Recently Liberal leader Stephane Dion outlined a constructive and principled plan to address Harper’s irresponsibility on the Canadian Afghanistan mission… one of the plans key elements being the so-called “Poppies for Peace” proposal to develop an effective strategy to combat the problems stemming from the Afghanistan economy’s dependence on the illegal opium trade.
In effect Dion has aligned with some of the recommendations put forward by the SENLIS Council’s
Feasibility Study on Opium Licensing in Afghanistan for the Production of Morphine and Other Essential Medicines
and the Washington Quarterly published article
Poppies for Peace: Reforming Afghanistan’s Opium Industry (Peter van Ham, Jorrit Kamminga)
Clearly, today’s U.S. led military counter-narcotics strategy is ineffective and counterproductive – reconstruction efforts are severely constrained as long as opium dependence remains. An alternative approach is needed… now is the time for the Poppies for Peace proposal: using medicinal poppy cultivation as a bridge to sustainable development and lasting security in Afghanistan. We need look no further than the Turkish model and it’s 1970’s success in switching from unregulated poppy growing that fueled the world’s heroin drug trade to licensed poppy cultivation for the production of medicines…
Stephane Dion – forward thinking, decisive leadership!
Fundamentally, the western countries are trying to out-compete the drug trade economically. What they fail to understand is how profitable and easy the drug trade is ... Profits are astronomical compared to expenses and it's tax free, no hassle about getting licenses or adhering to regulations, no worries about fair labour wages, no medical or retirement plans and other things that brings down the profit margin.
How exactly is the western countries going to compete with that? Afterall, given a choice, everyone without question will choose the more profitable and less hassle way of making money.
How is the government going to outbid the afghan warlords in purchasing poppies if we assume a fair bidding process and no violence (a big BIG assumption for Afghanistan right now)? Is the western countries (read corporations) going to pay above market prices to purchase poppies that can be purchased cheaper in some other more politically stable country???? Even if governments are willing to subsidize the purchase to make it competitive ... how long is that going to last .... remember given a choice, the farmer will sell to the highest bidder, can't expect moral ethics when you are poor and dependent on a single cash crop to feed your family.
You don't want to talk about gun control but you can't talk war on drug without bringing guns into the equation because where there is illegal narcotics ... guns and violence are not far around the corner.
With Warlords heavily armed, entrenched and in control of various regions of poppy production in Afghanistan, what is stopping them from "negotiating" via the barrel of a big gun with their local farmers? Government may be offering better prices but how are they going to protect the farmers who wants to take advantage of the price?
Is there a standing afghanistan army and police force that are well-trained, well-motivated and well paid to protect the farmers? Or do we need more NATO troops in Afghanistan for protection till the Afghanistan government have such a force at its disposal? And if so, how long will said NATO troops be deployed ... remember anti-war sentiments burns brighter with each passing month that troops are deployed.
Finally even if all these obstacles can be overcomed and everyone goes on the legitimate road of poppy to medicinal drugs ... aren't the profits still going to fuel the Al-Qaeda??? You have just legitimized the warlord's funding source ... is going legitimate in making money equate a stoppage of support for Al Qaeda?
Some questions and others that need to be answered before going forward with this proposal of Poppies for Peace.
