Was reading BusinessWeek article written after Tunisia but before the Egypt violence. They mentioned causes of Mideast unrest as youth unemployment, poor job prospects among the young and disaffected, etc. Unrest has gripped Tunisia, Lebanon, Dubai, Jordan, Yemen and now Egypt.
As a throwaway line at the end of the article, BusinessWeek mentioned one autocratic country where youth unemployment was high and there was a disparity between the moneyed elite and the rest of the populace - Saudi Arabia. 60% of the population is under 25. 40% of 20 to 24 year olds are unemployed. The moneyed elites prefer to hire cheaper Asian foreigners over their own educated locals. And so, resentment builds.
Before you say, "it can't happen here," who could have predicted that the arrest of an unemployed graduate student working as a street peddler could topple a government and set the Middle East aflame? Al Quaeda has long had a goal of the toppling the oil-rich Saudi monarchy. Right now, some of them may be thinking their moment in history has come. Even the suggestion of any threats to Saudi Arabia would send oil prices skyrocketing.
Investment spin: holding my Canadian oils longer.
Just my opinion.
========
Peddler's martyrdom launched Tunisia's revolution