This just in. Stop the (hash) presses. America spreads its wisdom by encouraging their Afghan stooges to use gung-ho government agencies to repress their own people. This latest ministry is being trained by the retired director of the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (also known as Parties R Us). In both cases, things destructive to human life are, through incompetence, promoted by a government.
Their latest report notes that there is a "record opium harvest" (Guardian) this year. Who else could possibly be gathering data like this? Not the British and American occupiers surely, since they have strict anti-drug policies which have benefitted the private prison-building industry to no end, thereby providing builders and lazy unqualified layabouts with jobs in construction and corrections, respectively. However, it's not unheard of for armies to charge protection money and sort out transport for a cut of the action.
And this reporter had previously thought that invaders had swooped down into this mountainous country to protect the future flow of gas from Central Asia (through Pakistan), thereby cutting out the Ruskies. As we can see, private initiative always leads to diversification and job creation, in a mafia stylee, doesn't it?
Reminds one of the Opium Wars. We now have: The Gas & Oil Wars and the Opium Futures and Derivatives Market.
