You Were Always On My Mine

Reaction this morning to last night's "Oh yes, and Afghanistan's sitting on a trillion buck in minerals" story has been interesting.

Spencer Ackerman correctly proclaims this to be old news and wonders what the new endgame is.

So if you were still operating on the presumption that the real reason we remain at war after nine years is something to do with the world’s least efficient way to establish and control an oil pipeline, you’re so 2000-and-late. What, you thought it was a coincidence that the Center for a New American Security established its natural-resources/defense program so soon after the first wave of its leadership entered the Obama Pentagon and State Department? It’s a shame we can’t manufacture cellphone batteries from your vast deposits of naivete.

Betty Cracker is...curiously hopeful.

Seriously, as a final gesture, the US should try to help the Karzai government set up a mining infrastructure that encourages international investment and has mechanisms to distribute the wealth to all Afghans, not just the corrupt elites. (I know—hahahaha!) And then get the hell out. This kind of deus ex machina doesn’t come along every day. 

Mistermix is not.

Maybe it’s just my sour nature and dim view of humanity, but I fail to see why the discovery of trillions of dollars of minerals in Afghanistan is Good News for America®. Is it because mining companies will stuff more cash in Karzai’s pockets, so he can continue with the good works and generosity that have characterized his benevolent rule? Or is it because the Taliban will give up the fight now that the land they hold is full of precious metal?

But it's Steve M. who nails it:

Maybe the story is a signal to the Chinese (identified by Risen as the West's big rivals for these Afghan resources) that the treasure isn't going to be ceded without a fight. Maybe it's a signal that the administration, now momentarily identified with BP-bashing, isn't really anti-corporate. Whatever's going on, the story doesn't seem intended to mollify political enemies or the public at large, unless the Obamaites are really, really tone-deaf.

It's less conspiracy theory as it is "Here's how the next nine years will go."  And, as Steve points out, it's not like there was any chance of us leaving Afghanistan during this administration anyway, the GOP will never leave tehmselves, and they will never let a Democrat leave.  In the meantime, we have to keep the mines away from the Taliban, corrupt Afghan officials, and the Chinese.  Or something.  Forever.