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American aid-a big hit in Afgani markets

alledanalledan Member Posts: 19,541
edited December 2001 in General Discussion
Herat, Afghanistan-AP -- "American" is proving to be a popular brand at a market in the western Afghan town of Herat.Hundreds of bright yellow packets are being sold to locals for about the equivalent of a dollar.The packets -- about the size of a bread box -- contain foods such as stew, rice, fruit pastries and peanut butter.They are decorated with American flags and are marked "food gift from the people of the United States of America."The U-S has dropped more than a (m) million aid packets on Afghanistan since last month.And while the food is meant as humanitarian aid, it's difficult to stop them from being sold.
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Comments

  • Patrick OdlePatrick Odle Member Posts: 951 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Alledan The food packets are meant to be a p.r.campaign to impress other arabs and the onesresponsible for the drops would much ratherhave the world think they are a humanitariangesture to fill deserving hungry bellys,than for it to actually happen.Feed the enemy when he is small, and createa stronger larger enemy.
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  • 7mm_ultra_mag_is_king7mm_ultra_mag_is_king Member Posts: 676 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Japan, didnt we learn our lesson?May not be an army but........................
    when all else fails........................
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  • mlincolnmlincoln Member Posts: 5,039 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Yes, Patrick, I suppose there's a cynical answer to every kind gesture. Everything is done just to really get something else. Altruism does not exist. At the same time, think of this: The USA was attacked and 4,600 Americans were killed. Probably anyone would have understood if we decided to bomb the hell out of the country harboring the fellow who set it up. Bomb them right back to the Stone Age with no regard for innocents. Instead the US fed their poor and took great pains to limit the number of civilan casualities. Sure it could have all been to make us look good, but do you deny that perhaps, perhaps people in America might actually want to feed starving people and might not want to kill innocents? I think you're selling the USA short.
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  • Patrick OdlePatrick Odle Member Posts: 951 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    mlincolnIf you think it is cynical for me to love my country and hate her enemys then that is your right,but you are going to have one hellof a time finding innocents in any arabiccountry to feed. If you don't think that those that flew the planes at one time in their lives were what you now catagorize as innocents then that again is your right.
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  • Gordian BladeGordian Blade Member Posts: 1,202 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I don't have a problem with this. The packets are gifts. If a starving person gets one, he'll eat it. If he isn't starving, he's free to sell it for whatever he can get. It's his to do with as he (or she) wants. We believe in capitalism, don't we?
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  • mlincolnmlincoln Member Posts: 5,039 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Patrick, I don't get your point. The guys who committed the attacks are dead, and we're hunting down those who helped them. How does giving a meal to a starving little kid aid terrorism? Are you suggesting that we just let the whole country starve to death as a way to wipe out any future terrorists?
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  • nordnord Member Posts: 6,106 ✭
    edited November -1
    Damned if you do and damned if you don't!We americans are really a pretty good bunch compared to many of those who share this world with us. In general we're a pretty benign power... And generous at that! While we have our internal petty differences, one thing we've proved time after time is that it's unwise to tweak our collective tail. Sometimes that little tweak gets our full and complete attention and then all hell breaks loose.That we attempt to feed the innocent while we attempt to annihilate our enemies is unique in history. That we show compassion to the weak and hungry while we destroy our attackers is unheard of.No... We're not bad. We're different. And that puts the United States and those united with us head and shoulders above the brutes of this age and every other.
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  • mlincolnmlincoln Member Posts: 5,039 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I'm with you, nord.
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  • hamiltonhamilton Member Posts: 5 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I saw a cartoon or something in a newspaper. It showed one of the bad guys holding the package and talking to another, saying,,,, "These Americans think of everything, food and a flag to burn..."
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  • Patrick OdlePatrick Odle Member Posts: 951 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Doesn't anyone believe that it is streching the hell out of coincidence to only hear of the starving afgan innocents after the bombing took place 3 weeks later than it should. If you have trouble seeing throughthis humane food drop,may I suggest you have your glasses checked.
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