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[JoshuaFH]

Is there alot of information on how the Taliban worked? Maybe they were doing something to strangle production, and when they were removed, the farmers saw that as the OK to produce more?

Or this could be some weird correlation does not imply causation that I'm just too ignorant to be aware of.

[Psyco Jelly]

I will be unhappy with the government until we start caring for other countries. Countries should indeed help others. We shouldn't disregard what's happening in Mexico simply because it's not happening here.

Of course we can't throw away resources into the sink that is Iraq. We should actually think about stuff before we pour troops into it.

[Aqizzar]

Is there alot of information on how the Taliban worked? Maybe they were doing something to strangle production, and when they were removed, the farmers saw that as the OK to produce more?

Or this could be some weird correlation does not imply causation that I'm just too ignorant to be aware of.

I admit that I haven't done anywhere near as much research as I should on the Afghan drug industry, but one thing I do know is that the Taliban were totally cool with poppy growing, and practically treated it as a semi-nationalized industry.  That's one of the reasons they were (sort of) popular with the common farmers, that they supported and paid for poppy growth.  (It was still the abusive neo-feudalism you usually see in narcostates, but you get the idea.)  One Taliban aligned warlord made enough money he bought a controlling interest in launching a television satellite.

So with all that money apparently being made, why the giant change in production?  I'm not sure.  I think it's that the 2001 number refers to the year's production, in light of the United States turning everything on it's head, and that the 90's saw comparable production (although the country was crippled with a drought for several years up to 2001).  Still sounds like more is being grown now than ever.

I will be unhappy with the government until we start caring for other countries. Countries should indeed help others. We shouldn't disregard what's happening in Mexico simply because it's not happening here.

We are helping Mexico.  Loads.  Not to the extent of deploying genuine military resources, but there's more solid cooperation going on between U.S. and Mexican authorities now than ever before.  Along with more or less gifting the Mexican military guerrilla hunting equipment like helicopters and so forth for just this reason.

[Vester]

I will be unhappy with the government until we start caring for other countries. Countries should indeed help others. We shouldn't disregard what's happening in Mexico simply because it's not happening here.

Of course we can't throw away resources into the sink that is Iraq. We should actually think about stuff before we pour troops into it.

The Philippines also has traditionally benefited from its alliance with the USA, with joint training exercises, military aid, humanitarian aid, and trade. You guys are helping us out a big deal. Too bad about the recession, though.