The people of Afghanistan should be allowed to grow opium.

[otherlander]

The role of opium in Afghanistan is like the role of coca in South America. It's a crop that farmers can sell for enough money to last the winter, and it's the stupid and inhuman War on Drugs campaign that's making people in Afghanistan turn against us. The eradication of the poppy fields by U.S. forces is driving people into poverty, and makes supporting our enemies not a moral decision, but an economically necessary one. If we don't want people in Afghanistan taking up arms against us we should stop the eradication campaigns and allow them to grow whatever they have to grow to get enough money to eat.

[glowing]

1. hmm.. I thought they were producing more now than before the war..

[otherlander]

2. But we're still trying to stop them

We're failing but it's still making them hate us.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

6. Hmmmm...do you have proof that there is an attempt to stop them?

[tuckessee]

7. Most likely they are trying to stop SOME people.....

.....while protecting or willfully leaving alone others.

[Bandit]

9. I believe crops have increased every single year since we invaded.

Republicans love money and they really don't concern themselves where it comes from..It is all about themselves.

[sharesunited]

3. Too much hypocrisy in that crop. Muslims are prohibited from consuming it.

[madeline_con]

13. Muslims, like any other religious group, vary in what they do

that may or may not be "prohibited" according to the Qu'ran.

[The_Casual_Observer]

4. We are learning the same lessons the Soviets had to learn.

Either you erase the entire population, or you leave then alone, there isn't any in between.

[hfojvt]

5. most of us don't eat money, $5 bills or otherwise

So if they grew food, why would they need to eat money? Couldn't they just eat the food instead and eliminate the middle-man?

[Bluerthanblue]

17. poppies are much easier to grow, and they

produce much more 'potential' food.

It's a sad reality, but it IS their reality.

:shrug:

peace~

[Skidmore]

8. Why aren't these fields used to sell to the pharmaceutical companies?

[ensho]

11. they probably are - down the line from field to big pharma

nt

[Wiley50]

21. As someone who, since 2003, has taken opioids (both Morphine and Fentanyl) daily to be comfortable

due to spinal disease, I would be much happier

and more comfortable

dropping the Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid

and smoking both cannibis and opium.

End the fucking war on drugs

Can you believe I am subject to urine testing for cannibis

to qualify for being prescribed opioids?

It's ridiculous!

[Bigmack]

10. We could pay them top dollar...

for their crop... guaranteed... and destroy most of it. Hell of a lot cheaper than trying to eradicate it.

Sure would save a lot of misery in the world. Free dope for the addicts, less crime, happy Afghans, and happy Murikan taxpayers.

I overstate my position, of course, but my solution is more sensible than the current one.

[jeanruss]

12. BBC

They had a story on about farmers who had their crops destryed by our soldiers. They had taken out $3000 loans to plant it. When it was destroyed, they had to SELL THEIR DAUGHTERS to repay the loans. Good job USA! and wew wonder why they hate us.

[Hamlette]

14. no, it is not like coca in South America, it is a relatively new crop

or at least in the amount grown now.

Prior to the invasion by the USSR they grew pomegranates which require old trees. The trees were destroyed during the war. They needed something they could grow for a cash crop without waiting years to replace the trees plus the economy changed. Lots of different reasons.

[JackRiddler]

15. Decriminalize and the whole world changes for the better...

Half the police state apparati of the world are devoted to persecuting barefoot peasants and ambitious street merchants.

[ensho]

16. true

nt

[Jed Dilligan]

18. The people of America should be allowed to grow cannabis.

Neither will happen until we free ourselves from the police-industrial complex that has robbed our government of all sense.

[Mimosa]

19. Why don't they grow FOOD?

If the Afghan people want to avoid being hungry perhaps they should consider growing food crops? Poppies aren't nutricious, afaik.

[Bluerthanblue]

20. I believe if you check out the growing

conditions in Afganistan, you'll find that there are very few crops which could produce the kind of return with the same kind of energy expenditure that the people get by farming poppies.

The Afghan people were trying to survive by eating grass when we invaded- if you remember.

peace~

[mudesi]

22. Do some research

You can't just "grow food". It depends on the weather, the soil, the local ecosystem, and a host of other things.