Libya's Anguish

 

*edit: I originally wrote this article for Shanghai University's weekly magazine. Due to political delicacy in the matter, portions of the article were to be censored (Implications in the West, Implications in the East.) I received the article today on my desk and found only the photos published.

Damn Chinese censorship. Sigh.

The Butterfly Effect: An Islamic Awakening? Or a World Awakening?

Pictured above are photos of the Libyan people revolting against dictator Moammar Gadhafi – or as he refers to himself, “Brother Leader and Guide of the Revolution,” a position created when Gadhafi removed his title of Prime Minster in 1972. These photos were featured in an exclusive WSJ article and photographed by David Degner. All photos were taken on February 23^rd, 2011 and are evidence of the bloody aftermath and emotional turmoil of a burgeoning revolution.

What began in Tunisia has created a domino effect and spread to Egypt, Yemen, Bahrain, and now Libya. With social unrest rapidly rippling across the Middle East, the question is: where will revolution spread to next? And most importantly: what triggered it?

Amid economic strife, insurmountable levels of debt, double digit unemployment, and rampant corruption from all sides, the straw that broke the proverbial camel’s back lies in the rapid inflation of food prices and general necessities. Worldwide prices for general food has increased by 15% in a span of 4 months; December 2010 yielded the highest index score on record, and early 2011 threatens to surge even higher.

“New developments in the region and the global economy will pressure the fiscal accounts and this is one of the main challenges facing the region,” said Ratna Sahay, deputy director of IMF Middle East and Central Asia Department.

“Oil and food prices have gone up dramatically. In the last two quarters of last year the IMF Food Price Index rose 30%. Grain went up 60% and oil prices have surpassed IMF forecasts of 78 US dollars per barrel,” said the IMF official during a recent conference in Cairo.*

Furthermore, crude oil prices skyrocketed to $120/barrel before dropping to $97.50/barrel as a result of Saudi Arabia tapping into their excess capacity and raising oil output by 8%.  These numbers continue to be higher than projected due to palpable concern that Libya's civil unrest will manifest into tensions in the oil market. Though ostensibly to maintain OPEC output following supply disruptions in Libya, Saudia Arabia's ncrease in oil output will help finance the $37 billion Saudi Arabia recently promised their citizens to mollify domestic discontent.

These substantial price hikes are prevalent throughout the world, thus provoking global civil unrest. What remains unasked is the what behind the cause of these unnatural increases in prices across the board. Demand alone is an insufficient reason; there are other forces at play.

*(Source: Mecropress)

View more photos after the jump.