Chasing Golf Balls in Afghanistan
Before U.S. troops showed up, it’s doubtful that Afghan boys in Jalalabad had ever seen a golf ball. Today, some spend their time chasing after them.
Today’s Wall Street Journal shows that “war creates an economic logic of its own” by highlighting the sometimes-bizarre economy of northern Afghanistan, where the U.S. military “pays out as much as $25 million a month to Afghan companies” and soldiers buy blocks of ice, fragments of spent rockets and, yes, used golf balls from locals.
The golf balls are the same ones soldiers blast from their makeshift driving range atop a latrine building. Local boys collect those that sail over a river and come to rest in terraced fields, then sell them back to the soldiers for 10 cents each — until recently, that is.
The market has been disrupted by a middleman who pays the children a dime and raised the retail price to 20 cents, according to the soldiers. The troops consider the price-increase exorbitant and are holding out for the children to regain control of the golf-ball business.
It seems even a market as trivial as golf balls in Afghanistan isn’t safe from war profiteers.
Digg
Facebook
Google Buzz
LinkedIn
StumbleUpon
Twitter
Printer-friendly version
Comments
its about the money
Even in Afghanistan its about the money.If we only multiplied in proportion to our resources we wouldn't have so live in such a hopelessly twisted world. If we don't and somehow manage to fix some of these issues, new ones easily crop up in their place, as it has been throughout history. Visit this site for the real solution - the perfect world theory - http://www.theperfectworld.org
Paying women not to have children?
Did anyone actually click on Sanju's link to www.theperfectworld.org?? Because it's more than a little science fiction-esque and I'm still debating whether it can possibly be real. The perfect world theory seeks to, "Ensure no one becomes a parent without possessing $10,000 for each child." The theory also would require every person in the world (really) to fill out a form to ensure they are financially responsible enough to become a parent. This would ensure that the earth would not populate beyond its resources. It's, of course, ridiculous, but I stumbled upon an article today that reminded me of Sanju's comment.
Louisiana State Republican Representative, John LaBruzzo, is considering a plan that would offer $1,000 dollars to poor women to undergo sterilization. The goal is to reduce the number of individuals on the welfare rolls. LaBruzzo also proposes giving tax incentives for educated, wealthy individuals to have more kids.
Really? Does anyone actually think this is a good idea? Besides calling to mind the world's dark history with forced sterilization on groups ranging from the mentally ill to the physically disabled, will anyone ask the obvious question: why not just increase sex-ed education, make contraceptives more available and give away condoms (by the handfuls, to everyone!)!! Empowering impoverished women to take control of their own body would go a long way in ensuring that they are able to break free of welfare by determining the number of children they wish to have. LaBruzzo cites that these attempts have repeatedly failed, but have they actually ever been fully embraced by society and fully funded by the government?
Post new comment