Here’s a job I’ll recommend Spud for:
then the internal economic stability of that country and the creation of a functioning currency, and so a tax system, is a priority. People will suffer without it. It may be controversial to say so, but people need to be fed. And that’s why money is going to matter in this case, and we had better take the need for both aid – and technical support on this issue – seriously if further turmoil spreading well behind the borders of Afghanistan is to be avoided.
Yes, you go out there and you create that tax system which is the necessary requirement for a functioning currency and thus a truly independent state.
That it’s Spud insisting it be done means he can’t refuse, can he? And he would, of course, be paid in the currency his tax system supports….
The Taliban would have his fat arse in a large inverted wire pan and rendered extra-crispy within hours.
Shall we have a whip-round to get him a ticket?
Tell him there’s a seat in the HoL for him in it….
“It may be controversial to say so, but people need to be fed.” He is going mad – it gets clearer and clearer.
Is that the best way to feed people then, taking their money off them?
Off topic, how true is this goldmine of lithium in Afghan story?
Goldmine? Nonsense.
There’s Li here, no doubt. But no one has ever done an actual survey – the maps are old Soviet ones, no really, of simple surface evaluations.
Plus the valuations are all “If we got the metal out then it would be worth $!” but without inclduing the costs of mining and getting it out.
Tim’d know better than I Gurzel. But to the best of my knowledge, there’s no shortage of lithium throughout the world. If the Taliban are prepared to provide a favourable business environment, it might be profitable for the Chinese to extract the stuff, and pay royalties to the government.
But when I think of Zimbabwe, there’s plenty of minerals there. But it’s not really worth anyones while to mine them because of the problem of doing business with the Zimbos. Since the Taliban are mad Mahometan murderers, I suspect there’d be similar problems in Afghanistan.
Thing about lithium, it’s extremely light. The lightest metal around in fact. Even after refining, you have to export a high volume lowish value product out of an inland country with no meaningful road or rail infrastructure.
Thought it was pushing it a bit. Silly season journos hit actual proper news story and make it up.
@squawkbox
About half the density of water. Similar to bulk cotton fabric but much denser than made up garments. But worth considerably more. It’s well within the range of economically exportable products from most of the world.
Well yes, but my point is Afghanistan isn’t exactly most of the world. Especially compared to all the other lithium producing nations.
The People’s Liberation Army Mining Corp also tend to be more aggressive in pursuing their interests and enforcing their rights than the likes of Rio Tinto or Anglo-American. Be interesting to see which way it plays out.
… somehow, the thought of the taliban offing Spud isn’t as satisfying as the thought of him being torn limb from limb by disaffected Greens.
Or tax inspectors.
Or telephone sanitizers.
Y’know, his peers.
But it would do.