Wait, How much do they make a day?

OPEC Stands Silent While Oil Prices Spark Food Riots In Neighboring Egypt

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Despite being surrounded by petroleum-rich neighbors, Egypt is suffering the effects of record-high oil prices that have touched off deadly riots over the simplest of commodities: bread.

Since the beginning of April, at least 10 people have been stabbed to death while waiting in Cairo bread lines — others have died from exhaustion.

The crisis comes as the U.N.’s World Food Program appeals to member nations to contribute $750 million for aid to affected countries.

But as FOX News reported last week, internal documents from the WFP show a failure by OPEC nations to help out their Arab neighbor. Saudi Arabia, for instance, has committed to give zero dollars for 2008, while the United Arab Emirates has pledged just $50,000 — an amount several times less than impoverished nations like Bangladesh.

The United States leads all donors at more than a $1 billion.

Egypt, the world's largest importer of wheat, heavily subsidizes the sale of flour. Government flour sells for about $3 per 100 pounds. On the black market, however, that same bag can fetch $45

Unlike other Arab nations awash in petrodollars, almost half of Egypt’s population gets by on less than $2 a day — and for an estimated 30 million people, bread means everything.

For now, the Army has been called out — to bake and distribute the bread.

FOX News' Steve Harrigan filed this report from Cairo.

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Okay, so putting my years of schooling to work...The US gives $1 Billion, divide that by 365 yields $2,739,726 per day that is given in aid. So at the going rate of $2 per day, that would be 1,369,863 people that the US is sponsoring. Hum, I can't help but think that money could be used to subsidize 278,000,000 gallons of gas at current free market values. That would be enough to fill 6,172,839 Urban Assault vehicles or 8,641,976 cars. Just think how much money the US could spend on subsidizing life in this country if we pulled out all our little pockets of influence and spent that money on us...

Now considering that they survive on less than $1,000 a YEAR, why does it take twice that a month to survive in the United States? Hum, I can't but think that Capitalism is Killing our Economy...

What exactly does the tax payer get for their investment into these international programs? Travel and vacation opportunities?