Minerial deposits in Afghanistan

[Jayhawk]

I removed my post, continuing this won't be productive for anyone

Smart 

[Yeager]

I removed my post, continuing this won't be productive for anyone

Of course you are correct.  I digress  

Edited the warrior ant stuff out.

[Ack-Ack]

It certainly presents opportunites for them which can be translated into hope for a better future.  The real question is who's going to risk investing into such an unstable part of the world to develop these mines? 

China, and they're expected to make a very aggressive bid to get the mining rights.


ack-ack

[gyrene81]

so you want to gas the afghans. any other groups you consider subhuman?

Yes and yes but that's a different discussion off these boards.

If the Chinese get their mitts on the mining rights there the economy won't do as well as some would expect. China isn't known for "good paying jobs" and "safety regulations"...especially where foreign workers are concerned.

[Yeager]

Yes and yes but that's a different discussion off these boards.

I am a self moderating tool lol 

Some day the sun is gonna burn out 

[uptown]

China, and they're expected to make a very aggressive bid to get the mining rights.


ack-ack

I'm hoping our government will not let that happen. It definitely wouldn't be in our best interest to let China get their fingers into it.

[druski85]

Surprised this thread is still open.

Vast mineral wealth + unstable governance mixed with a poorly diversified economy =/= happy, wealthy citizens.  Case in point, several sub-Saharan African nations.  Of course the economic and political landscape is quite different between say Sierra Leone and Afghanistan, but all the same this news needs to be taken with a large grain of salt.  (Or Iron, as it were)

[Yeager]

I think it would be safe to say that a small segment of the population would profit fantastically while the rest of Afghanistan would continue living in relative squalor.  Of course it doesn't take a history professor to figure these things out, does it.

[68Wooley]

How many Third-World countries have risen out of poverty when mineral wealth is discovered?

The only people going to profit from this are a few high ranking government officials and First-World corporations.

[USRanger]

Ahhh Afghanistan, warm atmosphere, friendly people, lax gun laws...

[uptown]

  that's an interesting way of looking at it.

[Chalenge]

The USGS published this information (rich deposits of natural resources) in 2002 and even earlier (1979)the Russians attempted to transport resources home to Russia. We have the same thing here in America (you may be surprised to learn that) but at least Afghanistan has the benefit of having recently executed their environmetalists.

[Ack-Ack]

I'm hoping our government will not let that happen. It definitely wouldn't be in our best interest to let China get their fingers into it.

That is one of the major fears is that we'll lose out on the lion's share of the mineral/mining rights but it's ultimately up to the Afghani government to decide who they give the rights too.

Another major fear is that this could further inflame the current troubles going on over there with the Taliban and even with the various tribes.  The find promises untold riches but also opens on a very large can of worms.

ack-ack

[oakranger]

China, and they're expected to make a very aggressive bid to get the mining rights.


ack-ack

There will be a lot of investors that will jump into this.  This is really big finding that vary well change the economic of Afganistian and the regional areas. 

That is one of the major fears is that we'll lose out on the lion's share of the mineral/mining rights but it's ultimately up to the Afghani government to decide who they give the rights too.

Another major fear is that this could further inflame the current troubles going on over there with the Taliban and even with the various tribes.  The find promises untold riches but also opens on a very large can of worms.

ack-ack

Who knows what the out come will be like. You, I and many of us will be dead before we really see the full affects once the operation is full throttle.  I do agree with you on the "can of worms".

[Tac]

They've known about those deposits since the 70's.

In the 90's the only nation to have vast deposits of lithium and other electronics-making minerals/resources was China..and China (and the US) knew those resources wouldnt last very long. Not so long ago ( i believe 4 months?) the news reported China was preparing to cut back on production of stuff that used those resources which were becoming scarce.

Other Nations that have deposits are already industrialized or are in an advanced stage of industrialization (USA, Europe, Russia, India and some African nations) so the price of the material would be substantially higher than the cheap-labor Chinese mined stuff.

New source is needed.

OH LOOK theres a tons in Afghanistan where there's zero industry, where there's US troops already there and its a nation thats currently in a political vacuum.

how.. convenient.