Canadians: Should we stay longer in Afghanistan?

[Desmond Hawkins]

Most the Taliban we caught when I was there were from Pakistan. They're also mostly (all?) Pushtu. They have tribal areas in Southern Afghanistan and Western Pakistan.

IMO nearly anyone who is local to Afghanistan who shoots at us is someone who is involved in the drug trade. Taliban/drug propaganda told the locals that we were there to burns their opium fields and leave them to starve. We tried to tell them differently but I think they had varying degrees of belief, depending on the person.

Yes, I guess I should have clarified. I know the Afghanis are not really "Taliban", but when they ally with the Taliban (even if for stupid reasons: lies, Americas ******** War on Drugs), it amounts to the same effect. The problem is that it might be even harder getting America to stop making enemies of farmers and pull the poppy growers under the AEGIS of NATO than it is to get the other European countries to step up, which is saying a lot.

 

[Desmond Hawkins]

Hmmm...thus far, Canadians seem to be split on the issue, but the rest of the world (at least here at CFC) seems to want us to stay. Anyone who voted Yes! (non-Canadian) want to tell us why?

Of course they do! If the Canadians stay, the French/Germans/Italians/Spaniards don't have to do crap.

 

[Che Guava]

Agreed: if there's one thing that is hurting relations between Canadian troops and the average afghan, its the silly poppy eradication policy...at least from what I understand...

 

[Taliesin]

We should be buying up the poppies and making medical supplies of them, no?

 

[Che Guava]

Yes, it seems ludicris to be exterminating poppies across a nation that needs an income more than anything, especially when there is still a decent demand for medical opiates. Buy them up, give the farmers thier due, and they'll be much more gracious that we're there...

 

[Ball Lightning]

Definitly we should stay longer.

 

[Desmond Hawkins]

We should be buying up the poppies and making medical supplies of them, no?

I suppose the only problem is providing them an incentive to grow more, but I think they have a pretty big incentive as it is. So will it make that big a difference?