Comments:Opium production in Afghanistan reaches record highs

US600$ to Afganistan's poor farmers to change their crop to corn or something like that would help to stop the poppy cultivation.
 * no, sadly this don't work, as long NGO (Non gouvernment Org) or UN give free food, the farmer can't sell their anymore. The same for cotton or this kind of plant, as long old western cloth are given and sold on market. Drug is much more valuable for them and their familly. Money is not the solution, and no doubdt that drug master could give more with a good argument :guns. Jacques Divol 07:44, 28 August 2007 (UTC)

I get the impression that military presence may actually be the cause for the huge increase in opium production. I spoke to a dutch soldier and he explained to me that drug use was very common in the dutch military. Then I asked a friend who was in politics and got confirmed this idea, that the politicians knew and explained how it was very difficult politically to do something about this.

The soldier also told me that dutch soldiers couldn't stand US military and that they used even more drugs.

Ironically this could explain the rise in opium production. When there are about 100.000 (just a guess to the number of troops, correct me if im wrong) to strengthen your customer base... Opium production doubles...

Now a military force is there to instantiate a government, and you try to take away opium crops, with crop dusters, thus taking away a major source of income of Afghanistan. Taking away their bread is not the best approach to keep the peace.

And come on! Cotton and food are not as profitable as opium! What are they going to do? Compete with the high tech subsidized farmers of the west?

The section from "I get the impression " until "west? " was written by me Guidocalvano 13:43, 28 August 2007 (UTC)