With food riots about to topple the Haitian government, from Mexico to Pakistan, Egypt to Cameroon, protests have turned violent. Rioters tore through three cities in the West African nation of Burkina Fasom a few weeks ago, burning government buildings and looting stores. Similar protests exploded in Senegal and Mauritania late last year. And Indian protesters burned hundreds of food-ration stores in West Bengal last October, accusing the owners of selling government-subsidized food on the lucrative black market.

Is this a sign of things to come? The answer is yes, because the world's governments have so far turned a blind eye to this crisis. Was this discussed at Davos in any length? Yes, up to a point, as Evelyn Vaughn would surmise, as Indian Trade Minister Kamal Nath warned that prices of some foodstuffs had doubled in his country. So when are we going to set up a food summit, we ask? Referring to the challenge of providing food at affordable prices, he said: "Next year in Davos we'll be discussing this." Next year! Once again, the Gods of procrastination are smiling. In the meantime, let them eat grass.

I have been following the events in Burma the last few days, as I hope everyone else has been doing.  My last essay (ironically enough) I wrote about the importance of the internet and the power we hold to spread the truth to the world instantly.  There has never been a situation that proves this point better than the uprising in Burma.  

If you ever doubted the power we have, this should change your mind.

Here's a topic sure to get everyone's attention, the draft.

Recently the hawks have been saying we need more `boots on the ground' to secure the situation in Iraq...the question without answer is where these additional boots on the ground will come from?

This particular rock has a dozen faces and we need to look at every one of them.