Setanta wrote:All of your jokes aside, this is not a joke for literally billions of people in the world. China, India and southeast Asia are experiencing an acute rice shortage and the price has spiraled so high, so fast that people are literally facing starvation because they cannot afford to buy staple foods. In many countries, the export of rice has been prohibited under emergency measures, even in rice-producing nations like Vietnam which normally produces far, far more than it can eat--they are prohibiting export to make sure of their future supply. The price of flour shot up, too, because people in countries which don't produce their own rice began a run on flour, hoping to get food they could afford.
The price spiral has also been driven by commodities speculators. Capitalists are such lovable types . . .
Yeah, that is frightening and hard to digest.
There are people out there starving and dying as I type this.
I know I will be okay.
Since speaking to a friend of mine, and coworker, who has FAMILY overseas who are already feeling the real pinch (he sends them money from his 2 full-time jobs) ...it's hit home about the reality of it.
We are so spoiled here. We take things for granted all the time. We whine about little shit regularly like it is our bread and butter.
This may be a bit of tang-ent, but I'd be very interested in a new thread from those who have concrete suggestions of ways to help.
I'd be genuinely interested in hearing real-world and viable ways we could get to work on this.
WE will all be fine.
