Thread: It's poppycock to grow crops here but destroy them in Afghan

Originally Posted by Werewolf

Originally Posted by msr

This idea is more about solving the problems in Afghanistan, not directly solving the problem of drug abuse in the UK.

Permission to speak freely, Boss? To be honest, I could'nt give a fcuk if every Afghan man, woman and child dropped dead. Our priorities MUST be to protect British soldiers and civlilians.

Here is the mission according to Miliband: “This is a mission that’s been developed with a very clear strategy: above all, to make us safer here because we know these areas of Afghanistan and its neighbour Pakistan are used to launch terrorism around the world. So the mission for us is clear.�

MSR

Yeah but Miliband is a fcuking idiot.

Here is the mission according to Miliband: “This is a mission that’s been developed with a very clear strategy: above all, to make us safer here because we know these areas of Afghanistan and its neighbour Pakistan are used to launch terrorism around the world. So the mission for us is clear.�

Is that this week's mission? Because the last PROMARK mission statement I saw in very recent times didn't say that.

... and the one I saw 4 weeks ago didn't say that either, and the mission as defined then, had the cube root of SFA to do with "launching terrorism around the world"

When are people going to get it? We have people in some of the most geo-politically important posts in the world today, who are simply not qualified to be there.

Let's recall what was written almost 7 years ago

http://www.usatoday.com/news/sept11/...um-usatcov.htm

The opium continues to flow from Afghanistan, U.S. officials say, even though the Taliban last year vowed to ban opium cultivation and to direct farmers toward crops that would help feed millions who live in poverty. Taliban leaders declared that heroin, which is derived from opium, was anti-Islam.

The United Nations estimates that Afghanistan's opium crop seems to have dropped by more than 90% this year from the nearly 3,300 metric tons produced in 2000.

But

As American bombers continue to pound Taliban facilities in Afghanistan, U.S. officials say the campaign against the terrorist-friendly regime inevitably will target its biggest moneymaker: a vibrant drug network that supplies more than 70% of the world's opium.

It is a bit strange for Taliban to ban opium cultivation while the drug network is its main source of money.

But now the Taliban either is unwilling or unable to enforce the opium ban, which U.S. and U.N. officials say appears to have been largely a ploy to drive up opium prices by limiting the supply.

It's logical. Taliabn needs money to wage the war.

U.N. officials say that for the past several years, Afghan drug rings have been stockpiling about 60% of their annual opium harvests. Those reserves, which intelligence sources say were being held in at least 40 warehouses throughout Afghanistan earlier this year, have been a financial safeguard for the Taliban.

Yes, reportedly there are huge reserves of opium and heroin in Afghanistan.

Because Afghanistan's opium trade is such a menace to its neighbors, some officials in Europe and western Asia are hoping that the U.S.-led war on terrorism takes down the Afghan drug trade along with the Taliban.

As we know it hasn't happened and likely would not happen soon. But there is a realistic way to stop opium flaw from Afghanistan eventually - to restore Taliban at power. Why not?

Originally Posted by Ord_Sgt

Yeah but Miliband is a fcuking idiot.

Beat me to it.

Originally Posted by PartTimePongo

Is that this week's mission?

Today's ;)

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle6698010.ece

Help the farmers and villages of Afghanistan, by injecting cash in to the area.

There must be plenty of possibilites for improving the area. Let the locals know that if they support/or have dealings with the taliban we'll pull the funding quicker than a quick thing.

To fund it we'll cut the aid we give to India and Africa (India have a space and nuclear programe so why do they need cash? Africa has had long enough to get their sh1t in a sock).

Buy ALL the stock (of poppies) from the farmers at (at least) price and half if not double. We'll need troops on the ground to kep the area safe.

Even if we just tip the sh1t in the sea, it will be better than letting the stuff reach UK.

The crop is used to produce medicinal type stuff. and treatment of smack heads.

Methadone isn't the be all of anti-drugs treatment. It isn't that cheap, nor is it without risks. Some nice clean horse is all they need.

You know something MSR, I'm not even wry smiling at that, as it's way too close to the truth.

MSR - a great subject for debate and action. One that should be kept alive.
To be its the sort of plan that a government with balls would instigate. So no chance for a while then.

To me the plan should not be affected too much by what scrotes on the street think/act/behave. This is bigger than that. Over a decade it would bring positive results but would need real conviction.

I for one think, with the limited info I have seen, that it would work. I know a fair bit about the hard drug trade. I even have an adopted brother who sadly got himself on the junk for a while as many orphans do. I've lived in areas with huge hard drug problems. I've even tried to disrupt tha actions of local hard drug dealers. Am not naive about the subject.

I think this has been discussed very open-mindely before and I remember hearing that it would require about £60 million to buy Afghanistan's entire output and that is at street prices so it could be done for far less. Substantially less than our war spending as we then have an asset to sell at profit or at least at cost.

It will be unpopular of course as people while whine on about drug addicts and the state being the biggest drug baron etc etc - but there is a genuine medical need for it and I think controlling the production would work in the long run.

The same could not be done with cocaine though I don't think as its medicinal effects are limited.

Well done MSR for bringing this up again. Bravo.

How about investing in a genetically mutated virus that destroys all poppies and the coca plant, then sit back and watch as parts of the Middle East, Far East and half of South America collapses. What could possibly go wrong...

Originally Posted by milsum

How about investing in a genetically mutated virus that destroys all poppies and the coca plant, then sit back and watch as parts of the Middle East, Far East and half of South America collapses. What could possibly go wrong...

then we wouldn't have it for medicinal use would we?

Originally Posted by msr

Originally Posted by PartTimePongo

Is that this week's mission?

Today's ;)

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle6698010.ece

One of the reasons I'm now self-employed is because I once asked my manager, "What's this weeks long-term plan, then?"

Americans, eh?

Originally Posted by jarrod248

Originally Posted by milsum

How about investing in a genetically mutated virus that destroys all poppies and the coca plant, then sit back and watch as parts of the Middle East, Far East and half of South America collapses. What could possibly go wrong...

then we wouldn't have it for medicinal use would we?

Many opioids can be synthesised in small quantities, and a don't think it would present a massive leap in bio-engineering to cultivate it from genetically altered bacteria or fungi. Expensive and innovative but not impossible.

I was also being factitious.

True we do have many synthetic drugs but I don't think we are at the stage where we can do without the poppy yet.

Why not pay these farmers to grow GM foods. But pay them slightly more than they would get for the poppy crop. It would still be cheaper than growing it here.
Once harvested the GM foods can be sent to Africa to help them out there, which would save us money by not having to grow and supply the stuff ourselves. It would reduce the money spent on Africa. It would reduce the amount of Heroin around the world and it would give the farmers a ligitimate crop they could grow and be proud of, because they would effectivly be helping other countries who are probably in a worse position then themselves.

There would be limited waiste product and would eventually create a supply line that would benefit the Afganistan and a lot of African nations.