( OT ) Democracy and free enterprise come to Afghanistan
 

And here's the latest United Nations report on poppy cultivation and the
Afghan drug trade, released Thursday (as reported by the AP):

"The Afghanistan Opium Survey 2004 found that cultivation rose 64
percent over 2003, with 323,701 acres dedicated to the poppies that
produce opium. That set a double record, according to Antonio Maria
Costa, executive director of the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime, for
'the highest drug cultivation in the country's history, and the largest
in the world.'"

"Bad weather and disease kept production from setting a record, although
Afghanistan still accounted for 87 percent of the world supply, up from
76 percent in 2003. Opium is the 'main engine of economic growth and the
strongest bond among previously quarrelsome peoples,' the report said.
It valued the trade at $2.8 billion, or more than 60 percent of
Afghanistan's 2003 gross domestic product."

So while the Bush White House points to the recent election of Afghan
President Hamid Karzai as evidence that freedom is firmly on the march,
clearly the drug mules are stampeding. And if the soaring drug trade
numbers are any indication, near-term prospects for countrywide security
and stability are grim. Consider Colombia, where narcotics trafficking
generates a comparable $2.2 to $5 billion annually -- a mere 3 percent
of that country's GDP, let alone a whopping two-thirds of it. And even
with an established government and much more advanced infrastructure,
South America's cocaine capital of the world is hardly a bastion of calm
and equitable prosperity.

On Tue, 23 Nov 2004 02:27:31 GMT, "Eisboch"
wrote:

I seem to recall reading of similar errors made by police departments in
raids of private homes back here in the states.

If the raids that were made in error were made by police departments
from other countries, would you be so quick to forgive?

In the "fog" of war,
mistakes happen.

And the current administration should know that and take it into
account when they decide to invade a sovereign nation under false
pretense. These people in foreign nations, who's non-combatant
friends and family are killed as a side effect of our governments
actions, will have a lasting hatred of Americans, no matter if we
supported our governments actions, or not. Unfortunately, from day
one, Mr Bush decided to rule in a way that doesn't consider the
desires of the substantial minority that don't support his rather
extreme views.

bb

On Tue, 23 Nov 2004 03:52:14 GMT, bb wrote:

On Tue, 23 Nov 2004 02:27:31 GMT, "Eisboch"
wrote:

I seem to recall reading of similar errors made by police departments in
raids of private homes back here in the states.

If the raids that were made in error were made by police departments
from other countries, would you be so quick to forgive?

In the "fog" of war,
mistakes happen.

And the current administration should know that and take it into
account when they decide to invade a sovereign nation under false
pretense. These people in foreign nations, who's non-combatant
friends and family are killed as a side effect of our governments
actions, will have a lasting hatred of Americans, no matter if we
supported our governments actions, or not. Unfortunately, from day
one, Mr Bush decided to rule in a way that doesn't consider the
desires of the substantial minority that don't support his rather
extreme views.

bb


You too. Go read the original post.

John H

On the 'PocoLoco' out of Deale, MD,
on the beautiful Chesapeake Bay!

On Tue, 23 Nov 2004 19:53:10 -0500, JohnH
wrote:

You too. Go read the original post.

John H

John, I did read the original post. And I read your reply to the
original post, the second post in the thread. It would appear that
your reply had nothing what-so-ever to do with the original post.

Why would you of all people be suggesting anyone reread the original
post?

bb

JohnH wrote:

So I was wonder John; hows the new, loving, more caring, on topic
rec.boats deal coming along??

It seems these idiots can't even stick to it & haven't changed a bit.

Of course they can't really talk boats because they don't own boats nor
go boating.

Regardless you still put on a good defense which is appreciated by the
rest of us:-)

Sorry to hear the oil system on the mercruiser sterndrive leg let you
down, we use a pressure lubed leg on the big OB so can see if the oil
changes colour. It needed a seal last slipping also.

Keep up the good work:-)

K



simply shows a lack of knowledge.

The key phrase of the Bush administration and its flunkies.


Very insightful, Harry.

John H

On the 'PocoLoco' out of Deale, MD,
on the beautiful Chesapeake Bay!