On hunger and inequality
acknowledge
have felt in recent weeks the feeling of being privileged spectator of history. Old tyrants have been overthrown and a few others are falling fruit of a revolution that began quietly and was forged in social networks, to escape censorship and control of the old mass media. Not that the indoctrination or propaganda have come to an end, is that information definitely has been democratized. And that's very bad news for dictators oxidized, as the song said. The glorious role of Western leaders, indeed. Now, at the last minute, called for reform in those countries that until two newscasts were "democracies" in the eyes of the U.S. and the EU
also acknowledge that I have been repeating the same question: For Why now? Social networks have been around for several years in circulation, these dictatorships were lived, what has changed is to pop the fuse? The answer seems to be after the second great global food crisis in three years. This summer and realized in this blog of the then emerging rises in food prices consequence of multiple demographic, and economic climate, in turn aggravated by the wave of fires in Russia and Ukraine.
Someone may think that behind all this there is much speculation, half truths and lies involved. Might be, I'm not saying there is not anything of this, but the fact is that there are some undeniable truths that we should give pause. For example, in 1960 our planet was home to 3,000 million inhabitants, that by 1986 it was 5,000 million and 1,999 to 6,000. It is expected that by the end of 2011 the child is born to add 7,000 million.
As important as explained in the previous paragraph, it is certain that the most populous countries on earth, China and India, are leading the growth of world economy are slowly developing an emerging middle class and eating habits are improving. In China, For example, in a period of 25 years, consumption has risen from 19.95 kg of meat per person per year to almost 50. To produce half a kilo of meat requires 4.5 kg of wheat and corn. The consequences appear to be obvious.
Add to that a changing climate, an inability to increase agricultural yields worldwide, a global decrease in arable hectares per person (from 0.43 to 0.21 in just 50 years) and the rise of biofuels amid fears that cheap oil is finished forever. The result is scary: according to FAO, price index comprising the major commodities rose 30% in 2010 , breaking records in January 2011 thanks to the spectacular increases in wheat, sugar, corn and oil. The World Bank predicts that high prices are maintained for at least 4 or 5 years. Our pockets notice it, but support it. Unfortunately not so in poor countries.
During the months before the fall of Mubarak, an Egyptian family had to spend half their income just to eat. In some poorer countries, this proportion rose to the 2 / 3. In Algeria the high cost of food has also been evident in recent days and inflation in India is dangerously close to 20%.
the end the people's needs are always the same. The have been for thousands of years. When one has nothing to eat or can not feed their own, is capable of anything. If we add to the humiliation of being surrounded by corrupt governments and hierarchical societies with excessive inequalities and lack of freedom, we light the fuse. Social networks, in this case, have accelerated the process fuel. Ultimately going to be true that in the era of telecommunications everything happens very quickly, even revolutions. Politicians take note.
