posted on July 17, 2002 07:29:50 AM new
Tue Jul 16,12:27 PM ET
(AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
CHILDREN TODAY IN AFGHANISTAN - WE SHOULD BE ASHAMED
Afghans wash carrots in a polluted river in Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, July 16, 2002. Children can earn one or two carrots a day as a salary for washing vegetables for farmers. Some 6000 people have been hospitalized in the past three weeks as Kabul experienced an outbreak of diarrhea-related illness and cholera, a waterborne disease. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits) Reuters
In 1995 there were 28,000 children working on the streets of Kabul. By 1999 there were 50,000, and the number is thought to be much higher now. Four children in Afghanistan will die before their fifth birthday and more than half are malnourished. A UNICEF study has found that the majority of children are highly traumatized and expect to die before reaching adulthood.
The average yearly income per capita is $280.00. The country is land-locked, separated from areas of commerce by huge mountain ranges and deserts, and it has just emerged from a severe, three year drought that in some areas killed half the crops and up to 80 percent of the live stock.
Approximately 90 percent of children in Afghanistan do not go to school. After 23 years of war, the adult male population has been decimated and the Taliban regime, in control of the country for nearly six years, banned all women from the workforce, so many kids have taken the place of their fathers and mothers as breadwinners for their families. Their wage is five cents an hour.
posted on July 17, 2002 08:32:06 AM new
Gee it looks like one of those 25,000.00 payments Saddam hussein makes to a sucide bombers family might go a long way here.
posted on July 17, 2002 08:56:19 AM new "Gee it looks like one of those 25,000.00 payments Saddam hussein makes to a sucide bombers family might go a long way here."
Like pissing in the ocean.
And if we are going to consider what would go a long way to resurrect the damage that the US contributed to this poor country, it would make just as much sense to consider the money that Sharon's bulldozing operation cost and donate that to Afghanistan.
Helen
[ edited by Helenjw on Jul 17, 2002 09:05 AM ]
posted on July 17, 2002 08:59:41 AM new
What am I supposed to do about it?
Their rulers will take care of themselves first and spend unlimited funds for weapons. They are only interested in retaining power. That is how all rule works but especially in the middle east they don't even try to pretty it up. Find me a country there where it is different.
I have zero say in what this country is going to do. I won't have any choice in the next election that will follow any aganda I could conscientiously follow. All of them will hurt the poor and favor the rich. They are all only interested in retaining power.
So what is your point? What do you think YOU are going to do?
Be glad that by an accident of birth YOU aren't washing carrots in swill.
[ edited by gravid on Jul 17, 2002 09:58 AM ]
posted on July 17, 2002 09:13:48 AM new
My point is that George Bush DEVASTATED a poor defenseless country in order to advance his political agenda and lubricate his corporate buddies and that we should all wake up and make sure that he will not be elected again in 2004.
posted on July 17, 2002 09:43:14 AM new
Helen, those children should get down on their knees and thank us. They are better off now then they ever were before. At least now they can go to school, specifically the girls. There is now international money coming in to build up infrastructure. Education and a democratized society is what will help those children. They suffered more under the Taliban and before that the fragmented "war lord" chaos then they what they are dealing with now.
But here's a question for you. If you are so unhappy about their situation, why don't you get off your fat azz and buy a plane ticket over there and HELP them. Make yourself useful. You could help them wash and sort those carrots.
posted on July 17, 2002 10:01:44 AM new
The American Taliban went over thinking he would pick a side and help them.
When he went the Taliban were considered OK with the US and suddenly he found himself on the other side when the Taliban fell out of favor with the US. Once you are there events may sweep you away and there may be no opportunity to say - Excuse me - have to go home because things have changed.
posted on July 17, 2002 10:11:11 AM new
Ummm, Helen...they were already rubble before we bombed them. They are no worse off now. Better of actually. Hey! Didja know the new Afghani government has TWO women ministers? How many did they have before, huh? Only two, but that is still better than before. With our help they are making progress.
You know very well that we did not bomb this country for humanitarian reasons. What nonsense!!!
The children are also hammering sheet metal shining shoes begging , collecting scrap metal from the garbage, collecting firewood while they risk stepping on land mines.
Did you know that 45% of both the Taliban and Northern Alliance armies were children under the age of 18. It was an easy target for George...a piece of cake.
Maybe he would enjoy some cake laced with Kabul carrots. LOL!!!
posted on July 17, 2002 10:47:35 AM new
Helen, you of course agree, that Afghanistan is much better off NOW than before 9/11. Those children have some hope now.
posted on July 17, 2002 11:43:10 AM new
KatyD is corrct that they ought to be thankfull and I suspect that they are just that. However, the boys and girls that can go to school do not as they are the breadwinners for the family earning a mere five cents an hour. A gril goes to school now, but has had no food for days. Is she likely to sit there and learn or is she going to scavage for some food or work? There's a reality here that states that we need to do much more to help these people out. Recall, it was not the Afghanis who rammed a jet into the WTC or bombed the USS Cole or the Embassy bombings. The Taliban was just too strong to oppose when their wartorn country was taken over by the organization and troops and materials afforded by the lavish money sent by bin Laden's family and the other arabs to support the Taliban and Al-Queda. These are a devastated people who have a Bush-puppet being put into power over them. They need food, shelter, clothing first. Warehouses, roads, damns, irrigation systems next. Then schools, banks, markets afterwards. What are we doing to help them get there?
posted on July 17, 2002 02:11:04 PM new
just stopped in to let everyone know that the hit single "nonsense" is still #1 top of the charts with a bullet
posted on July 17, 2002 03:20:32 PM new
No it wasn't evil. The leaders made the choice to not turn over those the US felt were responsible for our WTC being destroyed. They had a choice, they chose to protect the terrorists. Their mistake.
You keep bringing up these poor suffering children. Maybe you should go over there and convince their parents they shouldn't be raising them to want us all destroyed. See how well they listen to your suggestions.
posted on July 17, 2002 03:40:46 PM new
The current "suffering" in Afghanistan is not all due to the wars that have ravaged the region.
Before the West can bring in development and relief the "tribes" have to be reigned in.
It does little good to attempt to provide productive aid when the driver of the truck delivering it will be shot or blown up.
Afghanistan's problem didn't happen overnight nor are they all due to wars.
Afghanistan has inheirent problems both culturally and systemic. It will do little good to interject the 21srt Century quickly or without some changes on the part of the people of Afghanistan.
If anyone is starving in Afghanistan, it is because of the regional warlords, not the West's actions.
posted on July 17, 2002 03:41:40 PM new"They were careless people, Tom and Daisy- they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made."
Substitute whomever you wish for Tom and Daisy in the Fitzgerald quotation--religious fanatics, egomanic politicians, greedy corporations. The reality is always the same, only varying by its degree, not its nature.
posted on July 17, 2002 03:46:13 PM new
I'm not sure what was EVIL about BOMBING THAT POOR COUNTRY... I mean the picture and the article, I just do not get. This is Bush's fault that they are washing carrots something that they probably weren't even able to do when the Taliban regime ruled.
That $280 average per capita quote in the article is probably right, so whats the price of rice in Afghanistan???? How much is housing? I see no comparison in the price of living there. That could be 'middle class' income. I have not done a search.
If UNICEF wants to help or any other charitable orginization, thats great, but what did the U.S. do?
Like the others say, the country was in shambles before we ever went there. They ARE better off now. (by just the pictures and the title of this thread, first thought was someone was bombed with carrots! )
Do you know the statitics of how many civilians died with our bombing, I know there were some, but not thousands, probably not hundreds. How many children?
Our military did the best they could do avoid striking any civilian areas.
It was the only choice we had. If we had NOT done it, you guys would be bitching about how we should have.
Hi Hep, Linda, now Brienhold, what is this Nonsense song? or was that a trick statement?
posted on July 17, 2002 04:22:10 PM new
just keeping count, the word nonsense has been used 1003 times since I last stopped in to post.
ludicrous is following close behind
posted on July 17, 2002 04:23:28 PM new nearthesea "quote" I'm not sure what was EVIL about BOMBING THAT POOR COUNTRY... I mean the picture and the article, I just do not get. This is Bush's fault that they are washing carrots something that they probably weren't even able to do when the Taliban regime ruled.
[end quote]
This is an explanation for the photo. It was used to illustrate the poverty and the the condition of the country that George Bush chose to bomb.
WHO health update Afghanistan 14 Jul 2002 (ReliefWeb / WHO)
WHO reports, "Kabul is experiencing an outbreak of diarrhoeal disease, prompting the immediate implementation of epidemic prevention measures throughout the city. Six thousand patients have been admitted to hospital in the past three weeks, and three people have died from severe dehydration. The Afghan Ministry of Public Health has confirmed limited and sporadic cases of cholera in Kabul. The World Health Organization is undertaking further investigations in the neighborhoods of the confirmed cases to get a better estimation of the extent of the problem. As a first course of preventive action, public health officials will intensify chlorification of water sources in Kabul. In addition, the Ministry of Public Health is launching this week an extensive health education campaign alerting Kabul residents of the need to ensure cleanliness and hygiene to prevent the spread of disease."
posted on July 17, 2002 04:24:38 PM new
Then we're even! That's about how many were murdered on 9/11.
Seriously though, Helen, you will have to back up your numbers with a little more credible news source than THAT link. And even if that number was any where near factual (which it isn't) how many of those killed were Taliban, Al-Queda, or even hapless tribespeople whose tribal leaders chose to shelter these Islamic terrorists. Who cares? I don't. I honestly don't.
posted on July 17, 2002 04:26:24 PM newIn addition, the Ministry of Public Health is launching this week an extensive health education campaign alerting Kabul residents of the need to ensure cleanliness and hygiene to prevent the spread of disease."
Say Helen, where do you think the Ministry of Health is getting their money for their health education campaign? Hmmmm? LOL!
posted on July 17, 2002 04:28:41 PM new
Another reason is that children are awarded one or two of those contaminated carrots as a wage for working all day. This is written in the caption below the photo.
And I suppose Helenjw, that there will be a thread soon, on how much the U.S. is not giving enough money for the research on AIDS in Europe and Africa. Shame on the U.S.!
And how we are supposed to give more $$ to Europe and other places, and not spend so much in our own country
