"Afghan heroin sells on the international narcotics market for 100 times the price farmers get for their opium right out of the field".(US State Department quoted by the Voice of America (VOA), 27 February 2004).
According to the UNODC, opium in Afghanistan generated in 2003 "an income of one billion US dollars for farmers and US$ 1.3 billion for traffickers, equivalent to over half of its national income.”
Consistent with these UNODC estimates, the average price for fresh opium was $350 a kg. (2002); the 2002 production was 3400 tons.
Obama is visiting Afghanistan.
Obviously, his primary concern is American voters.
He wishes to be taken seriously at home with his views on war in Iraq and other places.
Let’s hope that he gains something out of this escapade.
One thing that any American, to be president should learn from mistakes made outside America, especially in Afghanistan, has to be a open minded policy on cultivation of poppy.
Looking at the geo-political situation of Afghanistan,
The farmers of the god forsaken country have a little choice with kinds of crop they can cultivate.
Even to find opportunity to do anything with their lives is not easy, moreover when you have India and Pakistan helping you out with your thought process.
Taliban gives them a solution.
If the Afghans do not liberalize their heroin trade, the chances that they would be falling prey to Talibinisation, stands good.
Government restricts cultivation of poppy, which is in much demand globally.
Whether it is illegal or immoral does not affect the trade or demand.
As long as their will be demand, some one will find a way to supply it. There could be various angles to a debate on this. I personally have a view that, as I support ones right to kill himself, every adult individual is free to choose, what form of addiction or emancipation or she has chosen. Smoking is legal and that does not make the whole world a smoker. Marijuana is illegal and does that stop half of the world smoking their wits out. I am also aware that tomorrow I might be risking my children by propagating legalization of heroin trade. But then the imperative would be on my upbringing, how I am able to convince them of staying away from the perceived evils of life.
However, the point here is not morality, simply as whether it is a moral issue or not, Afghanistan will grow poppy. there are too many vested intrests.
Now the point is whether the afghans will benefit out of this trade or not.
You have Americans and Taliban both making money out of this, but Taliban gains both ways as they get support from the local farmers and also make money for their guns in the process.
The biggest losers are the Afghans, simply because the karzai government can not feel the pulse of the people or is as uaual listening to his old bosses, the CIA.
This is the beginning of disintegration.
But why should Obama spell out a policy on Heroin, that too for Afghanistan?
This is why!
The heroin business is not "filling the coffers of the Taliban" as claimed by US government and the international community: quite the opposite! The proceeds of this illegal trade are the source of wealth formation, largely reaped by powerful business/criminal interests within the Western countries. These interests are sustained by US foreign policy. Decision-making in the US State Department, the CIA and the Pentagon is instrumental in supporting this highly profitable multibillion dollar trade, third in commodity value after oil and the arms trade.
The Afghan drug economy is "protected".
The heroin trade was part of the war agenda. What this war has achieved is to restore a compliant narco-State, headed by a US appointed puppet.
The powerful financial interests behind narcotics are supported by the militarisation of the world's major drug triangles (and transshipment routes), including the Golden Crescent and the Andean region of South America (under the so-called Andean Initiative).
However, the only thing that can protect the Afghans and their intrest is to get a principled liberal approach.
Legalise cultivation and sale of opium.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Leaving On a Wet Plane
Last few days, living in Patna has been an experience. Water logged on for a week at a stretch. No commercial activity, not a step forward.
Its disgusting, and at times like this one has to rethink all that is and will be.
Mentally, I have been much occupied.
Re strategizing, all my lives plan. I am kind of confused, whether, it is the right thing that I am doing, by staying put,
will I ever see the light at the end of the tunnel or my eyes will adjust to the darkness.
I do not have the solutions as yet, as this is getting tough.
Have heard that, this is when tough get going,
Guess its time to get going, some place else.
At least for the time being, just to tell yourself there is more to life than just this.
(With regrets to Mr. Denver, here are my words)
All my bags are packed I’m ready to go
I’'m standing here outside my door
Folded trousers to the thigh,
Shoes in hand and bags on sky,
Into the water, knee deep high.
Its early morning,
the taxi is waiting,
He’s blowing his horn
Already I’m so lonesome
I could die
Not of loneliness,
But the smell of the decaying water,
Breeding cholera and malaria,
Floating excreta of a million humans
so kiss me and smile for me
I know you won’t wait for me,
Never hold me like you ever did
Because I’m leaving, on a wet plane
don’t know when Ill be back again
Oh babe, I hate to go
The best I can do is think of roses,
Justify my stay,
Living in this shit hole,
Torment my family,
For some silly point to make.
Stupid municipality dictating my life,
How I live how I die.
Anguish, which will never turn into a revolution,
Will just get used to living in this rut.
But promise that we will be leaving,
On a jet plane,
Just to unlearn,
Not for long,
Sure to come back,
Some day again,
After having learnt,
that the rest of the world is not much different.
Its disgusting, and at times like this one has to rethink all that is and will be.
Mentally, I have been much occupied.
Re strategizing, all my lives plan. I am kind of confused, whether, it is the right thing that I am doing, by staying put,
will I ever see the light at the end of the tunnel or my eyes will adjust to the darkness.
I do not have the solutions as yet, as this is getting tough.
Have heard that, this is when tough get going,
Guess its time to get going, some place else.
At least for the time being, just to tell yourself there is more to life than just this.
(With regrets to Mr. Denver, here are my words)
All my bags are packed I’m ready to go
I’'m standing here outside my door
Folded trousers to the thigh,
Shoes in hand and bags on sky,
Into the water, knee deep high.
Its early morning,
the taxi is waiting,
He’s blowing his horn
Already I’m so lonesome
I could die
Not of loneliness,
But the smell of the decaying water,
Breeding cholera and malaria,
Floating excreta of a million humans
so kiss me and smile for me
I know you won’t wait for me,
Never hold me like you ever did
Because I’m leaving, on a wet plane
don’t know when Ill be back again
Oh babe, I hate to go
The best I can do is think of roses,
Justify my stay,
Living in this shit hole,
Torment my family,
For some silly point to make.
Stupid municipality dictating my life,
How I live how I die.
Anguish, which will never turn into a revolution,
Will just get used to living in this rut.
But promise that we will be leaving,
On a jet plane,
Just to unlearn,
Not for long,
Sure to come back,
Some day again,
After having learnt,
that the rest of the world is not much different.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Mahatma's Relevance
This is in response to the various discussions over past few weeks; we have had over the relevance of M.K. Gandhi.
Influencers like Manu, Barun and Sauvik hold at times conflicting views.
I have mine.
Mahatma Gandhi and his life can not be seen in isolation. What he was and what he did had everything to with the times that he lived in.
Surely, he would not have wanted a 108 crore Indians spinning Charkha into the 21st century.
It is a different thing that, both his lovers and haters would want us to believe the same.
The problem, especially with religion based societies is that, we would like to give every greater human an Icon status and emulate his preaching verbatim.
Ram, Buddha, Krishna, Guru Nanak, Jesus, Mohammed to begin with, and to continue it on with Gandhi, Jinnah, Ambedkar, Bhinderwaley or even taking Baba Ram Dev literally now.
There are three kinds of people who understand things as they do differently.
Intellects
One who would want to be like the author of the great books Ramayana?
Telling the story in such a way that, he would expect the populace to understand his version of the story, the so called intellects.
They would not like to behave like Gandhi themselves, so they create one, support him, for their own intellect interest.
Sauda Bazzigars
These intellects are usually used by the second kind of people, who can be termed as Sauda Bazzigars, not business men. These are opportunist, who would like to stay away from competition and find easy routes. People like Jawaharlal and Jinnah. The Birla’s and the Bajaj’s.
The Monkey’s
Rest all are monkeys, Banar sena of lord Rama. Did you ever think that though the great lord hailed from one of the great kingdoms, and had heroes as warriors, in the army of Ayodhya, but chose to fight with an army of monkeys?
Who else would lay their lives for fighting for someone else’s wife?
Rural India stays in darkness, even after Gandhi and rest of the world is made to believe, that they are emancipated. Freedom from the imperialist was achieved by the other two classes of people; the monkeys still pay taxes to same imperialist laws.
Gandhi was John Doe, who got used then and is getting used even after his death.
Oh yes, he can still get a Box office.
Influencers like Manu, Barun and Sauvik hold at times conflicting views.
I have mine.
Mahatma Gandhi and his life can not be seen in isolation. What he was and what he did had everything to with the times that he lived in.
Surely, he would not have wanted a 108 crore Indians spinning Charkha into the 21st century.
It is a different thing that, both his lovers and haters would want us to believe the same.
The problem, especially with religion based societies is that, we would like to give every greater human an Icon status and emulate his preaching verbatim.
Ram, Buddha, Krishna, Guru Nanak, Jesus, Mohammed to begin with, and to continue it on with Gandhi, Jinnah, Ambedkar, Bhinderwaley or even taking Baba Ram Dev literally now.
There are three kinds of people who understand things as they do differently.
Intellects
One who would want to be like the author of the great books Ramayana?
Telling the story in such a way that, he would expect the populace to understand his version of the story, the so called intellects.
They would not like to behave like Gandhi themselves, so they create one, support him, for their own intellect interest.
Sauda Bazzigars
These intellects are usually used by the second kind of people, who can be termed as Sauda Bazzigars, not business men. These are opportunist, who would like to stay away from competition and find easy routes. People like Jawaharlal and Jinnah. The Birla’s and the Bajaj’s.
The Monkey’s
Rest all are monkeys, Banar sena of lord Rama. Did you ever think that though the great lord hailed from one of the great kingdoms, and had heroes as warriors, in the army of Ayodhya, but chose to fight with an army of monkeys?
Who else would lay their lives for fighting for someone else’s wife?
Rural India stays in darkness, even after Gandhi and rest of the world is made to believe, that they are emancipated. Freedom from the imperialist was achieved by the other two classes of people; the monkeys still pay taxes to same imperialist laws.
Gandhi was John Doe, who got used then and is getting used even after his death.
Oh yes, he can still get a Box office.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
R.I.P Olive
This piece of news was passed on by a friend and covered by BBC
An Australian woman - reputed to be the world's oldest internet blogger - has died at the age of 108, officials say.
Olive Riley had posted more than 70 entries about her life since she began her blog in February 2007.
She shared her thoughts on modern life and experiences of living through the entire 20th Century, including two world wars and the Great Depression.
In her final entry on 26 June, she described singing a happy song at her care home with nurses and a visitor.
'Keeping mind fresh'
Olive Riley died in the nursing home in New South Wales on Saturday.
I love singing that old favourite,
Happy Days are Here Again.
Happy days are here again
The skies above are clear again
So let's sing a song of cheer again
Happy days are here again
Then there's:
I want to be happy
But I can't be happy
Till I make you happy too.
I also enjoy singing that catchy Disney tune:
Zippity Doo-dah
Zippity doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay
My, oh my, what a wonderful day
Plenty of sunshine headin' my way
Zippity-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay
There are learnings from life of others.
An Australian woman - reputed to be the world's oldest internet blogger - has died at the age of 108, officials say.
Olive Riley had posted more than 70 entries about her life since she began her blog in February 2007.
She shared her thoughts on modern life and experiences of living through the entire 20th Century, including two world wars and the Great Depression.
In her final entry on 26 June, she described singing a happy song at her care home with nurses and a visitor.
'Keeping mind fresh'
Olive Riley died in the nursing home in New South Wales on Saturday.
I love singing that old favourite,
Happy Days are Here Again.
Happy days are here again
The skies above are clear again
So let's sing a song of cheer again
Happy days are here again
Then there's:
I want to be happy
But I can't be happy
Till I make you happy too.
I also enjoy singing that catchy Disney tune:
Zippity Doo-dah
Zippity doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay
My, oh my, what a wonderful day
Plenty of sunshine headin' my way
Zippity-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay
There are learnings from life of others.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Pakistan Visa Power
I have just been denied entry into Pakistan,
after giving positive vibes, the Emabassy did not give permission,
I am confused whether it was the Indian embassy or Pakistan embassy. (they had wanted police verification done).
As lf they would have trusted the indian police, no wonder half of RAW agents are sitting in Islamabad.
None of the people who think they care for me, really wanted me to go, " Pakistan" why would you want to go there?", be alert, take care, numerous, apprehensions.
well rejoice fellows, guess, when the whole universe conspires that you do not visit a certian place, shit happens.
( courtsey, the alchemist, om shanti om et al.)
They do not realise, when you hail from Bihar, You can go anywhere, even the womens loo. (sic)
I am disappointed, and will wait for a next time, this time, I will not let the whole universe know.
I wanted an autographed CD from Farida Khanum, walk in the streets of La-whore, and go at the whole sale food market.
Get some, Mojari's and Kameez for my wife, get mysself photographed at jinnah's whatever, have it life sized framed and hung it in my dads drawing room. (hardcore RSS).
is that why they denied?...i knew it..everything that's wrong with my life must have something to do with my dad.
forget it..he must be having the last laugh anyway.
I am going to Bhutan instead, booze is cheap, and the bartenders are women.
after giving positive vibes, the Emabassy did not give permission,
I am confused whether it was the Indian embassy or Pakistan embassy. (they had wanted police verification done).
As lf they would have trusted the indian police, no wonder half of RAW agents are sitting in Islamabad.
None of the people who think they care for me, really wanted me to go, " Pakistan" why would you want to go there?", be alert, take care, numerous, apprehensions.
well rejoice fellows, guess, when the whole universe conspires that you do not visit a certian place, shit happens.
( courtsey, the alchemist, om shanti om et al.)
They do not realise, when you hail from Bihar, You can go anywhere, even the womens loo. (sic)
I am disappointed, and will wait for a next time, this time, I will not let the whole universe know.
I wanted an autographed CD from Farida Khanum, walk in the streets of La-whore, and go at the whole sale food market.
Get some, Mojari's and Kameez for my wife, get mysself photographed at jinnah's whatever, have it life sized framed and hung it in my dads drawing room. (hardcore RSS).
is that why they denied?...i knew it..everything that's wrong with my life must have something to do with my dad.
forget it..he must be having the last laugh anyway.
I am going to Bhutan instead, booze is cheap, and the bartenders are women.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
50,000,000
Its a Great Figure, But the Times Of India thinks otherwise.
Yesterday, the great Indian newspaper carried head lines, stating that the Indian government has erred in its calculations of population by 5 crore. The population is not 108 crore but it is 113 crore.
Well for one, governments are allowed to make some calculation errors, all statistics is + /- 5%, chalta hai.
My problem is with the view of the self proclaimed liberal news paper, loosing its sleep over this. They are fearing that, it would mean feeding another 5 crore people, so many hungry mouths to feed.
Hello Mr. editor, go ask your response and marketing guys, if they consider this extra 5 crore a problem, ask your promoters and share holders.
Ask all the tax departments, who would be grinning for more bribes, ask the ones who make anything to sell anything, if they are hungry mouths, or consumers.
As if all that Indian population would perhaps be lying on their backs with their hands tied and mouth wide open for people from NPP (national population project) to fill them.
As if Mr. Dhananjay Mahapatra has to dole out for the entire extra now.
Does he even realize that it is these people who pay for his hungry mouth, or whatever he wants to fill it with? Reading in return his stupid analysis endorsed by a great liberal news paper.
How can the people of a country be a problem for the country, for every mouth there are two hands that work for self and produce surplus for the markets.
It’s a different issue that the socialist in the name of planning decide a future for everyone tells you that another 5 crore would mean extra social security and hence more taxes, so please start hating all people born after you in this country.
You see the centralized government will also have to build houses and roads and everything they are incapable of, to accommodate this lot. So please pay more taxes.
Mr. TOI you are another part of this big socialist ploy.
Another brick in the wall….or they sing……another pr@!$ in the ho%&.
Yesterday, the great Indian newspaper carried head lines, stating that the Indian government has erred in its calculations of population by 5 crore. The population is not 108 crore but it is 113 crore.
Well for one, governments are allowed to make some calculation errors, all statistics is + /- 5%, chalta hai.
My problem is with the view of the self proclaimed liberal news paper, loosing its sleep over this. They are fearing that, it would mean feeding another 5 crore people, so many hungry mouths to feed.
Hello Mr. editor, go ask your response and marketing guys, if they consider this extra 5 crore a problem, ask your promoters and share holders.
Ask all the tax departments, who would be grinning for more bribes, ask the ones who make anything to sell anything, if they are hungry mouths, or consumers.
As if all that Indian population would perhaps be lying on their backs with their hands tied and mouth wide open for people from NPP (national population project) to fill them.
As if Mr. Dhananjay Mahapatra has to dole out for the entire extra now.
Does he even realize that it is these people who pay for his hungry mouth, or whatever he wants to fill it with? Reading in return his stupid analysis endorsed by a great liberal news paper.
How can the people of a country be a problem for the country, for every mouth there are two hands that work for self and produce surplus for the markets.
It’s a different issue that the socialist in the name of planning decide a future for everyone tells you that another 5 crore would mean extra social security and hence more taxes, so please start hating all people born after you in this country.
You see the centralized government will also have to build houses and roads and everything they are incapable of, to accommodate this lot. So please pay more taxes.
Mr. TOI you are another part of this big socialist ploy.
Another brick in the wall….or they sing……another pr@!$ in the ho%&.
Mr. Hunter
I have been accused of paying Mr. Hunter to comment on my blog, it has also been suggested that Mr. Hunter is none other than me I, a case of split personality or cheap publicity.
I would not like to clarify, as any controversy is good publicity.
Reading the blog is one thing, not many reach the comments part, this is for the brilliance of Mr. Bounty Hunter, who has tried to make sense of profound writings and above all maintained his regular piece of his worthy advice.
Do read the book of quotes
Machiavelli and Mother Teresa were poles apart......
Some idiot working for a news service puts out a report like this and world's media and Mr. Singh jump on it, mainly because of the word sex that features so prominently....and also because they're getting closer to that age when they'll definitely need the crutch of some virility enhancing product.......hmmm
So to all the men out there, even if you're not getting it 3 times a week.....as long as you get wood in the morning you should be safe...
The United States invariably does the right thing, after having exhausted every other alternative
65 million years ago Chicxulub killed the dinosaurs...if it hadn't you'd probably be eating Kentucky Fried Baby right now....The earth lives on....
But all the monkeys in the world banging away on typewriters cannot churn out hamlet.....India is a nation of monkeys
But about 18 years ago you couldn't pry Mr. Singh away from the screen if you had a crowbar....
Most widows in India do not have the option to marry again, whether it is for love or money...
If you find revelation among the words of wisdom, keep on reading.
I would not like to clarify, as any controversy is good publicity.
Reading the blog is one thing, not many reach the comments part, this is for the brilliance of Mr. Bounty Hunter, who has tried to make sense of profound writings and above all maintained his regular piece of his worthy advice.
Do read the book of quotes
Machiavelli and Mother Teresa were poles apart......
Some idiot working for a news service puts out a report like this and world's media and Mr. Singh jump on it, mainly because of the word sex that features so prominently....and also because they're getting closer to that age when they'll definitely need the crutch of some virility enhancing product.......hmmm
So to all the men out there, even if you're not getting it 3 times a week.....as long as you get wood in the morning you should be safe...
The United States invariably does the right thing, after having exhausted every other alternative
65 million years ago Chicxulub killed the dinosaurs...if it hadn't you'd probably be eating Kentucky Fried Baby right now....The earth lives on....
But all the monkeys in the world banging away on typewriters cannot churn out hamlet.....India is a nation of monkeys
But about 18 years ago you couldn't pry Mr. Singh away from the screen if you had a crowbar....
Most widows in India do not have the option to marry again, whether it is for love or money...
If you find revelation among the words of wisdom, keep on reading.
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