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Past Entertainment Articles.
Article for the week of 6/11/05
Chocolate
By, Grey News
In retrospect this should not be a revelation. Not so much because single
products have dominated the world before, but because everyone likes chocolate.
Where once oil was the dominating factor behind international political
moves chocolate now seems to be the driving force behind worldwide power
plays.
What motivated this sudden change in affairs is not known, there is as
of yet no international energy crisis, the increased price of fuel oil
has not shortened the consumption, gold prices are steady and fish entrails
are predicting the final downfall of all remaining actors from the “Friends”
television series.
However the face of the world has changed as chocolate prices skyrocket
and everyone starts eyeing up South America with the same look people
used to give the Middle East.
For their part the peoples of South America are equally shocked. Everyone
was prepared for coffee becoming the next “substance of craze” and has
been hoarding beans of every possible condition in an effort to dominate
the world market.
This strategy was not limited to South America. Canada, the US, France
and Germany are also rumoured to have massive stockpiles of coffee beans,
yet nothing in terms of chocolate beans.
If anything the only nations poised to benefit from this are those with
high dairy production, as cream and other ancillary chocolate essentials
will most likely reach extreme prices in conjunction with this turn of
events.
Analysts are predicting that even if the governments of these nations
do remain stable, a possibility in New Zealand and Brazil though not so
Columbia or Holland, there will be a great deal of turmoil as foreign
interests attempt to secure their chocolate supplies.
Almost lost in these calculations are the sources of carob for the dairy
intolerant. As yet none of the major players have noticed it’s importance,
however it is only a matter of time as sly concerns begin buying into
carob operations.
Meanwhile the Middle East is trying to grab back the lost attention. Though
there have been no definitive moves, such as lowering oil prices, peace
talks of any kind or the release of Donald Duck for extradition, there
have been a few token gestures, such as Iran simultaneously spouting threats
and offering to host the Winter Olympics, or Syria reinventing the Macarena.
Whether that last one is for good or evil no one is sure. What is certain
is that the Arab nations are not willing to give up the spotlight just
for South America.
On the flip side of the coin South American nations are not sure they
want to be in the spotlight. Largely ignored for so long they have been
relatively happy to do their own thing and have slowly begun to prosper.
This added attention can only increase the local stress levels.
Unfortunately that is considered of minimal concern next to the stress
levels of the world if they do not get their chocolate fix.
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