Get Ready for "Arab Spring 2"

[dan_s]

An estimated 50% of this year's corn crop will be needed to produce enough ethanol to meet mandated fuel requirements.

With the rest of the world’s food chain already strained, the competition for each kernel of corn is going global. Last week, a United Nations food index jumped 6 percent, and the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization warned against the kind of export bans, tariffs and buying binges that worsened the price surge four years ago. The U.N. food agency stepped up the pressure on the U.S. to ease its biofuel policies. [Food shortages get real ugly fast.]

Leaders of the Group of 20 nations are considering whether to seek emergency measures to respond to soaring grain prices.

The White House (which only cares about getting re-elected) faces conflicting demands for sharply limited supplies of corn.

One-third of House members have signed a letter urging EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson to relax ethanol production targets in light of corn supply concerns and spiking prices. The governors of Maryland and Delaware, two poultry-producing states, have also called on the White House to ease the renewable fuels mandate. [Does this mean only on third of the House cares about the millions that will starve this winter?]

Sorry if this is too "political" but this is insanity of steroids.