U.S. Discovers Vast Riches of Minerals in Afghanistan

It will cause trouble on the tribal lands , even more than now , so I supposse the tribal way of life has to end....ahh i see the plan....

WONDERFUL NEWS!!!!

Once they start mining the BS that they have to allow the local people to grow HEROIN since it's the only thing they can do to earn money will have to end.

The addicts of the world will rue the day but EVERYONE ELSE will be very happy.

Edit, wording.

[edit on 13-6-2010 by LazyGuy]

Originally posted by empireofpain

ALL HAIL THE GREAT AMERICAN EMPIRE!

"THEN CONQUER IF WE MUST
WHEN OUR CAUSE IT IS JUST
AND THIS BE OUR MOTTO
IN GOD IS OUR TRUST"- United states ational anthem.

Is that the national anthem of DEBT?? Because you do know China and Japan finance everything you silly country does... for how much longer who knows.

But I bet you say all your shiny things are worth being owned by communists.

Originally posted by GradyPhilpott
If Afghanistan can develop the infrastructure needed to exploit these minerals, the diversification of the economy could very well move the nation forward.

are you kidding??
This won't help Afgh
this will only help bankers
and will do nothing
for the locals except
black lung working
in the mines.

Originally posted by ghostsoldier
reply to post by GradyPhilpott

 

And you don't think it will be US multinationals that own these deposits? They'll pay a pittance in royalty fees and most of the jobs will be outsourced to foreigners. It wont do squat for the economy - Afghanistan is massively in debt and will be for a long time.



Lithium ey? - China has the worlds biggest deposits of Lithium - a key component in electric car batteries...

I wonder how long ago all this was known.

[edit on 13/6/10 by ghostsoldier]

Sounds just like Haiti. It's ironic that they realized all the resources Haiti had, just after the earthquake (which the US was currently holding a mass exercise to simulate). Then they sent 2 ex prezzies and a phone number for the IMF. Same ol stunt they always pull. Find a resource rich region, lend them money, bankrupt them, then take their resources at pennies on the dollar.

Originally posted by GradyPhilpott

I only wish to see a nation brought out of the Sixth Century and closer to the Twenty-first. Some peace wouldn't hurt, either.

That's also a funny thing! many don't know that Afghanistan during the 1950' and 1960's had many advanced scientists and a well known research community.

Yeah! kind of crazy!

By that time they were rather advanced for being in that region - then in the late 1970's they began to descend down, and by 1980 it all went to hell when the Russian invaded, destroyed the country and drove them back to the Sixth Century where they are now.

The Russians were probably after the same riches of minerals as the the western world are now.

Beside the fact that Afganistan is also strategic transit country for the western pipelines from the Caspian Bay to the Southern oil ports, that is!

The guys behind PNAC knew and planned for this a long time ago! and so did the Russians.

As we all know, for the US Empire to survive they need to take control of Afganistan and Iran - and maybe also Pakistan?

Will the PNAC dream of one US Empire survive?

Originally posted by LazyGuy
WONDERFUL NEWS!!!!

Once they start mining the BS that they have to allow the local people to grow HEROIN since it's the only thing they can do to earn money will have to end.

The addicts of the world will rue the day but EVERYONE ELSE will be very happy.

Edit, wording.

[edit on 13-6-2010 by LazyGuy]

The CIA will just move their plantations to another country. They've done it before. It's the cash cow for their black ops and 'discretionary funding'.

reply to post by ModernAcademia


Good find OP.

Surprise! Surprise!

Amazing how in a large undeveloped part of the world there exists mineral wealth. It sure is a good thing they "just" discovered that. I guess if you consider "just" discovered since the 1960's.

www.bgs.ac.uk...
www.afghanvoice.com...

"The principle role of the state is to promote the efficient development of the mineral industry by the private sector" And here I thought I was going over there to promote little kids being able to fly kites. Silly me. At least we are promoting democr...er... what do you call it when the the government is supposed to do corporation's biding? And it's not even for American companies. China is all over it:

mom.gov.af...
www.cacianalyst.org.../4858

In China, a Communist country, the government takes it all while exploiting its own citizens and using them like slaves. Half of the population of China lives on less than $2 per day. The miners fare slightly better. As is always the case with the government controlling resources and business, the good of the State trumps any thoughts of the needs of the people.

In the US, many fortunes have been made in mining and the production of products from the results. Many high paying jobs are produced by mining from the miners themselves to the highly paid workers producing the end product.

In China, safety is low priority and miners are dying off like flies. Many of the deaths are thought to be unreported. The techniques do not take into account the workers and only the profits are of concern.

In the US, regulations and their enforcement are advanced to the point that mining deaths are now very rare in comparison. Between regulation and rights of the workers to sue their employers, only the safest methods are profitable.

Hmmm, if I were an Afghan, which system would I rather work under?

Communism = Starvation wages and horrible working conditions.

Our System = Good wages and benefits, good working conditions and ample government oversight.

The difference is so stark in fact that the Russians are making fun of us for allowing the Obama Administration to move us in the direction they just escaped from.

I think the Duh Factor, plays heavily in this debate.

Now if the Afghan Government in its current Kindergarten state of affairs were to suddenly be handed massive wealth without anyone to intercede on behalf of the Afghan's, someone with a Capitalist System that allows individuals opportunity in spite of their government, it would be a blood bath as the old War Lords took it all for themselves.

Criticize our system all people want, but at least we have a fighting chance. Some of us actually do very well and most of us live well. Even our poor are rich by world standards.

The u.s will murder them off even more now as theres more than just opium for them to profit from now... The madness continues..

I believe this is good news. Hopefully the Afghans will be happy to have a lot of good paying jobs come into the country and be more prosperous. I know I wouldn't want to keep fighting if I could work in a good paying job instead. I kind of wonder if there could be more mineral deposits in neighboring countries. Of course if the US found something in other countries, they probably would not release that information. I'm happy that selling drugs may not be needed to provide funds in the future.

I see this as a win win. The Afghans get good paying jobs (hopefully). Afghanistan gets a major boost in revenue and a lot of additional consumer spending as the people acquire money to buy other things. Then they will have funds to pay their armies and equip them to fend off any future invaders. The US loses one money pit and instead benefits as well via less expensive commodities. If there is a conspiracy theory here, I might see one as far as knowing about the lithium and the need to have that for future car batteries which seems to be important for the future US and possibly global economy. Trade is about a win win situation. I don't see losers. I think some on here would have been happier if the information was kept locked away for another 30 years and Afghanistan stayed dirt poor.

Companies are not going to risk billions of dollars in investments unless they can achieve a high profit return on those investments. Capitalism is about everyone getting more even if the pie or benefits are not spread evenly. I believe China understands that. It would be nice if more people in the West understood that.

reply to post by Blaine91555


Communism doesn't always turn into slave-driven poverty - if fare-trade award wages are written into law.

Its not the system thats faulty, its the people that run them.

And I think its pretty lame to still consider China as communist.

Originally posted by Chevalerous

That's also a funny thing! many don't know that Afghanistan during the 1950' and 1960's had many advanced scientists and a well known research community.

I'm surprised myself. I've been collecting mineral and crystal specimens most of my adult life. There used to be many specimens available from there. In about 1994 I purchased an extremely large Aquamarine crystal from the same area where the best Lapis-Lazuli comes from. Perhaps 25% of the volume was gem grade, good color and free of veils and inclusions; the single crystal was around 1,000 carats. The crystal was flawless and still attached to a matrix of Mica Schist. I made two months wages of that one purchase and subsequent sale. I don't believe in cutting such specimens and I mention that only to give an idea of the quality.

Everyone who is knowledgeable on this subject is foaming at the mouth to get into those mountains and have been for many decades. Apparently the MSN was left out of the loop. Shows how little homework they do themselves before putting pen to paper. But then the NY Times is waste of reading time anyway since they sold out to the Politicians.

Originally posted by ghostsoldier
reply to post by Blaine91555

 

Its not the system thats faulty, its the people that run them.

Exactly. That will happen every time it is attempted. Communism is no more possible than a true Democracy.

reply to post by Blaine91555


I'm not going hijack this thread but, technically Communism is the greatest form of direct democracy there is.

Why would we have Geologists in Afghanistan?
These minerals will be a huge boom to the US economy, and I thought we were only gonna do well off of the Heroine we get from there.
America!!!! F@%k Yeah!

reply to post by LazyGuy


Are you Polyanna or something? We are talking about Afghanistan, there is not a single legitimate businessman in the whole country. The entire economy is criminal gangs selling poppy. The people have no hope or expectations for a better life so they will not get it. Wealth will not be given to the people because its the right thing to do.

The government is not popular and is nothing but an American puppet regime. I have zero doubt they will be willing to sell out Afghanistan, because if they don't they will be replaced by new puppets that will.

Best real world scenario is another Saudi Arabia where a few elite get extremely rich while the rest of the population is treated like dirt.

Originally posted by SLAYER69
Somehow this doesn't surprise me.
Outside of the poppy fields and oil pipeline routs there had to be something that was more valuable in the region. I'm surprised they released this info. I doubt that this is actually a new discovery. It was probably known for years.

Nothing like spending 2 trillion in a few years to make a 1 trillion over decades.....

I guess US troops should be chased out of there. Just if China, Russia join and give pressure US ll get out of our region. I guess US is not leaving by its own. Guess WW3 might be closer than we expect.

Originally posted by Xtrozero

Originally posted by SLAYER69
Somehow this doesn't surprise me.
Outside of the poppy fields and oil pipeline routs there had to be something that was more valuable in the region. I'm surprised they released this info. I doubt that this is actually a new discovery. It was probably known for years.

Nothing like spending 2 trillion in a few years to make a 1 trillion over decades.....

That 1 trillion will not come to your goverment. Corporations will hubly accept the burden of mining.