Article

2004-10-16 Africa: Horn

Petrol sales suspended in Eritrea (as in NO GAS!)

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Posted by Mark Espinola 2004-10-16 3:46:20 AM|| || Front Page|| [5 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 A little reminder that the world's poor suffer disproportionally when the economy is poorly, and enjoy disproportionally when it goes well (the difference between starving and eating being so much more dramatic than choosing between McDonald's and La Petite Pierre).

Posted by trailing wife 2004-10-16 10:27:20 AM|| 2004-10-16 10:27:20 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 (the difference between starving and eating being so much more dramatic than choosing between McDonald's and La Petite Pierre).
Hear! Hear! I'm stealing that.

Posted by Shipman 2004-10-16 10:51:58 AM|| 2004-10-16 10:51:58 AM|| Front Page Top

#3 The difference between starving and eating must be particularly dramatic when your country, that can only produce a fourth of the grain that it needs, spends money on modern fighter aircraft to defend a disputed border-zone of near-worthless land. This dispute still has potential to flare up again, in which case Eritrea will be using its limited petrol for military purposes. "...petrol to public services and development programmes in the best interest of the nation..." Would the military be a public service or a development programme?

Posted by Tom 2004-10-16 11:01:27 AM|| 2004-10-16 11:01:27 AM|| Front Page Top

#4 Too true, Tom. I'd vote for development programme -- I suspect they'd spend more on the newest and bestest if they could find any spare cash under the sofa cushions.

Posted by trailing wife 2004-10-16 12:08:24 PM|| 2004-10-16 12:08:24 PM|| Front Page Top

#5 I am not familiar with Erithean history but watching developments in the Sudan, Nigeria, and other African nations makes me despair.

In Africa it seems that if you canât defend your property it will be taken. The militarization of one tribe leads to surviving tribes militarizing.

Where would you put your money, a development program so your people can grow their own food or a military program so your peopleâs food wonât be stolen? In a tribal culture âyour peopleâ arenât identified by national borders. Many people may be starving in a nation while the rulerâs âpeopleâ are doing just fine.

Posted by Anonymous5032 2004-10-16 12:57:16 PM|| 2004-10-16 12:57:16 PM|| Front Page Top

#6 If Ethiopia isn't exporting through Eritrea, how are they doing it? Djibouti? Puntland? Wonder how they're doing this. They might have decided that after the border war, the best way to punish the Eritreans is economically. If that's the case, it's working.

Posted by Steve White 2004-10-16 1:36:17 PM|| 2004-10-16 1:36:17 PM|| Front Page Top

#7 Grab a name A5032, well said.

Posted by Shipman 2004-10-16 6:22:08 PM|| 2004-10-16 6:22:08 PM|| Front Page Top

#8 But not Troon, Troon is spoken for.

Posted by Shipman 2004-10-16 6:22:40 PM|| 2004-10-16 6:22:40 PM|| Front Page Top

#9 or Tron - that was a bad movie

Posted by Frank G 2004-10-16 6:31:56 PM|| 2004-10-16 6:31:56 PM|| Front Page Top

#10

the difference between starving and eating being so much more dramatic than choosing between McDonald's and La Petite Pierre

Good line. Poverty may have economic roots, but starvation is invariably political.

Posted by john 2004-10-16 8:05:19 PM|| 2004-10-16 8:05:19 PM|| Front Page Top

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