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Source: http://www.thecommentator.com/article/2324/iran_is_in_social_and_economic_meltdown
Iran Is in Social and Economic Meltdown
(Commentator) Wahied Wahdat-Hagh - Workers' strikes and protests are gathering pace in Iran. Vast numbers live below the poverty line. Non-payment of wages for months at a time is a fact of life for millions. Inflation is soaring. Beggars in veils line the streets. This is not merely a product of sanctions. Gross mismanagement by the Ahmadinejad government is doing terrible damage to the social fabric all on its own. Steve Hanke, Professor of Applied Economics at Johns Hopkins University, reckons that following the collapse of the Iranian currency earlier this year, inflation rates may be running at 70%. The writer is a Senior Fellow at the European Foundation for Democracy.