While Gulf Arab oil producers reap windfall earnings, their poorer cousins elsewhere in the Arab world are struggling with soaring energy and food bills.
Inflation has surged in Gulf countries, fueled partly by lavish spending of record oil and gas revenues. This is also spurring demand for everything from housing to power and water.
Gulf states with currencies pegged to the dollar have also been hit by the global weakness of the U.S. currency, which is driving inflation by making some imports more expensive.
But wrestling with rising prices is a grimmer business in Arab capitals not cushioned by oil wealth. From Cairo in Egypt to Sanaa in Yemen, mostly authoritarian governments have to weigh the fiscal costs of subsidizing fuel and food against the explosive political risks of social discontent.
"Nothing's inexpensive any more," griped Jihad al-Amin, who owns a dry-cleaning store in Damascus, Syria. "Even parsley, which has been dirt cheap for as long as I can remember, has tripled."
Enjoying those anti-American rallies that you've held for so many years? I've warned you for years that once your oil runs out, you'll be relegated to third world status. I warned you that Americans don't soon forget your hatred. I warned you that a friend is a friend forever in the minds of many Americans, and an enemy is an enemy for at least a generation.
How about you go begging to your Saudi neighbors. They are sitting on an ocean of oil and billions in excess dollars. How about you ask them for handouts instead of the Americans who helped you out in earlier years. I hear China's got themselves a chunk of change lying around. Perhaps they'd be willing to part with some of it.
Enjoy your poverty. What goes around, comes around. We don't seem to have the food problem. If you're anti-American and hold massive rallies denouncing my nation, I don't care if you starve to death.
Travis
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