4 ms·

The author might as well be talking about the asteroid 16 Psyche. They need the supply chain, transportation, electrical, and financial systems necessary to ex

The author might as well be talking about the asteroid 16 Psyche. They need the supply chain, transportation, electrical, and financial systems necessary to exploit those resources, none of which Afghanistan has.

whatshisface 5y ago
Remember that part about China moving quickly to recognize them?
- anonAndOn 5y ago
  The Taliban joins the Belt and Road Initiative[0] in 3, 2, 1... [0]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belt_and_Road_Initiative https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belt_and_Road_Initiative
  - EarthIsHome 5y ago
    Better than getting bombed if you ask me.
    - anonAndOn 5y ago
      That won't happen again if Chinese interests are now at stake.
  - ssijak 5y ago
    Imagine going to a country by building infrastructure and not with bombs to destroy it..hmm I wonder what would the populace prefer.
    - TremendousJudge 5y ago
      That's what both the soviets and the americans where doing in the 70s there... didn't work back then either
      - Popegaf 5y ago
        You mean the Afghan conflict? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afghanistan_conflict_(1978%E2%80%93present) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afghanistan_conflict_(1978%E2%...
        TremendousJudge 5y ago
        No, the Soviets invaded in 79. During the decades before, both the USA and the USSR were investing money in infrastructure and industry modernization projects in the country, trying to curry favor with the nation. I quote from a humanitarian report[0]: """ Afghanistan‟s economy from the 1950s onward became closely intertwined with the Cold War. From 1953 to 1963 Afghanistan‟s Prime Minister Mohammed Daoud Khan had solicited military and economic assistance from both the United States (US) and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), believing that, without rapid growth, Afghanistan would become severely politically fragmented. Often dubbed the “economic Korea”, the country received 50% of its foreign aid from the Soviet Union between 1950 and 1970 and 30% from the United States during that same time span.3 In the early 1960s Soviet investment targeted immense infrastructure projects including the 1964 completion of the Salang tunnel which greatly reduced travel time between northern Afghanistan and Kabul. By 1967 the country had 1,200 miles of paved roads and a 25% increase in power output. """ [0] https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/AB458EBF37B01017852577BC006B45C4-Full_Report.pdf https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/AB...
    - sorenn111 5y ago
      Chinese belt and road projects are notoriously opaque but often have China bringing the financing, labor, and infrastructure. Foreign companies are often largely left out. The people benefit very little as the resources and value extracted return to China. The workers themselves are largely Chinese workers. The bribed officials get benefit and some profit is shared with the companies, but the populace largely gets nothing and sees the natural resources just taken. [1]: https://www.wsj.com/articles/china-bills-its-belt-and-road-as-a-collaboration-but-foreign-companies-feel-left-out-11579172950 https://www.wsj.com/articles/china-bills-its-belt-and-road-a...
      - dotcommand 5y ago
        > Chinese belt and road projects are notoriously opaque but often have China bringing the financing, labor, and infrastructure. It's so opaque that you know who is funding, building, etc? Right. Also, who else is going to bring the financing? And as for infrastructure, hasn't china shown to be the best at it? > Foreign companies are often largely left out. So what? It's a china led project which the west is opposed. What do you expect? > The people benefit very little as the resources and value extracted return to China. That's true for everybody. The people benefit very little. Do you think "the people" benefited from Canada sending timber to the US or Australia selling iron ore to china for decades? Why don't we offer a better deal? So using your logic, afghanistan shouldn't trade with anyone? If china's deal is that awful and afghanistan is choosing them, doesn't it really show how even more for awful everyone else is? Also, I wouldn't take anything by wsj, rupert murdoch owned and controlled propaganda outlet, seriously when it comes to china as his propaganda empire is peddling the most anti-china propaganda. Do you think "the west" cares about afghanistan, africa or any nation involved in BRI? Do you think we are mad because china is ripping them off or that china is actually giving these BRI nations a good deal? My guess is the latter. Or we worried that china is ripping off afghanistan, a nation we invaded and brutalized for decades? Or are you worried because china is giving them the best deal? Be honest. Given how evil we've been for a few centuries now, which do you think?
        deleted 5y ago
        [deleted]
- ikerdanzel 5y ago
  Two can play the sabotage game. The downfall of western-backed Afghan government is mostly due to the backing of regional countries for Taleban. Now that the table has flip, you can be sure CIA will be doing the same. Not everyone that hates the western countries there are Taleban. Remember there is a saying that muslim tribalism hates among themselves more than anything else. Expect terrorism to spread into China now that they getting involve. The whole debacle could really be setting up for downfall of the middle kingdom. Good for USA not to touch that cursed land. Feel pity for the fools that blinded by that cursed mines.
raxxorrax 5y ago
I think this is the reason why people tripped over themselves to start relations with them, even the US and EU. Because other large powers might be really willing to help out. What would they have to lose? Their image? Although I wonder why they weren't already exploiting the resources? Lacking investments due to security risks?
55555 5y ago
China will be happy to help.
nix23 5y ago
Sell the Opium to the West the minerals to East, problem solved.
MikeDelta 5y ago
There is this thing known as the resource curse, where countries rich in resources reap very little of it. I don't think the new rulers will be able to capitalize on this, and help from other countries will only make the wealth go to them. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resource_curse https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resource_curse

whatshisface 5y ago

Remember that part about China moving quickly to recognize them?

anonAndOn 5y ago
The Taliban joins the Belt and Road Initiative[0] in 3, 2, 1... [0]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belt_and_Road_Initiative https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belt_and_Road_Initiative
- EarthIsHome 5y ago
  Better than getting bombed if you ask me.
  - anonAndOn 5y ago
    That won't happen again if Chinese interests are now at stake.
- ssijak 5y ago
  Imagine going to a country by building infrastructure and not with bombs to destroy it..hmm I wonder what would the populace prefer.
  - TremendousJudge 5y ago
    That's what both the soviets and the americans where doing in the 70s there... didn't work back then either
    - Popegaf 5y ago
      You mean the Afghan conflict? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afghanistan_conflict_(1978%E2%80%93present) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afghanistan_conflict_(1978%E2%...
      - TremendousJudge 5y ago
        No, the Soviets invaded in 79. During the decades before, both the USA and the USSR were investing money in infrastructure and industry modernization projects in the country, trying to curry favor with the nation. I quote from a humanitarian report[0]: """ Afghanistan‟s economy from the 1950s onward became closely intertwined with the Cold War. From 1953 to 1963 Afghanistan‟s Prime Minister Mohammed Daoud Khan had solicited military and economic assistance from both the United States (US) and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), believing that, without rapid growth, Afghanistan would become severely politically fragmented. Often dubbed the “economic Korea”, the country received 50% of its foreign aid from the Soviet Union between 1950 and 1970 and 30% from the United States during that same time span.3 In the early 1960s Soviet investment targeted immense infrastructure projects including the 1964 completion of the Salang tunnel which greatly reduced travel time between northern Afghanistan and Kabul. By 1967 the country had 1,200 miles of paved roads and a 25% increase in power output. """ [0] https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/AB458EBF37B01017852577BC006B45C4-Full_Report.pdf https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/AB...
  - sorenn111 5y ago
    Chinese belt and road projects are notoriously opaque but often have China bringing the financing, labor, and infrastructure. Foreign companies are often largely left out. The people benefit very little as the resources and value extracted return to China. The workers themselves are largely Chinese workers. The bribed officials get benefit and some profit is shared with the companies, but the populace largely gets nothing and sees the natural resources just taken. [1]: https://www.wsj.com/articles/china-bills-its-belt-and-road-as-a-collaboration-but-foreign-companies-feel-left-out-11579172950 https://www.wsj.com/articles/china-bills-its-belt-and-road-a...
    - dotcommand 5y ago
      > Chinese belt and road projects are notoriously opaque but often have China bringing the financing, labor, and infrastructure. It's so opaque that you know who is funding, building, etc? Right. Also, who else is going to bring the financing? And as for infrastructure, hasn't china shown to be the best at it? > Foreign companies are often largely left out. So what? It's a china led project which the west is opposed. What do you expect? > The people benefit very little as the resources and value extracted return to China. That's true for everybody. The people benefit very little. Do you think "the people" benefited from Canada sending timber to the US or Australia selling iron ore to china for decades? Why don't we offer a better deal? So using your logic, afghanistan shouldn't trade with anyone? If china's deal is that awful and afghanistan is choosing them, doesn't it really show how even more for awful everyone else is? Also, I wouldn't take anything by wsj, rupert murdoch owned and controlled propaganda outlet, seriously when it comes to china as his propaganda empire is peddling the most anti-china propaganda. Do you think "the west" cares about afghanistan, africa or any nation involved in BRI? Do you think we are mad because china is ripping them off or that china is actually giving these BRI nations a good deal? My guess is the latter. Or we worried that china is ripping off afghanistan, a nation we invaded and brutalized for decades? Or are you worried because china is giving them the best deal? Be honest. Given how evil we've been for a few centuries now, which do you think?
      - deleted 5y ago
        [deleted]
ikerdanzel 5y ago
Two can play the sabotage game. The downfall of western-backed Afghan government is mostly due to the backing of regional countries for Taleban. Now that the table has flip, you can be sure CIA will be doing the same. Not everyone that hates the western countries there are Taleban. Remember there is a saying that muslim tribalism hates among themselves more than anything else. Expect terrorism to spread into China now that they getting involve. The whole debacle could really be setting up for downfall of the middle kingdom. Good for USA not to touch that cursed land. Feel pity for the fools that blinded by that cursed mines.

raxxorrax 5y ago

I think this is the reason why people tripped over themselves to start relations with them, even the US and EU. Because other large powers might be really willing to help out. What would they have to lose? Their image? Although I wonder why they weren't already exploiting the resources? Lacking investments due to security risks?

55555 5y ago

China will be happy to help.

nix23 5y ago

Sell the Opium to the West the minerals to East, problem solved.

MikeDelta 5y ago

There is this thing known as the resource curse, where countries rich in resources reap very little of it. I don't think the new rulers will be able to capitalize on this, and help from other countries will only make the wealth go to them. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resource_curse https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resource_curse