Starving...ah but at least I can have coke
So Afghanistan has been in the news once again as the both NATO and the British troops are suffering loses even though there are claims they have killed over 500 Taliban fighters in the past week or so. Some newspapers are claiming that the Taliban (thought to be long gone) have regrouped and is coming out guns blazing.
The reality in Afghanistan's is that all is not rosy as some would like us to think. It is still the worlds largest supplier (around 92% UNODC) of opium because the local farmers have no incentives to grow anything else. According to UNODC this is increasing year on year. The warlords still rule most of the country making money of the opium trade and garnering loyalty as a result of this. In the south the coalition troops are battling the Taliban fighters and in the north innocent Afghans are starving as a result of the lack of harvest due to lack of rain last winter and spring. Water, food and livestock are in short supply and so it would seem the likely candidate for aid to be delivered to assist the situation so it doesn't become much worse.
In the capital, The western backed government of Hamid Karzai, delivers speeches of fighting "holy wars" against the opium trade but his rule doesn't extent much out of the capital and so one wonders how he is to wage this war. Then again he is influenced by Tony Blair and George Bush who think that the war against an ideology the so called 'war on terror' is being won. So imagine my utter surprise when there was news that a major business was to open in Karbul. A £13 million business that would inject some needed aid to communities I thought. Oh no my friends it turned out to be a franchise for the production of Coke taken out by one of the country richest men. This factory will produce coke, fanta and sprite to supply to the population that have no food to eat or livestock to support. How much of the population will be able to afford the drink? virtually none. Whereas the rich expatriates will be able to afford this, those with few possessions will be forced to try as apsire to lifestyle of drinking and buying things they cant afford. The rich will be getting richer and the poor poorer.Hamid Karzai was of course on hand to open this bottling factory. Is this the best way to spend £13 million to support a country that is one of the poorest in the world?
The reality in Afghanistan's is that all is not rosy as some would like us to think. It is still the worlds largest supplier (around 92% UNODC) of opium because the local farmers have no incentives to grow anything else. According to UNODC this is increasing year on year. The warlords still rule most of the country making money of the opium trade and garnering loyalty as a result of this. In the south the coalition troops are battling the Taliban fighters and in the north innocent Afghans are starving as a result of the lack of harvest due to lack of rain last winter and spring. Water, food and livestock are in short supply and so it would seem the likely candidate for aid to be delivered to assist the situation so it doesn't become much worse.
In the capital, The western backed government of Hamid Karzai, delivers speeches of fighting "holy wars" against the opium trade but his rule doesn't extent much out of the capital and so one wonders how he is to wage this war. Then again he is influenced by Tony Blair and George Bush who think that the war against an ideology the so called 'war on terror' is being won. So imagine my utter surprise when there was news that a major business was to open in Karbul. A £13 million business that would inject some needed aid to communities I thought. Oh no my friends it turned out to be a franchise for the production of Coke taken out by one of the country richest men. This factory will produce coke, fanta and sprite to supply to the population that have no food to eat or livestock to support. How much of the population will be able to afford the drink? virtually none. Whereas the rich expatriates will be able to afford this, those with few possessions will be forced to try as apsire to lifestyle of drinking and buying things they cant afford. The rich will be getting richer and the poor poorer.Hamid Karzai was of course on hand to open this bottling factory. Is this the best way to spend £13 million to support a country that is one of the poorest in the world?
posted by Vocal_assassin @ 12.9.06
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