem that Egypt already had. In 2010, the CIA Factbook estimated the inflation rate to be 12.8%. Since wages don’t always rise to match inflation rates, inflationary pressures have no doubt put more pressure on the government to increase subsidies, at a time it cannot really afford to do so.

The higher food prices contribute to the overall inflation problem that Egypt already had. In 2010, the CIA Factbook estimated the inflation rate to be 12.8%. Since wages don’t always rise to match inflation rates, inflationary pressures have no doubt put more pressure on the government to increase subsidies, at a time it cannot really afford to do so.

[neohguy]

Mid posted:
Quote: As population grows, the amount of land needed for housing and businesses rises, and the amount of land for agriculture falls. So Egypt can produce less of its own food, as time goes on.

Egypt is reported to be the world’s largest importer of wheat. In 2010, the oil minister stated that Egypt imports 40% of its food, and 60% of its wheat. The problem this year is that world wheat production is down (at least in part due to weather problems in Russia) so world exports are down:



Read more: notmsnmoney.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=moneytalk&action=display&thread=2642#ixzz1CcQbrxS

The price of wheat is still rising. I'm afraid that the Russian crop failure is just the tip of the iceberg. Last years Canadian crop wasn't very good and the southern hemisphere wheat crops aren't doing well either. Australia's was damaged by rain and the Brazil and Argentine crops are suffering from drought.
That being said, the Egyptians are not starving but they are angry. I'm somewhat puzzled by the media claims of $2.00/day but everybody having cell phones and access to the Internet?

[The Virginian]

Case in point. There are people struggling in my area And, someone was arrested for "poaching" deer. You can be starving and not even be allowed to help yourself. The govts put up every roadblocks to ensure the poverty of its people. I believe we are heading down the same path.

Sad but true - IMO It's only a matter of time until we start seeing escalating unrest here also. The politicians and corporations have done much the same to our youth. The government has done a relatively good job of masking this through the Social Programs but the money is running out and as soon as the Inflation kicks in it could very well be the tipping point. The problems in the Middle East could potentially be the trigger for it here. If radicals gain control and the Suez Canal is blocked we will have massive inflation here as well as potentially a World War developing. What scary times we live in!

[midwesterner (banned)]

Neo and Virginian, you are both correct. Don't let the media mislead you in thinking this is some Arab revolution sparked by getting fed up. That is one part, and is true factor, but hunger and inflation is causing this outrage. They won't report much on that honestly. This problem is worldwide, will hit poor nations first. Sure it could be beginning of the end of the Islamic states, and transform into a new government for the people, time will tell. Outrage has many levels. I think the inflation of food, and hunger people unable to feed their families, and having to look at them saying sorry not enough food for another meal today, wait til tomorrow is source of this chaos.

I would watch other nations, especially third world, and EU member states. This is the problems that will start in the third world, but end up in the Western nations just as much. USA is not immune by far, and if 40+ million are on food stamps alone not to mention welfare and unemployment, it's hard to not see how people will react when a broke state is unable to deliver to those that have nothing to lose and only looking for next meal.

Hungry stomachs make irrational people.

[Deleted]

Anytime you have the same leader in power for 30 years you know there's a problem. Even if the guy started out as a decent guy you know after a few years he's only being told what he wants to hear.

The really sad thing about visiting Egypt is seeing how beautiful it was/could be. I'm not just talking about the ancient history. Cairo has some beautiful 1890s architecture, river bank promenades, et cetera. But everywhere you look things have fallen apart. Our private guide asked me on our visit two years ago what was the most amazing thing I saw and I couldn't help myself and said "the trash". Of course he was deeply embarrassed but it's true. The infrastructure is horrifying. And this was before they killed all the pigs which ate the trash because of fears of swine flu. Egypt invented things like the first sewer systems. Today you see them throwing dead livestock in the canals that deliver their drinking water. It's shocking.

This revolution needed to happen. Hopefully it is managed properly and a (mostly) peaceful transition to new government will occur. But it's likely going to be pretty tough for the next 6 months to 2 years.

And no, no serious student of politics or history could make a comparison between Egypt and the US in 2011. We have many, many ways of getting rid of politicians. Being able to vote is one of the most basic!

[The Virginian]

And no, no serious student of politics or history could make a comparison between Egypt and the US in 2011. We have many, many ways of getting rid of politicians. Being able to vote is one of the most basic!

I strongly disagree - First of all getting rid of politicians is not as easy as you seem to imagine - I can give you plenty examples of politicians that are locked into their positions for life because they are the powers to be control their respective " Political Machines" To think otherwise is very naive! Harry Reed is a prime example - another would be Ted Kennedy - He literally committed ( Manslaughter if you give him the benefit of doubt) yet on to serve for life in the Senate!

Do you really think that you or I could run for President and win? Unless you are backed by one of the two corrupt political parties that control this country you don't have a chance!

The only difference in the US and Egypt are the Social programs that keep the " poor" content, remove the welfare, the food stamps, the Social Security and the endless unemployment and we are basically no different. In fact if we didn't control the World's currencies we would be unable to provide those programs that keep the peasants happy. - That day is quickly approaching though - and if the wrong groups gain control of the Suez canal you will see that day allot sooner that you could ever imagine. Wake up people - The US is no longer all that and a bag of chips!

[midwesterner (banned)]

And no, no serious student of politics or history could make a comparison between Egypt and the US in 2011. We have many, many ways of getting rid of politicians. Being able to vote is one of the most basic!

I also very strongly disagree with this statement.

You under the impression we still have a constitution that is being followed and that big banks and corporations don't own our political system. Takes money to run, if you don't play ball your not part of the club. Dem or Rep makes little different. Really, two stinken political parties and that's choice?? Would you like McDonald or Burger King? Sorry no other choices but those two. You don't think big banking cartel which owns the fortune 500 and big oil cartels doesn't run the show. Your vote unless local is pretty much worthless, and if you use electronic voting machines you might as well stay home and enjoy your day that waste your time. Those can be manipulated easily, no paper trail. We have been subjected to 180 degree's away from our founding principles, and as Virginian says, it's the welfare system, and decent standard of living, with media propaganda that has keep people in line, and unwilling to get out of comfort zone.

This coming inflation and broke nation supporting food stamps is going to end eventually. Like I said before you tell 40 million people they aren't going to be able to eat, or the rest of us that you can eat but it's very expensive, that's not a good situation.

It's coming here too, just wait and see. Sorry to bust your bubble, but many things are not as they seem and USA is not immune to situations we have always been sheltered from in past, not in the ending days of Rome.

I strongly disagree - First of all getting rid of politicians is not as easy as you seem to imagine - I can give you plenty examples of politicians that are locked into their positions for life because they are the powers to be control their respective " Political Machines" To think otherwise is very naive! Harry Reed is a prime example - another would be Ted Kennedy - He literally committed ( Manslaughter if you give him the benefit of doubt) yet on to serve for life in the Senate!Do you really think that you or I could run for President and win? Unless you are backed by one of the two corrupt political parties that control this country you don't have a chance!
The only difference in the US and Egypt are the Social programs that keep the " poor" content, remove the welfare, the food stamps, the Social Security and the endless unemployment and we are basically no different. In fact if we didn't control the World's currencies we would be unable to provide those programs that keep the peasants happy. - That day is quickly approaching though - and if the wrong groups gain control of the Suez canal you will see that day allot sooner that you could ever imagine. Wake up people - The US is no longer all that and a bag of chips

[texasredneck]

Vet Just want to let you know that Confederate money sells for more than face value now in U.S. dollars. Much more in some cases, from $29.50 to $4,000.00 each.

[midwesterner (banned)]

Unrest in Egypt Unsettles Global Markets

finance.yahoo.com/news/Unrest-in-Egypt-Unsettles-nytimes-4027218866.html

NEW YORK — For investors, it is what is known as an exogenous event — a sudden political or economic jolt that cannot be predicted or modeled but sends shockwaves rippling through global markets.

Investors have largely shrugged off several of these unexpected developments recently, including the sovereign debt crisis in Europe, but the situation in Egypt has the potential to cause more widespread uncertainty, especially if oil and other commodities keep surging or the unrest spreads to more countries in the Middle East.

“A one-dollar, one-day increase in a barrel of oil takes $12 million out of the U.S. economy,” said Jason S. Grumet, president of the Bipartisan Policy Center, a Washington research group. “If tensions in the Mideast cause oil prices to rise by $5 for even just three months, over $5 billion dollars will leave the U.S. economy. Obviously, this is not a strategy for creating new jobs.”

[Virgil Showlion]

It was food prices in Tunisia, in Jordan, in Bangladesh, now in Egypt.

We're starting to see the very real ramifications of failed economic policies.

[midwesterner (banned)]

Egyptian financial crisis looms

english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/01/20111319341644600.html

Investors transferred hundreds of millions of dollars out of the country since the start of the protests a week ago. Economists are warning that if Egypt's turmoil continues much longer, the country will not have enough currency reserves to avoid a long term financial crisis.

Currency traders said on Monday that investors have transferred hundreds of millions of dollars out of the country since the start of the protests six days ago.

Banks are still closed throughout Egypt and markets are suspended. Many fear that once they open, millions of dollars will be withdrawn additionally.

Robin Amlot, managing editor of Banker Middle East, says people are starting to "run out of the basics, which will feed into inflation"."The banks say they are very liquid at the moment, but it's a question of not just what happens in Egypt, but also elsewhere in the region," Amlot told Al Jazeera.

"All you have to do is look at the stock markets in the rest of the Middle East and in the Gulf, and see what an impact that the turmoil in Egypt has had. It is damaging business all around the region."

"People are running out of money, this is clear. We expect that when banks do reopen, there will be quite a run," said one Cairo banker.

It is also unclear whether banks will continue do to business as usual with each other during the turmoil.

Oil prices extended gains above $89 a barrel on Monday in Asia as the Egyptian protests threatened to spread unrest across the oil-rich Middle East.

Amid the instability in Egypt, jittery traders pulled money from stocks to buy oil, gold and the dollar, which are considered less risky in uncertain times.

[midwesterner (banned)]

Egypt's unrest tied to high food prices

www.vancouversun.com/business/Egypt+unrest+tied+high+food+prices/4199634/story.html

Economists and experts in food security have warned repeatedly in recent years that an unbridled rise in food prices could trigger the very kind of explosion of citizen anger that's now threatening to topple the Egyptian government. Such anger is likely to rise elsewhere, too.

A large nation with lots of desert, Egypt must import more than half of its food supply. Since 2008, there's been sporadic unrest there as the cost of staples, from bread to fruits to vegetables, has gone up steadily.

"With this new price shock only two years after the crisis in 2007/08, there is a serious concern now about implications for food markets in vulnerable countries," Richard China, the director of the UN organization's policy and program development support division, said last week in announcing the updated guidelines.

Wheat prices have risen by more than 70 per cent over the past 12 months, and corn prices climbed in mid-January to their highest level since July 2008, a period when global food prices soared.

A third explanation that's gaining acceptance is that the U.S. Federal Reserve inadvertently exacerbated the price picture for grains and other commodities. The Fed has been engaged in what economists call "quantitative easing," buying U.S. Treasury bonds to attack the threat of deflation — the phenomenon of falling prices across an economy.

Quantitative easing has the effect of raising asset prices, whether they're the prices of stocks or what traders are willing to pay for commodities such as wheat or corn. One of the side effects of this policy is that the dollar weakens against other currencies, and that has helped push up the global prices of commodities.

"The truth of the matter is that when the Federal Reserve moved on the quantitative easing, it did export inflation to a lot of these emerging markets," Flynn said. "There's no doubt that one of the side effects of the weak dollar and quantitative easing has been rising commodity prices. It helped create this bullish environment for commodities. This is a very delicate balancing act."

[midwesterner (banned)]

Here's an old article showing this was a growing problem from awhile again. BBC news 2008

Egyptians hit by rising food prices

news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7288196.stm

As the BBC looks at the impact of rising food prices around the world, Heba Saleh reports from Cairo where soaring costs hit the country's poor - and the government that subsidises their bread.

Everyone here complains they are being squeezed by the latest wave of price rises.

"Speak about the famine that's taking place now," says Karima Mohamed, a mother of five.

Family budgets, already under pressure in this mainly poor country, are being further strained by the international increases in the prices of staples such as wheat, rice, cooking oil and dairy products.

Some poor families say they have had to reduce their food intake to two meals a day.

They are eating meat even more infrequently than usual - or not at all.

Now here's the kicker, that was in 2008.

In a country with so many people struggling to make ends meet, the authorities are also well aware of the potential for social unrest should prices continue to soar.

[kman]

I think that I will buy a larger farm...

[vl]

Did you hear the tidbit that there are more than 90,000 Americans in Egypt yet only a few thousand (mainly tourists) are leaving or even preparing to leave. Could Egypt be the first to fully flush it's New World Order regime out of power and begin a BALANCED economic recovery with jobs and wages consistent with raising families not buying yachts?
A reminder that Egypt was once a very fertile landscape and could easily support glass roof farms and reconstitution of renewable resources.

[midwesterner (banned)]

CNN News Clip of the situation in Egypt.

edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/02/01/egypt.protests.scene/index.html

[vl]

Did you recognize it?

Monday and Tuesday... big money IGNORED the unrest because a million people were trying for peaceful and intelligent change. They pumped their dead cat markets up with fake news on manufacturing (we don't make ANYTHING we need so it's junk data).
Then it gets violent today. Yemen's leader says he won't run again. Jordan fires it's cabinet.
The markets drop.

WHY?

Because CONTROL requires PUPPETS and puppets will take kick-backs only as long as they have a back door to escape out of and honestly, there isn't asylum for any crooked creep anywhere in the world. That just leaves the wealthy... exposed.
CHANGE is inevitable. So is, using the digits 2 and 0 instead of 1 and 9 when you write the date. That's right... the 21st Century, not the 20th on constant replay.
Egyptians asked for--- legitimacy and stability. Those are RESPECTFUL things HONEST government can deliver. A failure to do so suggests a lot of puppets will leave one way or another. Once gone, wealth has no more strings to pull.
Use your noodle... if the corporate cash isn't invested in massive on-boarding and quick, the stock and what's stashed in the banks won't be worth the paper they're printed on. Not forecasting a wish... it's just common sense.

[midwesterner (banned)]

World food prices hit record high: UN agency

www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.0bcf7660807b5b8e782fa73f510af552.471&show_article=1

World food prices reached their highest level ever recorded in January and are set to keep rising for months, the UN food agency said on Thursday, warning that the hardest-hit countries could face turmoil.

Rising food prices have been cited among the driving forces behind recent popular revolts in north Africa, including the uprising in Egypt and the toppling of Tunisia's long-time president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

And in its latest survey, the Food and Agriculture Organisation said its index which monitors monthly price changes for a variety of staples averaged 231 points in January -- the highest level since records began in 1990.

"The new figures clearly show that the upward pressure on world food prices is not abating. These high prices are likely to persist in the months to come," FAO economist and grains expert Abdolreza Abbassian said in a statement.

The Index rose by 3.4 percent from December -- with big increases in particular for dairy, cereal and oil prices. The rises were most significant in China, India, Indonesia and Russia, data from FAO's monthly report showed.

"There are a lot of factors that could spark turmoil in countries and food is one of them," Abbassian said, pointing out however that several countries have become better at managing prices after a series of riots in 2007 and 2008.

"High food prices are of major concern especially for low-income food deficit countries that may face problems in financing food imports and for poor households which spend a large share of their income on food," Abbassian said.

Global aid agency Oxfam said: "Millions of people's lives are at risk."

"Poor people in developing countries spend between 50 and 80 percent of their income on food, making higher prices, as well as unpredictable prices, a serious threat to their ability to eat," Oxfam said in a statement.

[Deleted]

If food prices as this says, are soaring

What are the best investments.....

You cant eat gold.....

[midwesterner (banned)]

If food prices as this says, are soaring

What are the best investments.....

You cant eat gold.....

Go back to Mordor!!!

[vl]

That will be tricky. I think a huge segment of our population will lean toward a self-sustaining life-style. Lots of evidence already to forecast the trend. We have MASSIVE over-supply and more garbage and waste than many other nations-- combined. I don't that "supply" investments have legs. I see "local productivity" leading us up from the fore-coming crash that dogged Republicans can't seem to see. Warm weather is closer than you think. You can't tax people into obeying you, it's been tried before and generally wipes out the Status Quo. What lies ahead is-- using your head and testing your common sense.
I'd rather put my money locally where I can benefit from its use and application, then to trust it anywhere near New York City. We are on the verge of fracturing the nation to salvage it.

[Deleted]

Quote: Go back to Mordor!!!

Ok....more information on Mid....the profile continues to be built

add pimply faced dungeons and dragons playing adolescent to what we already know

[vl]

"You cant eat gold....."

You shouldn't dine on seeds too much either. Still, all in all, better to sell gold, buy seeds and grow food in your yard. No matter what, the price of food will go up because Too Big To Fail has failed and hiking food costs is Plan B.

Seems a long time ago when I said this... we are still following an old play book. We aren't tracking that same old economy, so, LOOK around you. We have too much of what we don't need and not enough self-sustaining infrastructure. Money won't buy what isn't available on the continent. Best investments... water purification tablets, seeds, how-to books on basics. Worst-- anything Wall Streeters can get their greedy hands on.

[bubblyandblue]

The food problem has been developing for a long time. Just from memory, mind you. But policies by the IMF have sometimes sabatoged a countries ability to be self-sufficient in food production. The subsidied foods are often brought into nations with excess food to sell on the market but, the imported food is cheaper than the in-country produced food. This creates a dis-incentive for the growers because they cannot compete in their own market - this then shows up as huge underutilization of productive land, general dependency to sell natural resources on a glutted global market to support an ever-increasing debt within it's boarders as wealth for food is exported. Then when the cross over mark between an over producer and under producer is crossed, the home country no longer has the ability to ramp up internal production at a pace fast enough to overtake debt. This is why debt is loved, it creates a guarantied income stream and a soverien dependancy that often leads to unrest, starvation and authoritarian governments, corruption etc.. Food is one element of life and, these policies directly affect the lives of millions and affect a governments ability to remain soverign - including the currency.

[midwesterner (banned)]

Ok....more information on Mid....the profile continues to be built

add pimply faced dungeons and dragons playing adolescent to what we already know

Building a profile on me, huh. Showing your true colors, eh? I think most your pumpers are fake, not real, and paid to post. Bullshit is what it is. You say your building profile on me huh. Don't speak with me anymore, we have nothing more to say to each other.

[Deleted]

ut oh...the pumper code word again

you all know what that means.....