What’s up Jordania?
As the summer heat is getting higher and higher, the Jordanian government is adding logs to fire.
I have recently heard people talking a lot about another higher increase of the prices of the basic market products. Today while I was coming home after a busy day at work I passed by a woman sitting on the sidewalk with a baby in her lap; she was begging and crying aloud, “ Believe me people, it’s the first time in my life I beg, but what can I say, our wise government is trying to make me leave my baby to starve and die…they doubled the price of milk… and God knows what’s on the way!”
I knew from people that she was right, the government is on the way to increase the prices of all the basic food products. Basic food products, this means the products that no one can live without. Poor people who are the great majority in Jordan are the ones who will be the main targeted victims.
But to where with Jordan? Last month hundreds of people if not thousands were victims of contaminated water that came to them through the water pipes of the government. And what compensations did those poisoned poor people get?… An increase of prices. Then later last month rotten Shawerma sold in public restaurants made the hospitals of the kingdom crammed with people… and what was the recompense? A higher increase of prices.
I have thought and thought for hours, and finally found out why the government is doing so. They care about us and they care about our health, so they don’t want us to get poisoned and sick again, accordingly they don’t want us to eat at all.
“I love you, Jordan!”

Join the Conversation
Pingback: Global Voices Online » Jordan: Food Prices On Fire!
What a sad shame. Although I can see that an influx of Iraqi refugees has put a great strain on the civil service. Iraqi refugees from a country that was invaded by…well you get my drift.
This is butterfly flaps its wings in new york and you get a hurricane in tokyo effect. You see how connected all this is?!
That’s why I prefer the system of capitalism where free market determines prices instead of bureaucrats. To be sure capitalism can be abused as well, but setting prices is certainly not an area where I trust government.
gary
I knew from people that she was right, the government is on the way to increase the prices of all the basic food products. Basic food products, this means the products that no one can live without.
All the more reason to get government out of the marketplace. This is the one single lesson from the Western world that most of the Mideast world tends to ignore. Why? It’s already been proven that socialism is a failure. Why continue believing it has any more validity?
All historical evidence points to the fact that democracy flourishes mostly in those nations where governments interfere as little as possible in the markets. In the Mideast, there is always a call for states to take a lead in doing something… yet never a call for entrepreneurs to take a lead and taking advantage of opportunities lacks of supply present, and never a call to making it easier for entrepreneurs to operate freely to do so.
Only entrepreneurs can bring wealth to society (as in the time of the ancient Caliphate), yet it is these very same people that get condemned not only by young, pro-democracy, Mideast socialists, but also by Islamists.
No wonder the Mideast continues to be mired in everlasting confusion. The region is too selective in its historical models.
Pingback: links for 2007-08-22 « no snow here
It’s same in Iran for 28 years. We deal with it everyday after Islamic Revolution – 1979.
Government shouldn’t be in market at any price.
I’m with Gary and Finnpundit. Government has no business micromanaging food prices. Leave this to the markets and stick to matters that only the state can handle.