Do you suppose bullets and free trade will ever make wheat more profitable than opium

[thunder rising]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/13/world/asia/13afghan.html?ref=world

What's missing in the glorified descriptions of the assault is that the Taliban playing the part of Al Capone is simply the middle man. They pay more money for the poppy product than the world will pay for another ton of wheat.

So, it will take a lot of convincing to keep the Afghanis growing wheat.

[Warpy]

1. Ending the drug war will make wheat more profitable

Opium harvesting is a labor intensive operation and only black market prices make it so profitable.

[thunder rising]

3. I totally agree.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

2. If they don't have the "dough" to purchase thousands of these,

and if they don't have the expertise to repair them IF they have the dough... well you see the problem I'm sure.

[thunder rising]

4. Exactly! Because on the global market this is the competition. And US farmers have optimized

since farming became a science; like 50/60 yrs. And the tragic thing is that a lot of wheat just rots while people starve and only price supports and favorable bank lending practices keep farmers in business. And in fact it is those factors that focus the production on corn and wheat; anything else, you're on your own.

[Taitertots]

5. America needs to buy all the opium from the Afghanis

Or at least enough to collapse the global heroin market.

Or pay opium prices for Afghan wheat.

[thunder rising]

6. doesn't that mean "price supports"? Every poor farmer must be able to compete with the US

mass production.

BTW: I agree there is going to have to be something along those lines put in place. Paying $10/day to train them to fight for us only created more sophisticated Taliban.

Another thought is if the men won't fight, why not train women? They have a motivation.

[Taitertots]

7. Sarcasm?

We could pay market price for the opium.

Why won't the men fight? Taliban is too well funded by drug money and too well supported by the paid off farmers.