you struck gold!!!... now you are screwed

Some pentagon geologists have say that they have found huge mineral and gas reserves in northern Afghanistan, saying that it could become one of the most lucrative mining sites in the world. If history is any gauge, corporate interests have already been sniffing the ass of this reserve for years. This potential of lucrativeness will have little positive impact on the greater population of Afghanistan. The rich and upper class will get richer, that is certain. The lower class can only hope that things do not get any worse. Sure, a new mine may offer employment opportunities to those otherwise unemployed, considering the mining conditions in the U.S., I would be surprised if they were any better or up to the par, there in Afghanistan. So, poor working conditions, more than likely poor pay, long hours, etc. will be the effect on those struggling in the longest war torn region on this little planet.

Do not be surprised if they sell of drilling, mining, extraction rights to private foreign corporate behemoths, just as they did in Iraq with the oil fields. By they I mean the same shills who end up buying the rights are the ones who if not write the policies themselves have a heavy, heavy influence by way of the Benjamins, on how policies are structured and carried out. Because of the situation, the alternative to auctioning the rights off to the fattest cats in the chow line, is to allow internal conflict over rights spiral out of control. With the Karzai government and their almost transparent coruptive practices, any chance for order is like rafting down the Colorado River blindfolded, arms bound.

Either one of these scenarios could conceivably feed anti-American sentiment, resulting in a continuation of all of those things that comes with that. Some of those things being more jihadists, more political capital by U.S. politicians to pass policy measures which slowly erode our civil liberties in the name of Homeland Security.

It is endlessly fascinating and disturbing that when a country, so downtrodden, wins the resources lottery, the winnings go to the guy who sold them the ticket.