Well, up to a point, Lord Copper.
Public Law 480 is a well-known subsidy for American farmers, who dump their surplus onto third world countries called aid. In Somalia, as Michael Maren explained in his excellent book The Road To Hell, food aid under PL480 put Somali farmers out of business leading to a collapse in the social fabric.
I don't mean to quibble but the motivations for 'humanitarian assistance' in this case might well include a covert subsidy to US agri- business. And as to whether the aid is helping Afghans, that rather depends on the way it is distributed, and its effect on local farmers.
>
>j
>
>
>> From: Marta Russell <ap888 at lafn.org>
>> Reply-To: lbo-talk at lists.panix.com
>> Date: Mon, 17 Sep 2001 09:36:24 -0700
>> To: lbo-talk at lists.panix.com
>> Subject: Re: Trees sowed in May bear rotten September fruit
>>
>> There must have been something that preceded this excerpt from the LA Times:
>>
>> Bush's Faustian Deal With the Taliban
>>
>> http://www.latimes.com/news/comment/20010522/t000042732.html
>>
>> "Enslave your girls and women, harbor anti-U.S.
>> terrorists, destroy every vestige of civilization in
>> your homeland, and the Bush administration will
>> embrace you. All that matters is that you line up as
>> an ally in the drug war, the only international cause
>> that this nation still takes seriously.
>>
>> That's the message sent with the recent gift of
>> $43 million to the Taliban rulers of Afghanistan, the
>> most virulent anti-American violators of human rights
>> in the world today. The gift, announced last Thursday
>> by Secretary of State Colin Powell, in addition to
>> other recent aid, makes the U.S. the main sponsor of
>> the Taliban and rewards that "rogue regime" for
>> declaring that opium growing is against the will of
>> God. So, too, by the Taliban's estimation, are most
>> human activities, but it's the ban on drugs that
>> catches this administration's attention."
>>
>> Marta
>>
>> Kevin Robert Dean wrote:
>>>
>>> Hi Dave
>>>
>>> I've been doing searches about Powell giving $43
>>> million to the Taliban regime. The only thing I found
>>> is the opposite of the claim in the LA Times article.
>>> This year 2000 report says on the State Dept's website
>>> claims an increase in poppy seed cultivation. Can
>>> anyone independantly confirm Mr. Scheer's claims?
>>> I've been getting emails questioning it's validity....
>>>
>>> http://www.state.gov/www/regions/sa/facts_taliban_drugs.html
>>>
>>> The Explosion Of Poppy Cultivation Under The Taliban
>>>
>>> In 1992-93, Afghanistan's poppy cultivation stood at
>>> about 20,000 hectares, mostly in Nangarhar province,
>>> which is located between Pakistan's North West
>>> Frontier province and Kabul in Afghanistan.
>>>
>>> Poppy then began to invade Helmand province where it
>>> has increased 800 percent since 1993.
>>>
>>> Helmand borders on Qandahar province, the Taliban's
>>> power base, and harbors traditional smuggling routes
>>> to Pakistan and Iran.
>>>
>>> Helmand also contains the HAVA irrigation system built
>>> by the United States Agency for International
>>> Development in the 1950's. This irrigated area has
>>> been modern Afghanistan's breadbasket.
>>>
>>> Massive poppy cultivation in Helmand has developed
>>> since the Taliban took control of the area, and with
>>> the full knowledge of Taliban authorities.
>>>
>>> The irrigation system minimizes the effects of drought
>>> and supports high-yielding opium poppy from year to
>>> year.
>>>
>>> Poppy cultivation overall for Afghanistan has climbed
>>> from 41,720 hectares in 1998 to 64,510 hectares in
>>> 2000, mainly as a result of increases in Helmand.
>>> Taliban-controlled Helmand province alone now accounts
>>> for 39 percent of the world's illicit opium.
>>>
>>> http://www.state.gov/www/regions/sa/facts_taliban_drugs.html
>>>
>>> --- / dave / <arouet at winternet.com> wrote:
>>>> For those who didn't follow the URL that M.
>>>> Blackmore posted, here's one
>>>> link that needs to be highlighted.
>>>>
>>>> Not that most weren't already aware - it's common
>>>> knowledge of course,
>>>> notwithstanding the limited degree to which it seems
>>>> to "sink in" with
>>>> many people - but just for the sheer ironic force of
>>>> it, and the short
>>>> span of time between then and now that adds emphasis
>>>> to same.
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>>
>>>> / dave /
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Bush's Faustian Bargain with The Taliban
>>>>
>>>> Published May 22, 2001 in the Los Angeles Times
>>>>
>>> http://www.robertscheer.com/1_natcolumn/01_columns/052201.htm
>>>
>>> =====
>>> Kevin Dean
>>> Buffalo, NY
>>> ICQ: 8616001
>>> http://www.yaysoft.com
>>>
>>> __________________________________________________
>>> Terrorist Attacks on U.S. - How can you help?
>>> Donate cash, emergency relief information
>>> http://dailynews.yahoo.com/fc/US/Emergency_Information/
>>
>> --
>> Marta Russell
>> author, Los Angeles, CA
>> http://disweb.org/
>> Beyond Ramps: Disability at the End of the Social Contract
>> http://www.commoncouragepress.com/russell_ramps.html
>
-- James Heartfield