The Afghan poppy crop is leading to a global heroin problem. What would it
cost to buy the ENTIRE Afghan poppy crop before it is sold to heroin
smugglers? If one is to believe a 2004 US gov't report, only $50
million.
"The $10 billion U.S. annual retail heroin market thus generates about
$1 billion in imports, of which roughly $50 million goes to poppy
growers."
Why not send U.S. agents into the ripening fields to out-bid the
terrorists? Moralistic congressmen who feel it's better to spend $473
million on "eradication" rather than simply buying the crop and destroying it
for a fraction of the cost.
I like the idea but wouldn't the U.S. government getting in on the buying just start a bidding war? I'm not sure one entity can corner the market. Of course, Uncle Sam has some pretty deep pockets as demonstrated by the cost of alleged eradication. It's worth thinking about.
1 comment:
Buy up the poppy crop before it can hit the streets of the West, while simultaneously putting nearly all of Afghanistan's warlords on the U.S. payroll?
Sounds as crazy as promoting the use of condoms, or needle exchange programs for intervenous drug abusers.
Sure it would work, but we must never let praticality interfere with our ideological, or religious panderings.
ETK
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