# Bread



## Sonrisa (Sep 2, 2010)

I have stumbbled upon this article, which I found both interesting and scary. Lets pray to whichever God everyone has, that cheap bread stays...Cheap, no matter what or who governs Egypt.


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Political change may be remaking Egypt, but "we trust in God that the bread's going to stay cheap," said Shadia Abdul-Halim, 45, a mother of six patiently queued up to buy

How much could bread prices rise for poor Arabs?

"Without the subsidy, it would triple the price," said Abdul Elah H al Hamawi, president of the bakers' association in nearby Jordan. "There would be a revolution!"

"But the bread programme is credited with having eased hunger and child mortality, and has become a symbol of Egypt's "social contract"."

"Along the way, however, it has also fattened the import bill, as the population exploded. From wheat self-sufficiency about 50 years ago, Egypt has become the world's biggest wheat importer. The government buys more than half the country's needs on the international market."

"But what if a new government rethinks the wisdom of cheap bread?"No, no. They can't do that," the baker said. "The whole world would collapse if that happened.""_


More Here :
Arab world's subsidised bread prices under threat - The National


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## MensEtManus (Jul 30, 2009)

words of wisdom by marie antoinette...


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## nandnjudge2 (Oct 5, 2008)

I did not realise that Bread was a life and death commodity in your country, we are so fortunate in Portugal as prices are relatively low if you make your own


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## aykalam (Apr 12, 2010)

nandnjudge2 said:


> I did not realise that Bread was a life and death commodity in your country, we are so fortunate in Portugal as prices are relatively low if you make your own


Portugal (or anywhere in Western Europe) does not suffer the levels of extreme poverty you see in Egypt on a daily basis. And if you are poor in Europe there is a system of social security that stops you from starving. Not so in Egypt.


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## nandnjudge2 (Oct 5, 2008)

aykalam said:


> Portugal (or anywhere in Western Europe) does not suffer the levels of extreme poverty you see in Egypt on a daily basis. And if you are poor in Europe there is a system of social security that stops you from starving. Not so in Egypt.


Also not so in Portugal, there are soup kitchens in some big towns, Portugal being broke is rapidly moving to the bottom of the pile


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## aykalam (Apr 12, 2010)

nandnjudge2 said:


> Also not so in Portugal, there are soup kitchens in some big towns, Portugal being broke is rapidly moving to the bottom of the pile


Many Egyptians would consider themselves lucky if there was a soup kitchen nearby


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