Partly the usual paranoia, and partly deflection of responsibility for failed economic policies. "Tomato price hikes an enemy plot: Iran president," from Reuters:
TEHERAN - Iran’s president said on Sunday the country’s enemies had hatched a range of plots to push the Islamic Republic to give up its disputed nuclear programme, including driving up the price of tomatoes and other food.
Zionists, the Great Satan, or both?
But Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said such tactics would not work, Iran’s ISNA news agency quoted him as saying.
Rising prices, particularly the cost of tomatoes which form an important ingredient in Iranian food, have prompted growing public criticism of Ahmadinejad’s government. The president has often dismissed complaints as media exaggeration.
‘In order to harm us, they (enemies) make plots, for instance they come and push tomato prices up in the market. They think we will give up our ideals with their plots,’ Ahmadinejad said in a speech in which he said Iran would not reverse its atomic plans.
The West accuses Iran of seeking atomic bombs and demands Teheran halt sensitive atomic work, a step Teheran has rejected.
The United Nations has slapped restrictions on aspects of Iran’s nuclear programme and Washington has imposed sanctions on two Iranian banks and three firms. Ahmadinejad’s opponents blame price hikes on government spending policies not sanctions.
[...]
In a speech in January presenting the new budget to parliament, he also dismissed comments that tomatoes had risen to 30,000 rials ($3.25) per kg from 12,000 rials, suggesting shoppers should be more discerning about where they bought.
‘Come and buy them from the fresh fruit and vegetable market next door to us. Why are you buying them from expensive places?’ the president, who won over many voters in the 2005 presidential race with his down-to-earth style, told lawmakers.
Some shopkeepers cite the early onset of cold weather for the particularly sharp rise in the price of tomatoes, a reason Ahmadinejad has also cited in the past.
Ahmadinejad swept to power promising to share out Iran’s oil wealth more fairly, but he has been blamed for fuelling inflation by what critics call his profligate spending policies of the country’s windfall earnings from high crude prices.
Coming soon … Iranian sequel to "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes"
Ahmad is projecting again -- as starving someone to death is the sort of tactic that he would use.
The failure of Islam is shown in all its glory. Not only is building a Boeing 747, a Space Shuttle or producing computer chips and software programs beyond the Muslim mind, so is growing tomatoes.
And these medieval savages have the gall to think they're superior to us.
. . . tomatoes which form an
important ingredient in Iranian food . . .
An important ingredient? The tomato was discovered by the Spanish and cultivated by infidels. Shouldn't Iranians quit using infidel food so that they will not be accused of copying the kuffar?
Call it Atlee-Burpee's revenge.
A-Nut is turning more and more into a Stalin clone with all the ridiculous plots he keeps finding. What's next? A US driven Zoroastrian doctor's plot?
Hitler had many conspiracies the Allies pulled on the German people.
I have a recollection (from Matthew Simmons "Twilight in the Desert: The Coming Saudi Oil Shock and the World Economy ") that Iranian oil production is on decline. Though Simmons is a bit controversial figure, declining economy and declining oil production would be in sync.
It is an interesting read though I am not finished with the book yet. Simmons claims that both the Saudi's and Iranians would be in deep troble. Simmons is however not alone, for example:
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/01/08/opinion/edstern.php
These folks are however not saying that Iran would not have reserves. I have an impression that Simmons considers some of the Mid-East reserves as reserves on paper only.
If you are interested, mark Simmons to your collection: http://www.simmonsco-intl.com/research.aspx?Type=msspeeches
let them eat garbonzo beans..
Ahmadinejad, the mighty nut job, should look at the bright side of this: at least the disaffected Iranians will now be unable to pelt him with tomatoes (rotten or otherwise) when he speaks in public!
Before intervention by us infidels he couldn't say that--could he???
He should show some gratitude. Rotten tomatoes would stain his already shabby-looking Muslim-wear.
I thought allah controls the weather. Or do the joooze control that, too? allah knows best.
Can't these people do anything right? They were told to stop the bloodshed and instead give up making tomato sauce? Proof that some people hear only what they want to.
No blood for tomatoes!
Seriously, A-jad can build fancy nuclear facilities, but he can't plant tomatoes?!? Even in greenhouses?
Begging the question....how come Allah isn't coming to their rescue, blessing his true believers with good crops?
Not only are Iran's tomatoes going up in price, but if this little pencil-neck booger continues on his path of destruction, Iran could also see their tomatoes go up in temperature--to, say, about 15,000 degrees.
AIG,
Yeah, the Tsunami sure showed us.
Angryeagle,
That would give a whole new meaning to fried green tomatoes!
Gee. I though the high price of Tomatos in the US was because of the Iranians.
The reason Iran has a projected decline in oil is a result of not having long enough drill bits for their Black and Decker portible Drills. We all know their Nuclear Program need to get on line so they can re-charge the batteries.
IsabellatheCrusader,
Yes, FRIED GREEN TOMATOES indeed.
Hot SAUCE for everyone.
A-jad feels Iran is behind in the nuclear arms race, so he wants Iran to...(dare I?)KETCHUP..
This is great news, but must be watched with caution. Despots always ruin their economies, and look around for someone else to blame. At some point they are either removed, or they have to do something about the enemies they have blamed. By that, I mean "start a war".
Iran, a major oil producing country, already has to import gasoline. Their refineries do not produce enough for domestic needs. And, the price is subsidized. An Iranian pays somewhere between fifteen and forty U.S. cents per gallon, WAY below market price. This keeps the people quiet. Any attempt to stop that bleeding will have the people in an uproar.
Watch for more shortages. Anything that needs fertilizer (made from natural gas) is a good candidate. You will know things are really bad when kerosine is scarce. That might come as early as next winter.
The same kind of thing will happen in Venezuela, but will take a little longer. Venezuela has more free production, thanks to the Western oil companies whose assets were recently nationalized. Venezuela's Chavez and Ahmadinejad are best buddies. Iran will sneak terrorists into the USA through Central America and Mexico as illegal aliens.
Venezuela'a goal is to choke the United States by capture of the Panama Canal. Ahmadinejad wants to control the Strait of Hormuz.
Muslims already control the Straits of Malacca, the Suez Canal, and the Eastern Meditarranean. They have almost achieved control over Gibraltar. These are the military/economic choke-points. We may not fight for anything else, but we will go to war over these.
BUY: Gold, silver stocks, guns, ammunition, storable food.
SELL: Tanker stocks, resort shares, airlines.
Another ‘buy’ is agricultural land. People will always need to eat and there will be a slew of ‘security moms’ looking to move to the country before this thing is over. You can grow tomatoes in the meantime.
I don't suppose the Iranians ever thought about growing their own tomatoes? Or is Farming something Muslims are incapable of doing? They could create giant organic tomatoe farms capable of growing all the tomatoes they could possibly desire. ..... come to think of it...Muslims have destroyed all farms they have conquered....
Tomatoes aren't more important than the holy Clerics silk panties. They have to be comfortable in their robes when they check their Swiss euro brokerage accounts and do their hymen hunting. Hiding deep in a luxury bunker is always a struggle.
exsgtbrown: "I don't suppose the Iranians ever thought about growing their own tomatoes? Or is Farming something Muslims are incapable of doing? "
No, that would not suit the agenda. It is much easier to blame the enemy (infidels) for all of Iran's failures.
And, farming would distract Muslims from jihad.
Bah. This is all more of bushitlerco's evil scheming. Everyone knows that the way to bring down a nation is to increase the price of tomatoes.
He'll probably end up getting off scott-free too, without taking any of the blame for ridiculously priced tomatoes. Bush is sneaky.
Prediction: If Iran continues to attempt to aquire nukes, the price of broccoli will skyrocket! but we won't be able to blame evil Bush, since he'll have covered his tracks.
Well, this may not be the whole story.
Possibly these were special tomatoes.
"Heirloom" tomatoes.
"Free-range" tomatoes.
Or, best and therefore most expensive of all, "heirloom free-range tomatoes."
The Arab greengrocer I used to frequent liked me so much that he would always reserve just for me his "heirloom free-range tomatoes" and they only cost $23 per tomato. But that was because he gave me a special price. Yes, he told me every time he sold me those tomatoes that he was doing me a special favor, giving me that special price because "I love you, effendi, I love you more than I love my mother, I love you more than I love my father."
Well, I wasn't born yesterday, you know. And by nature I'm the skeptical type. But when someone talks like that, then you know he's telling the truth.
Don't you?
Meanwhile, in a bunker somewhere in Israel...
Evil Zionist Overlord: "We must stop Iran from acquiring nuclear technology for peaceful purposes! But how? A direct attack would be too risky... No, we need something more... sinister. So tell me: what is the Iranians' greatest weakness?"
Evil Zionist Underling 1: "........"
Evil Zionist Underling 2: "........"
Evil Zionist Underling 3: "........tomatoes?"
Evil Zionist Overlord: "Brilliant! We'll use our evil Zionist magic to manipulate the global produce market, driving the price of tomatoes into orbit! Iran will be crushed! Not even Captain Ahmadinejad can stop us now! Buwhahahahahahahaaaaaaaa!!!"
Eggplant is next!
Now, if Ahmadinejad finds out that along with the price of tomatoes, the price of imported mozzarella di bufala has also gone up, then he would be justified in thinking there's a plot afoot. For the Italians know perfectly well that the Iranian haute-bourgeoisie cannot do without its tomatoes-and-mozzarella salads.
But who in Italy could be behind this? There are so many "usual suspects." Among i soliti ignoti, there is of course this sinister Pope, with his sinister views on Islam (i.e., his view that Islam is sinister). And he might be using his network of village priests in rural areas, where the bufale roam, and telling them to diminish the output this year so as to drive up the price. Or could it be diehards of la brigata Fallaci, with its widespread network of freethinkers and republicans? Or could it be that other powerful group with cells all over Italy, in every city and town and virtually within every family, that secret organization of albertosordistas, who didn't take kindly to Ayatollah Khomeini's remark that "there is no humor in Islam" and, under their legendary leader Bruno Barzelletti, are determined to weaken the Camp of Islam so that its forces will not be able to expand their beachhead in Italy or elsewhere in Europe.
What better way, at least in the case of unsettled Iran, to drive up the prize, for the ruling class in the Islamic Republic of Iran, of mozzarella di bufala, and with the price of those tomatoes, whether heirloom or free-range or both or none, going ever upward, that would deprive all but the very richest Iranians of the possibility of an insalata caprese.
I thought tomatoes were infidel since Muhammed never ate them, they are not in the koran and they come from America.
Or did a fatwa find them kosher........ooppss clean.....ooopsss I keep using those words reminding Muslims that their religion was all stolen from Hebrew, Jewish and Christian doctrines.....just like tomatoes.
Sinister forces are certainly at work - don't think it's the Joooooooz this time though. I think its those Scientologists manipulating things!
http://www.lisamcpherson.org/cos/images/tomato.jpg
I am surprised Ahmadinanutjob has not blamed the Jews for the increase in tomato prices. His economic policies are foolhardy. He has no real economic plans. His main focus is wiping Israel off the map. In the end, it will be the nutjob who will be removed.
hierophant: "I think its those Scientologists manipulating things!"
Xenu did 9/11!!!
""exsgtbrown: "I don't suppose the Iranians ever thought about growing their own tomatoes? Or is Farming something Muslims are incapable of doing?""
No they are too busy making bomb belts. This is exactly why they want Israel. Israel was once a barren mess - when it was palestine - but the Jews, with the promise of God, made it bloom....so NOW they want to claim it. Just like they want to claim all the world. They don't actually DO anything productive, they just think they should reap the rewards of everyone else's hard work.
As for the 'monkey'. Doesn't the backwards bonehead know that tomatoes are even expensive here in the United States?!
Sad part is that a lot of the over-dramatic Iranians are probably stupid enough to believe him. I can see the Iranian women now.....wailing in the streets over expensive tomatoes.
Don't worry, the Russians are building a rail line for $177 billion... they will call it the 'томат выразить' or 'tomato express' to alleviate the suffering of the tomato-less mullahs.
"Some shopkeepers cite the early onset of cold weather for the particularly sharp rise in the price of tomatoes"
So it's Al Gore's fault?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gore_Effect
Yep i been doing some more spinning on the old computer c.d player.
D.J Dar al -Harb has a special tune he would like to kick out to that old crazy cat 'imanutajoba',rock on dreamer boy.
this little tune is " The struggle within " by Metallica.I hope it helps hitlers mini me with his jihad on the tomatoe conspiracy.
crank it up!
Reaching out for something you've got to feel
while clutching to what you had thought was real
kicking at a dead horse pleases you
no way of showing your gratitude
so many things you don't want to do
what is it? What have you got to lose?
what the hell
what is it you think you're gonna find?
hypocrite
boredom sets into the boring mind
struggle within it suits you fine
struggle within your ruin
struggle within you seal your own coffin
struggle within the struggling within
home is not a home it becomes a hell
turning it into your prison cell
advantages are are taken ,not handed out
while you struggle within your hell
reaching out
grabbing for something you've got to feel
closing in
the pressure upon you is so real
struggle within it suits you fine
struggle within your ruin
struggle within you seal your own coffin
struggle within the struggling within
reaching out for something you've got to feel
while clutching to what you had thought was real
what the hell
what is it you think your gonna find
hypocrite
boredom sets into a boring mind
struggle within it suits you fine
struggle into your ruin
struggle within you seal your own coffin
struggle within the struggling within.
Maybe the lack of cheap tomatoes is because they were of the "sudden explosive type"?
OMG, he has really outdone himself this time.
Maybe I could interest Ahmadinejad in some of our beautiful bagged California Lettuce, or spinach, properly tainted of course.
I've suddenly lost my appetite for tomatoes, because studies have shown that consuming too many of them can cause severe brain damage and dementia.
If I'm not mistaken, I think the study was done in Iran.
Oh, it's going to get tighter and tighter for Iran, just wait and see. They'll laugh and scorn behind their religion, but the facts of hardship is yet to come.
I hope this might spur the majority of Iranians who supposedly do not want to live under a theocracy. Then the US and Israel doesn't have to deal with Ahmadinutjob.
Isn't Paranoid Schnophrenia a sight to behold?
Sorry, I forgor to include the delusions of Grandeur.
Didn't the Imams mention a couple of years ago that when you're not doing what Allah wants, bad things happen to your country? I think I recall they were talking about the tsunami that hit Indonesia, but it could just as easily have to do with the tomato crop.
Or, in an effort to eradicate any reference to the sexual allure of women and not to tempt those poor pathetic Islamo-studs, who can't control themselves when they see a bit of wrist or ankle, maybe this is a secret plot hatched by said Imams to obliterate the American slang term for a good looking woman, i.e., a tomato!
"Even in greenhouses?"
Greenhouses just don't seem to do so well around Muslims. At least the Palestinian ones sure didn't. Some reasons suggest themselves, like doing real work, long range planning and actually having to be productive for a change.