What government can do to a country

Egypt, breadbasket to Rome 2000 years ago, now is the world's biggest importer of wheat.  Looks like the Aswan Dam didn't exactly do for Eygyptian agriculture what annual Nile floods did free of charge.

China is apparently pulling a mummy from exhibition in the west because it has some caucasian features--and in the minds of many in Beijing, apparently, a 4000 year old mummy with caucasian features argues against China's claims on the area where the mummy was found.

Closer to home, a half million person drop in employment figures is accompanied by a claimed .8% drop in the unemployment rate.  What does this mean?  That about 1.5 million people dropped off the unemployment rolls and simply quit looking for work.  It didn't stop the Obama administration from trumpeting it as a success, of course.
And we wonder why there are wars, and rumors of wars, with logic like that.