# Egypt trouble

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/egypt-trouble/666480>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [August 17, 2013, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/egypt-trouble/666480 "2013-08-17T07:53:34Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Caneknife](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dec6dc/32.png) [@Caneknife](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caneknife)\
**Post date:** [August 17, 2013, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/egypt-trouble/666480/1 "2013-08-17T07:53:34Z")

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Can someone please explain what all the trouble is about in Egypt .

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**Author:** ![straight\_man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/straight_man/32/3027_2.png) [@straight\_man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/straight_man)\
**Post date:** [August 17, 2013, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/egypt-trouble/666480/2 "2013-08-17T08:16:07Z")

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There’s already a Great Debates thread about Egypt, so I foresee this thread getting shut down pretty quickly. However, the Washington Post has up a [great blog entry running through the basics of the situation](http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2013/08/14/9-questions-about-egypt-you-were-too-embarrassed-to-ask/). It should help you out.

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**Author:** ![Caneknife](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dec6dc/32.png) [@Caneknife](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caneknife)\
**Post date:** [August 17, 2013, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/egypt-trouble/666480/3 "2013-08-17T09:28:10Z")

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Yes, that answers all my questions, thanks for that.

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**Author:** ![MrQwertyasd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@MrQwertyasd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrQwertyasd)\
**Post date:** [August 17, 2013, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/egypt-trouble/666480/4 "2013-08-17T14:59:18Z")

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Egypt has a few non-political problems.

"Egypt’s oil production peaked in 1996, and since then has declined by around 26%. Having moved from complete food self-sufficiency since the 1960s, to excessive dependence on imports subsidised by oil revenues (now importing 75% of its wheat), declining oil revenues have increasingly impacted food and fuel subsidies. As high food prices are generally underpinned by high oil prices - because energy accounts for over a third of the costs of grain production - this has further contributed to surging global food prices. "

[http://www.theguardian.com/environment/earth-insight/2013/jul/04/egypt-muslim-brotherhood-morsi-unrest-protests](http://www.theguardian.com/environment/earth-insight/2013/jul/04/egypt-muslim-brotherhood-morsi-unrest-protests)

(Reuters) - Egypt has less than two months’ supply of imported wheat left in its stocks, ousted President Mohamed Mursi’s minister of supplies said, revealing a shortage more acute than previously disclosed.

[http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/07/11/uk-egypt-protests-wheat-idUKBRE96A08Y20130711](http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/07/11/uk-egypt-protests-wheat-idUKBRE96A08Y20130711)

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**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\
**Post date:** [August 19, 2013, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/egypt-trouble/666480/5 "2013-08-19T21:00:51Z")

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As noted, there is an open thread on this topic: [Egypt - “The Nile Runs Red”](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=699593)

This thread is closed.