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.