The US is currently fighting two major, ideoligical wars. I'm not talking about Iraq and Afghanistan, but rather the older War on Drugs and the newer War on Terror.
Both are long-term wars against ideas and lifestyles, which can't be fought and won quickly and decisively.
And interestingly, they are at odds with each other...
After September 11th, 2001, the world changed. Or at least the US perception of it. The first major attack on US soil by a foreign entity in over a century. At this time, according to President Bush, you were "either with us or against us". The fight was to be led by a coalition of the willing... even if the willing had to be drawn in the fight.
At that time, a lot of bullying started. Many small countries were pressured into joining at least on paper. Places like Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean for example needed access for its natural gas exports....
Columbia refused to be bullied into this was in which it had no interest. Defiance is unacceptable. The US government cut its annual aid shipment to the country which was about 1 billion US a year! But... what was the money for? Supporting the military expeditions against the rebels which control the drug crops and crop spraying. Basically the US shot itself in one foot in order to try to bring the other one forward! Weird.
We now have a new example. Opium crops in Afghanistan are at record levels this year. With the current conflict it is extremely hard to have any control of what goes on in that country beyond the cities, and well, opium (which is used ot make heroin) is a very profitable crop. The afghan warlords benefit greatly from this, and smartly give the US a trickle of information about Taliban and Al-Qaeda force movements. The US needs this info, so will not move against them.
Interestingly, as hardcore muslims, the Taliban are totally anti-drugs. They had previously been extremely succesfull at curtailing drug production in the country before they were thrown out. I guess, it is one benefit in being a radical, is that you do not compromise!
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