The Rag Blog: A Little Simple Iraqi Economic Arithmetic

05 February 2007

A Little Simple Iraqi Economic Arithmetic

From Where Date Palms Grow. We think Zappy oughta call his blog by its URL - "City Called Hell."

Some Stupid Calculations

the Iraqi Medium Basic Salary = $300

A month is 30 days à $10 daily

20 Liters of Kerosene = $17 = enough for 12 hours of heating four kerosene heaters

20 liters of Gasoline = $12 = 120 km for a car and 8 hours for an 8Kv Generator

1 (16 Kg) LPG cylinder (cooking gas) = $ 20 enough for a week cooking

1 kilogram of tomatoes = $1.5

6 pieces of unleavened bread (Staple food) = $ 0.95

1 Kilo of Beef = $10

1 amp of hired street electricity = $9 for 7 hours a day/ per month of 185 Volts

Unrelated? Confusing?

If we understand that the national electricity grid provides is only two hours a “day” (one hour each 12 hours) then we conclude that electricity is useless in providing Heating, Water Boilers etc.

If we rely on hired electricity and a boiler works on 3500 Watts that means you need 15 Amps that’s $135 just for seven hours of Hot Water per month.

Kerosene for four heaters working Twelve Hours daily = $2040

Etc

Etc

Etc.

Isn’t it Ironic? in the land of 1.5 trillion Barrels of Crude Oil just under 50 meters beneath?

Read it here.

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