Good grief, this is all we needed at this time. Read this small part of an article by James Risen in the New York Times:
"The United States has discovered nearly $1 trillion in untapped mineral deposits in Afghanistan, far beyond any previously known reserves and enough to fundamentally alter the Afghan economy and perhaps the Afghan war itself, according to senior American government officials.
The previously unknown deposits — including huge veins of iron, copper, cobalt, gold and critical industrial metals like lithium — are so big and include so many minerals that are essential to modern industry that Afghanistan could eventually be transformed into one of the most important mining centers in the world, the United States officials believe."
An internal memo says that Afghanistan could become the "Saudi Arabia of lithium." General David Petraeus, commander of United States Central Command, says, "There is stunning potential here. There are a lot of ifs, of course, but I think potentially it is hugely significant."
This is not good news for the American troops stationed in Afghanistan. Even when the war was basically a religious civil war, it seemed like it was going to take forever to get our troops out of that country. But now that these vast mineral resources have been discovered, I'll bet that American corporations have got dollar signs in their eyes.
We'll never get the troops back home now. The American corporations, who are the real bosses in this country, are not about to let the Taliban (or anyone else) deny them access to this great wealth. Just watch. There will now be a brand new surge of patriotism regarding this war. Of course they'll hide the true reason and say it is for self-defense or to save the Afghan people, but now we know it is for the same reason we invaded Iraq -- dollars (minerals or oil makes no difference).
Batten down the hatches because we're in for a long war now. A war to feed the coffers of American corporations -- America's favorite kind of war.
Mineral wealth is valuable.
ReplyDeleteIt is worth sacrificing a few thousand American soldiers for it.
After all, if they were not in the army, they would just be in street gangs or in prison.
I hope you were just trying to use satire and make a joke, nonny (albeit a bad joke). Because if you were serious, then that's one of the most mean-spirited things I've ever heard. Would you believe the same way if it was your child killed to make a corporation richer and give a corporate executive a bigger bonus?
ReplyDeletethat's the least surprising thing i ever read..and the meanest comment by anonymous.
ReplyDelete