A Tale of Two Poppies

Eleven days ago was Armistice Day, the 11th November when people in the UK and elsewhere wear red poppies as a mark of respect and for the remembrance of the fallen in wars. Red poppies represent the blood spilt on the battlefields of Flanders in the Great War. How different it is for the white poppy that has the misfortune to have a stimulating content much prized by fallen humans of another nature.

The opium poppy is Afghanistan's main crop. The conundrum now facing the powers that be, including no doubt Bush's "advisors" is that the farmers who grow it get far more on the black market than they would if they grew it for an organised programme, which is geared to running the production down. So it would appear that Aghan farmers carry on as normal. So much for spreading democracy and best business practice when this is the main export product!

My suggestion is for these good farmers to be offered a bonus for entering the British supermarket bean growing club. After all, this seems to be highly lucrative. Why not get them to grow exotic vegetables? The only problem, though, might be they get only a fraction of the retail price. This would need to be addressed, to avoid another Afghan war!

Surely it is better to grow fine food than mind-fixing fodder?

http://www.irinnews.org/webspecials/opium/default.asp

Posted in: