news flash

[sweetwater]

The opiate trade is so important economically
that it corrupts the whole political-legal system.

Afghanistan's present political turmoil and corruption
has more to do with the opiate trade than anything else!

[mnaz]

How does the "Global War on Terror" fit in? The one all the pundits and pols keep talking about on cable TV? Or is that something completely different? Or made up?

[sweetwater]

According to some statistics and articles, Afghanistan supplies 90 percent of world heroin supply. I think that statistic is a little high, considering the golden triangle of Laos, Myanmar and Thailand, but they would have controlling interest of supply for the western hemisphere.

But maybe as statistics suggest, they do in fact control 90 percent of the supply.

The Taliban control the underground economy of Afghanistan. That's what the fight is all about.

The funding for the Taliban doesn't come from the oil industry or government. The whole middle east equation has to do with the opium trade. I don't think this is getting enough attention.

While most of the attention is, as you say, a global war on terror. I don't see any difference between the two. They are co-related and there is some attention being paid to the heroin issue. Some have argued for eradication of the supply while others have argued for alternative crops to grow, like wheat or vegetables etc., in place of opium, etc.

Here are some articles, concerning the issue.

http://online.mun.ca/pages/personal/521 ... gsters.pdf
http://online.mun.ca/pages/personal/52140/folly.pdf
http://online.mun.ca/pages/personal/52140/opiumwars.pdf
http://online.mun.ca/pages/personal/521 ... kistan.pdf
http://online.mun.ca/pages/personal/521 ... 0trade.pdf

[mnaz]

Thanks for the info. Will peruse later.

Great. So now we gotta fight the War on Drugs and the War on Terror at the same time in some beat-down, misunderstood, exploited Middle Eastern hellhole quagmire. We sure didn't seem to mind those Taliban assholes and the opium crops nearly as much back in the days when the CIA used extremists to run the Russians out.

[mtmynd]

[Does this thread belong under Creative Writing? Of course not!]

We sure didn't seem to mind those Taliban assholes and the opium crops nearly as much back in the days when the CIA used extremists to run the Russians out.

We certainly did not want Russia to have control. That was not acceptable at the time. So now we are involved in the quagmire that has no resolution other than leaving... just like every other country that tried to occupy the country for centuries. Obama must know that as well as we do... along with his administration... but the question remains, in the meantime, "how do we gracefully pull out without losing face..? If there is a simple answer to that, please let us know."

In the meanwhile... the war trudges on and our Treasury becomes more and more an empty pantry. Washington knows this. Corporate America knows this. The Media knows this. We know this. But..?

[mnaz]

Just start paying off some of these fuckers, like they did in Iraq, maybe? Obama escalated the conflict in Afghanistan. Doesn't seem like he's anywhere close to seriously looking for a way to get out any time soon.

In the meanwhile... the war trudges on and our Treasury becomes more and more an empty pantry. Washington knows this. Corporate America knows this.

And if you talk to far-right-wingnuts they'll tell you it's worth every penny if we "win." (And they'll blame the staggering deficits on domestic entitlement programs and such). ah, good times.

[mtmynd]

the right and the left will always be the right and the left... who said :the twain will never meet"...? but it's all us folks in the middle getting squashed while the divisiveness of the opposites continues. what a waste of fucking time, eh?

[sweetwater]

it's in the right forum - it's called criticism
the creative discussion on political issues

it's also a free speech thing
thanks for the comments and the discussion

and yes it does seem the west is stuck
in the middle of a drug war

and the innocent civilians of Afghanistan
don't seem to have much hope

but i think the point is that the opium trade
is so economically important that it corrupts
the whole political legal system

creates and underground economy
much like in the west

where similar things are happening

[Perdida]

interesting thread...

"how do we gracefully pull out without losing face..? If there is a simple answer to that

not sure really but why worry bout losing face? I say just pull out, lose face... there are too many people dying, our soldiers, the worlds soldiers, innocent people..and for what? It's a waste of time, money and more importantly, humanity.

please don't shoot me.... it's just my tiny little opinion. And i know i'm probably not looking at the whle picture here, but as we all know there are no winners, ever.

cheers

[sweetwater]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DT4uPDpZs0Q

[sweetwater]

thanks

one word to add - 'opium'