 |
 |
 |
|
Re: The Marks Plan, and nontraditional money
The Afghanistan that you hiked through long ago may not be the same Afghanistan that we talk about today…although much of it probably is quite the same. The rest of this isn’t directed at you necessarily - mostly just ramblings. I feel that there are many parallels of this story relative to the drug story we have been living on our streets in the U.S. for the past few decades. Don’t underestimate the power of corruption. Wherever you see a chronically lagging economy, systematic deeply entrenched corruption is the most likely etiology. This has been true of many economies…Mexico, Columbia, Russia, Japan, etc…and it is true that trust and safety are two of probably several underpinnings of a growing economy. It is correct that there are people who are so poor that they can’t imagine God in any other way than a piece of bread but these people are not the Taliban. I do not know how many times this has to be said before it sinks into the collective consciousness but the Taliban are not the voice of the common Afghanistan people. This conflict is not against the commoners but against those who are currently in power- those who kicked out the semblance of a government that once existed in the past. It is naïve to think that all options are not being pursued. It has been stated that all options are being considered.- unfortunately, what many hear is only the focus on the more violent alternatives. I listen to the news and all I hear mostly is negotiations. Who said what. The major exports of Afghanistan include nuts, rugs, gemstones (but nothing compared to other places in the world), natural gas and coal (possibly of interest to Russia) and … oh, yeah…opium. Afghanistan is the world's largest illicit opium producer. It is not true that the U.S. has not tried to help out Afghanistan: “US provided about $70 million in humanitarian assistance in 1997; US continues to contribute to multilateral assistance through the UN programs of food aid, immunization, land mine removal, and a wide range of aid to refugees and displaced persons.” While $70 million may not seem like a lot I’d like to point out that, at 4700 afghanis/dollar, that’s a whole heap of afghanis. [A few years ago I bought two rounds of straight shots for 6 people for less than $2 in one of the “stan” countries.] In case it has been forgotten, opium is a cash crop. Billions of dollars worth of opium has been exported from this country- and it is supply and demand. Planting the most profitable crop is human nature. The coffee bean growers of Columbia were faced with the same proposition. Barring any legal ramifications (or even considering the risk) would you rather harvest beans or coca leaf? Anyone who has been to these countries can probably tell you that these places are a lot like many other places- easy to feel relatively safe, hard to gain power but you get the sense that the more one gains power, the harder it is to feel safe. The paranoia affects the “top” more than it affects the “bottom” independent of whether or not the “top” is in a legitimate business. But what really overrides the senses in these places for the most part is the lack of opportunity for the masses. Opportunity is tied to infrastructure, but the infrastructure just isn’t there. You don’t need an infrastructure to move poppy like the one you need to move coal and natural gas. So what business will the Afghanistan people adopt that will pay better than harvesting opium? Branding will have to be avoided (if I have the concept right); I don’t think the majority of the people helping to harvest opium will want to give up their way of life to sew Nike swooshes on my next pair of shoes. Construction? Again, everything is made of concrete. The whole thing smacks of trying to convince an underage drug runner to give up their occupation to pursue years of study so that they can become a grade school teacher making 22k/year - Probabilities and actuary tables just don’t seem to work very well. One thing’s for sure – we’ve worked hard to create an environment where dunking a basketball, or managing a group of people who dunk basketballs, etc.… pays more than being a nurse who cares for people with AIDS. It has to do with where we put our values as a society. We wanted entertainment, we got it…it was just like a movie… but now we’ve found out that the price was way too high. I noticed that the Taliban have voluntarily offered to cut their opium production this year. Just remember: “Drug dealers aren't stupid - they may be morally depraved, but not stupid. They understand it's not a good idea to do business while cops are around, so they usually wait until they're not.” http://www.jsonline.com/news/metro/may01/kanecol20051901a.asp The analogy of The Godfather is quite appropriate because, from the first movie to the last movie, it was also a tale about changing economies; from one revolving around violence to one that revolved around the drug trade. Michael was a victim of the paradigm shift. I don’t think dropping food without addressing the underlying problem is the answer – it hasn’t worked for the Bloods, Crips, Latin Kings, Nietas, Five Prisoners, Silenciosos, Matatones, Rat Hunters, or members of Zulu Nation that use to run in the steets below Cantor Fitzgerald (which moved more that $4 billion in bonds last year). The underlying problem is tied to, but not limited to, the Taliban. There is a whole former government waiting to take its place. Once the pipe gets put away, then we can talk. Health care is one thing we do pretty well- we could start there. Annual health expenditure is about 10 cents per person according to the United Nations. Their report says “there are adverse humanitarian effects from the current sanctions regime”. The adverse effects on people’s health have been compounded by “the unprecedented droughts, the conflicts, and the widespread deprivation of human rights.” “The public health situation in Afghanistan is critical.” Taliban officials welcomed the report and called it a “realistic stance.” Nice “who me?” Banned songs: Golden Earring - Twilight Zone - “You will come to know, When the bullet hits the bone” would definitely qualify.
|
