Article

2007-11-10 Afghanistan

UK's new Afghanistan plan: pay farmers to ditch opium

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by Steve White 2007-11-10 00:00|| || Front Page|| [11128 views ] Top

#1 Just spread a poppy disease.

Posted by 3dc 2007-11-10 00:38|| 2007-11-10 00:38|| Front Page Top

#2 I like the idea of a genetically targeted bacteria or bug or something.

Also, unless this subsidation scheme is well thought out, it will not work. First, if the farmers are given one lump sum then the Taliban will just come by and take the money. If the money is given in installments, the Taliban will expect some kind of monthly protection payment. And last but not least, I'll bet every man, woman, and child in Afghanistan becomes a poppy farmer right after they get over the shock of disbelief when they hear the good news that the British are handing out free money to people who are or threaten to become farmers. Including the Taliban.

Typical Department of State approach; fiddle fiddle fiddle. Too much thinking and not enough doing. Just spray the dam* stuff and be done with it. It would defund more Taliban than such action will create.

Posted by gorb 2007-11-10 01:12|| 2007-11-10 01:12|| Front Page Top

#3 A poppy disease will only ncrease the price of opium : revenue will not decrease for poducers and after a time we will have disease resistant poppy either throght natural selection or genetically engineered.

The solution is to decrease the numbe of drug users.

Posted by JFM">JFM 2007-11-10 02:52|| 2007-11-10 02:52|| Front Page Top

#4 But that would entail the West, Americans among them, adopting self control as a virtue again JFM. Not a popular suggestion, I'm afraid.

Posted by lotp 2007-11-10 05:48|| 2007-11-10 05:48|| Front Page Top

#5 For reducing nulber of drug users we have the virtue solution (people leave drugs or at least poppy-based drugs voluntarily), the forced desintoxication solution and the Stalin solution

Posted by JFM">JFM 2007-11-10 05:56|| 2007-11-10 05:56|| Front Page Top

#6 Decrease the supply, and only the rich addicts will be able to afford the stuff. What, then, will the poor addicts, ie almost all of them, do?

Posted by trailing wife">trailing wife 2007-11-10 07:53|| 2007-11-10 07:53|| Front Page Top

#7 The best way to reduce the number of drug users is to legalize the drugs and let them take as large a dosage as they can.

Posted by Nimble Spemble 2007-11-10 08:36|| 2007-11-10 08:36|| Front Page Top

#8 Only if we don't have Hillary's socialized medicine.

Posted by lotp 2007-11-10 08:46|| 2007-11-10 08:46|| Front Page Top

#9 Can you make ethanol out of poppies?

Posted by eLarson 2007-11-10 09:06|| http://larsonian.blogspot.com]">[http://larsonian.blogspot.com] 2007-11-10 09:06|| Front Page Top

#10 Was he born that smart, or did he had to study?

Posted by g(r)omgoru 2007-11-10 11:14|| 2007-11-10 11:14|| Front Page Top

#11 What will the British Legion be selling if this happens?

Posted by Jack is Back!">Jack is Back! 2007-11-10 12:59|| 2007-11-10 12:59|| Front Page Top

#12 Good luck. I think they'd do better just buying the opium, but I suppose the Brits have already had enough problems with the opium business.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opium_Wars

Posted by Darrell 2007-11-10 14:15|| 2007-11-10 14:15|| Front Page Top

#13 How about genetically creating an opium poppy that causes a user to turn blue and be covered in itchy warts? I think the incentive to get rid of the drug, and the lure to new addicts, would drop dramatically. We could then trace the pipeline backwards as disgruntled users turn on their pushers who in turn turn on their suppliers who in turn turn on their wholesalers, ad nauseum.

Posted by Old Patriot">Old Patriot 2007-11-10 14:33|| http://oldpatriot.blogspot.com/]">[http://oldpatriot.blogspot.com/] 2007-11-10 14:33|| Front Page Top

#14 How about we just buy the stuff for more than the Talibunnies will pay? Resell it cheap to Pharm companies who'll process it to morphine.

Posted by Uneath Guelph3593 2007-11-10 16:57|| 2007-11-10 16:57|| Front Page Top

23:56 Frank G
23:49 Zenster
23:32 McZoid
22:37 Pappy
22:33 Jules
21:56 Zenster
21:51 trailing wife
21:50 Zenster
21:17 Andy Thrinegum8597
21:12 tu3031
21:10 JohnQC
21:05 trailing wife
20:58 g(r)omgoru
20:53 trailing wife
20:46 trailing wife
20:40 Glenmore
20:39 trailing wife
20:37 trailing wife
20:34 Anonymoose
20:24 trailing wife
19:51 Jules
19:43 lotp
19:37 Frank G
19:32 McZoid