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S A T U R D A Y , J U L Y 2 3 , 2 0 0 5Poppies! Poppies!by Michael in New York on
7/23/2005 03:31:00 PMNo, I'm not quoting "The Wizard of Oz," I'm referring to anintriguing op-ed in the NYT. It suggests that one way to dealwith the heroin trade dominating Afghanistan is to encourageit. The writer points out the worldwide shortage of pain killers,posits the legal and regulated growth of poppies in Afghanistanto meet that need. Since it's virtually the only source of incomefor the entire nation, this plan would be one way to givefarmers a far more compelling choice: the drug lords with theirevil ways or dealing with the government buying poppies at acompetitive price for use as medicine."...even if we paid exactly what the drug lords do, theentire crop would cost only about $600 million - less thanthe $780 million the United States planned to spend oneradication in Afghanistan this year."Besides, eradication efforts have never eliminated a drugcrop. Cocaine continues to be widely available, despite theroughly $3 billion that the United States has spent on cocaeradication in Colombia over the last five years. And that isonly the most recent example."India's thriving generic drug industry suggests that thereis plenty of money to be made in the marketing of genericpain relievers. But even if returns are modest, generatingany profit at all is better than stamping out the major driverof an unstable country's economy. Legal products are alsosafer and easier to regulate than illegal drugs...."But think of it this way: what's an easier sell with farmers,hard cash now or pesticide spraying and potentially emptypromises of economic assistance? Few Afghans begrudgefarmers' efforts to feed their families - but many would turnagainst greedy planters who continued supplying drug lordsdespite adequate alternatives."
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© 2009 - John Aravosis | Design maintenance by Jason RosenbaumSend me your tips: americablog@starpower.netAMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: Poppie...http://www.americablog.com/2005/07/poppies-poppies.html
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7/23/2005 03:31:00 PMNo, I'm not quoting "The Wizard of Oz," I'm referring to anintriguing op-ed in the NYT. It suggests that one way to dealwith the heroin trade dominating Afghanistan is to encourageit. The writer points out the worldwide shortage of pain killers,posits the legal and regulated growth of poppies in Afghanistanto meet that need. Since it's virtually the only source of incomefor the entire nation, this plan would be one way to givefarmers a far more compelling choice: the drug lords with theirevil ways or dealing with the government buying poppies at acompetitive price for use as medicine."...even if we paid exactly what the drug lords do, theentire crop would cost only about $600 million - less thanthe $780 million the United States planned to spend oneradication in Afghanistan this year."Besides, eradication efforts have never eliminated a drugcrop. Cocaine continues to be widely available, despite theroughly $3 billion that the United States has spent on cocaeradication in Colombia over the last five years. And that isonly the most recent example."India's thriving generic drug industry suggests that thereis plenty of money to be made in the marketing of genericpain relievers. But even if returns are modest, generatingany profit at all is better than stamping out the major driverof an unstable country's economy. Legal products are alsosafer and easier to regulate than illegal drugs...."But think of it this way: what's an easier sell with farmers,hard cash now or pesticide spraying and potentially emptypromises of economic assistance? Few Afghans begrudgefarmers' efforts to feed their families - but many would turnagainst greedy planters who continued supplying drug lordsdespite adequate alternatives."
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EschatonPretty Much - I think this encapsulates nicely ourmodern media environment.1 hour ago
HuffPost PoliticsHuckabee's Huck Pac In Turmoil With StaffTurnover, Mounting Debts - Former Arkansas Gov.Mike Huckabee's political action committee, HuckPac, is undergoing a "restructuring," ExecutiveDirector Sarah Huckabee said Wednesday....1 hour ago
Ben SmithGoing small - My story tonight: President BarackObama came alive about 50 minutes intoWednesday night’s news conference – whensomebo1 hour ago
FiredoglakeLate Late Night FDL: What Eclipse? - A new videofrom Fatoumata Diawara, and and oldie from Bob.2 hours ago
Daily KosOpen Thread and Diary Rescue - *Today, srkp23(pulling a double shift), ybruti, taylormattd,ItsJessMe and vcmvo2 combed through hundredsof diaries to find this powerful list. Today's...2 hours agoJ O H N ' S P H OT O S
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AMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: Poppie...http://www.americablog.com/2005/07/poppies-poppies.html
1 of 57/23/09 3:21 AM
A M E R I C A B L O G T V
Visit our AMERICAblog TV site.see all 322 videos >I collect with
vodpod
The Taco Bell dog hasdied
In honor of SenatorDeMint
For the GOPers, healthcare is politics. They just
Traditional media has todebunk the birthers
One small step...
The right-wing media, thevoices of the GOP, inNext 6AMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: Poppie...http://www.americablog.com/2005/07/poppies-poppies.html
2 of 57/23/09 3:21 AM
The TreatmentObama Has a Grown-UpTalk With America(Gulp)3 hours agoEzra KleinTab Dump7 hours agoWonk RoomSen. Byron Dorgan:The ‘Trade’ InCap-And-Trade ‘MakesNo Sense To Me’9 hours agoHealth BeatTruth Squad: WallStreet Journal HealthCare Editorial Wrong onthe Facts . . .9 hours agoDaily DoseProviders Endorse 'Payfor Value' ProposalsG AY P O L I T I C S
Visit our new gay politicssection, AMERICAblog Gay.F E E D S
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AmoLatino.comAds by GoogleTop AdAdvertise in this spot.H E A LT H C A R ER E F O R MAMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: Poppie...http://www.americablog.com/2005/07/poppies-poppies.html
3 of 57/23/09 3:21 AM
S E A R C H
AMERICAblog
Web
SearchS E N D U S T I P S &C O M M E N T Samericablog@starpower.netB L O G A R C H I V E
Blog ArchiveS I T E S W E L I K EAir America RadioAlan Colmes' blogAri Melber (The Nation)Ben SmithBicycleMark's blog &podcastBilericoBradBlogBring It OnCarrie FisherCrooks and LiarsDailyKosDan Savage's "Slog"Daou ReportDemocratic UndergroundEschatonEzra KleinFire Dog LakeFiveThirtyEight.comFreeway BloggerThe Gavel (SpeakerPelosi's blog)Good As YouGlenn GreenwaldHoly Bullies and HeadlessMonstersHuffington PostHullabaloo (Digby)Jack and Jill PoliticsJed ReportJesus' GeneralKenneth in the 212Margaret and HelenMatthew GrossMedia MattersMike Signorile's "The Gist"MudflatsMyDDOpen LeftPlum LinePolitical Punch (JakeTapper)Political WirePolitics 1Pop SurfingProgressive Blog DigestQueers UnitedRawStoryRex WocknerRude PunditSmirking ChimpTalk LeftTappedTaylor MarshThink ProgressTowleRoadVetVoice.comWashington NoteWayneBesen.comWonketteWorth Repeating
N E W S L I N K SUSWashington PostNYTAP PoliticsReuters PoliticsRasmussen PollsTimeNewsweekRoll CallThe HillABCNews
P L E A S E S U P P O RTA M E R I C A B L O GOne-time donation$
Recurring monthlydonation$
Donations are nottax-deductible.L A B E L S
Select a labelL A S T 1 0 0 V I S I T O R SRecent Visitors
A B O U TA M E R I C A B L O GWhy AMERICAblog?Because a great nationdeserves the truth.What issues do youcover?US politics overall with aparticular focus on theObama Administration, theradical right, and civilrights.Who are you?John AravosisEditorWashington, DCJoe SudbayDeputy EditorWashington, DCChris RyanAssociate EditorParis, FranceRobert ArenaContributing EditorBaltimore, MarylandJacki SchechnerContributing EditorWashington, DCAMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: Poppie...http://www.americablog.com/2005/07/poppies-poppies.html
4 of 57/23/09 3:21 AM
© 2009 - John Aravosis | Design maintenance by Jason RosenbaumSend me your tips: americablog@starpower.netAMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: Poppie...http://www.americablog.com/2005/07/poppies-poppies.html
5 of 57/23/09 3:21 AM