So much of the Afghan economy revolved around opium — from the farmers, to the smugglers, to the Taliban’s own taxes — that they practically shot themselves in the foot, allowing the Americans and their allies to overrun the country in a little over a month.
Just wait, China is now going to invest a shitload into Afghanistan's economy to get highways, railroads, and lithium mines up and running.
The loss of opium will hurt Afghanistan in the short term, but they have a replacement lined up this time. There's no way China will stripmine Africa for resources, building entire cities to do so, but ignore the lithium loaded near-eastern country in their own back yard.
Afghanistan is about to fuck the world over on that market, they will funnel it to China and they will jack up the price immensely.
Probably China told them the deal would only work if they burn the poppy fields and train soldiers to protect the lithium deposits and Chinese miners at all cost.
It's willfully retarded.
Just wait, China is now going to invest a shitload into Afghanistan's economy to get highways, railroads, and lithium mines up and running.
The loss of opium will hurt Afghanistan in the short term, but they have a replacement lined up this time. There's no way China will stripmine Africa for resources, building entire cities to do so, but ignore the lithium loaded near-eastern country in their own back yard.
They can try. But I think they'll find it all so tiresome.
That assumes they'd use Afghan workers. They'll staff it with Chinese workers, and if the locals get uppity They'll send in the PLA.
LITHIUM.
Afghanistan is about to fuck the world over on that market, they will funnel it to China and they will jack up the price immensely.
Probably China told them the deal would only work if they burn the poppy fields and train soldiers to protect the lithium deposits and Chinese miners at all cost.
A KGB agent paid a drug dealer to tell the West that preventing the manufacture of heroin is a bad thing. I'm unconvinced.