POPPY MADNESS?
Since 2002 the United States has spent $8.6 billion just for the “war” against Poppies in Afghanistan and this year (2017) poppy production is UP, UP, UP! Another great job accomplished by good ol’ America!
And the stated reason is that the Taliban, which banned poppy cultivation when it ruled Afghanistan, (you know BEFORE we attacked them and started this ENDLESS war) is now involved in running its own factories, refining the lucrative crop into morphine and heroin for exporting abroad. Mostly to Europe and Canada.
Most American heroin comes from those bad-hombres’ in Mexico!
And much like in Vietnam, the CIA is up to their chinny-chin-chins in running drugs as usual. Tubularsock might as well mention the big banks that launder the money too, so as not to leave anyone out.
Ok, just to be complete the picture, many members within the entire “democratic” Afghan government find a way to get a cut as well. Isn’t that what democracy is all about?
You see it is a Narco-state after all!
Afghan farmers are paid about $163 for a kilo (a little over 2 pounds) of the black sap from raw opium. Once refined the price is about $3500. But by the time it is shipped to Europe it wholesales for $45,000!
According to the United Nations in 2016, Afghanistan, which produces 80 percent of the world’s opium, made around 4,800 tonnes of the drug bringing in revenues of three billion dollars.
NOW DO NOT WORRY!
The U.S. has worked diligently to coerce local poppy farmers to shift their crop from poppy cultivation to “legal” alternatives such as wheat, barley, mustard and melons.
The result was that those “legal” crops are more difficult and expensive to successfully cultivate and yield much less at market than did their previous illicit poppy plants.
As one farmer put it, “If we plant two bags of wheat, then we’ll have just enough money to buy the seeds to plant another two bags of wheat. […] We’re going backwards. Of course we’re angry at the government.” (Common Sense For Drug Policy 9/6/17)
Of course, as would be predicted, those areas that were driven from poppy production in turn are the same areas where terrorism activity increased.
Surprised? Push people to the wall and you get a response.
All in all, the U.S., lost the Vietnam War, and has LOST the war in Afghanistan. And yet Orange Tweet Trump just like Step-en-fetch-it Obummer before him has entered deeper into the quagmire.
And all that leads to this future conversation: “Mommy why did daddy die in the war? Oh honey, like I’ve told you before, to protect the Opium Trade.”
So now you understand why the poppy is used as a symbol on “Memorial Day”!
