Heartbreaking. Overwhelming. Triggering every memory, idealistic goal, and policy experience of my State career years. And now the volume is rising on the domestic resurgence of Covid-19 infections, directing attention back on domestic issues and local health policy. I fear the bandwidth/processing capability for global issues for most of us has narrowed considerably these last two years and these catastrophic global events are the proverbial tree that falls silent in the forest. I hope I'm wrong.
Do you think the GDP gap between the two nations would shrink if Afghanistan taxed proceeds / made some sort of concerted effort to control illegal poppy farming / opiate production?
My current understanding of Afghanistan suggests that, due to the sheer diversity of the country (in territory, tribes, economic model), attempts to have a tax system that can be sufficient on a national scale would require a major concerted effort in the first instance.
Well done and thought-provoking analysis. The geographical difference should make comparisons between these two countries meaningless Like much of the western hemisphere, Haiti could somewhat economically and even culturally integrated with its neighbors and the larger US.
Aid and cooperation for Afghanistan would similarly be best suited to its neighbors.
But as you rightly point out, they are joined in US politics.
Great work. A very thought provoking piece. It’s also intriguing to conceptualise this with comparisons to other interventions around Central America and South East Asia.
Heartbreaking. Overwhelming. Triggering every memory, idealistic goal, and policy experience of my State career years. And now the volume is rising on the domestic resurgence of Covid-19 infections, directing attention back on domestic issues and local health policy. I fear the bandwidth/processing capability for global issues for most of us has narrowed considerably these last two years and these catastrophic global events are the proverbial tree that falls silent in the forest. I hope I'm wrong.
Do you think the GDP gap between the two nations would shrink if Afghanistan taxed proceeds / made some sort of concerted effort to control illegal poppy farming / opiate production?
My current understanding of Afghanistan suggests that, due to the sheer diversity of the country (in territory, tribes, economic model), attempts to have a tax system that can be sufficient on a national scale would require a major concerted effort in the first instance.
Well done and thought-provoking analysis. The geographical difference should make comparisons between these two countries meaningless Like much of the western hemisphere, Haiti could somewhat economically and even culturally integrated with its neighbors and the larger US.
Aid and cooperation for Afghanistan would similarly be best suited to its neighbors.
But as you rightly point out, they are joined in US politics.
You -- or rather, conventional sources -- may be underestimating Afghan GDP quite significantly. See: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/18/opinion/taliban-afghanistan-economy.html
Great work. A very thought provoking piece. It’s also intriguing to conceptualise this with comparisons to other interventions around Central America and South East Asia.