FOOD PRICES ARE skyrocketing in Syria. Plus this: “What might emerge from the Arab world two or three generations from now is beyond anyone’s capacity to foresee. As individuals, Arabs are as talented and productive as anyone on earth. For the time being they are caught in the maelstrom of a failing culture.”

UPDATE: A look at the world food situation. “Anybody following the current unrest in North Africa and the Middle East will immediately note that the area is bathed in red. Add in the percentage of a person’s income spent on food and the picture looks even worse. For example, both Spain and Algeria are dark red, yet the Spanish spend only 14.6% of their incomes on food, while Algerians spend a whopping 44% on food. That means that if world food prices go up they’ll cut into the discretionary spending of the Spanish, while they’ll cut to the bone in places like Algeria.”