The Shining City Upon a Hill

[SalesServiceGuy]

How many would say that you were cuckoo if they heard you say that the Taliban will be a valued trading partner for America?

... the Taliban sit on a treasure trove of rare earth minerals that the world needs to produce many different kinds of electronics and defence electronics. Would you prefer the Chinese get these minerals?

The USA currently has some leverage over the Taliban as their faltering economy is heavily dependent upon foreign aide $.

If the USA can play this right, Afghanistan could eventually become as valuable a trading partner as Vietnam, a former USA enemy.

[BillyCarpenter]

... the Taliban sit on a treasure trove of rare earth minerals that the world needs to produce many different kinds of electronics and defence electronics. Would you prefer the Chinese get these minerals?

The USA currently has some leverage over the Taliban as their faltering economy is heavily dependent upon foreign aide $.

If the USA can play this right, Afghanistan could eventually become as valuable a trading partner as Vietnam, a former USA enemy.

I wouldn't hold my breath. Lets first see if we can get the Taliban to stop throwing gays off buildings and mutilating the genitalia of women. Baby steps.

[SalesServiceGuy]

I wouldn't hold my breath. Lets first see if we can get the Taliban to stop throwing gays off buildings and mutilating the genitalia of women. Baby steps.

... the Chinese have already been in the country for months trying to get a feel if the Taliban gov't will protect their investments.

[BillyCarpenter]

... the Chinese have already been in the country for months trying to get a feel if the Taliban gov't will protect their investments.

This is true. There were also countries that did business with Nazi Germany. I suppose it comes down to morals.

[slimslob]

... the Chinese have already been in the country for months trying to get a feel if the Taliban gov't will protect their investments.

The Chinese are mostly interested in keeping their opium dens supplied. The Opium Poppy is Afghanistan's chief cash crop.

[SalesServiceGuy]

The Chinese are mostly interested in keeping their opium dens supplied. The Opium Poppy is Afghanistan's chief cash crop.

... the Chinese want to control the world's supply of rare earth minerals. They already control the majority and want more control.

Without rare earth minerals, many USA defence electronics and telecommunication systems cannot work.

The Taliban, who needs international recognition as a legitimate country to access foreign aide $, cannot run a national economy based upon the illegal drug trade.

[BillyCarpenter]

... the Chinese want to control the world's supply of rare earth minerals. They already control the majority and want more control.

Without rare earth minerals, many USA defence electronics and telecommunication systems cannot work.

The Taliban, who needs international recognition as a legitimate country to access foreign aide $, cannot run a national economy based upon the illegal drug trade.

We should have just taken them while we were over there. Consider it pay for attacking America.

[SalesServiceGuy]

We should have just taken them while we were over there. Consider it pay for attacking America.

... any advanced mining operation is too vulnerable to attack without the consent and protection of the Taliban. Even if the Taliban were to start mining rare earths, the facilities are vulnerable by attacks from ISIS or Pakistan.

[BillyCarpenter]

... any advanced mining operation is too vulnerable to attack without the consent and protection of the Taliban. Even if the Taliban were to start mining rare earths, the facilities are vulnerable by attacks from ISIS or Pakistan.

It's interesting to me that liberals refuse to do business with a cake store that refuses to bake a gay wedding cake but have no problem doing business with the Taliban. Just saying....

[FrohnB]

Costco this week raised its starting wage for hourly store workers in the United States for the second time this year as businesses hike pay to draw and retain workers amid a labor shortage.

Costco (COST) told employees last week that it would increase its minimum wage from $16 an hour to $17 starting on Monday.

There is pressure on companies to raise wages as they compete for labor. Average hourly pay for retail workers increased 3.8% in September from the same time last year, according to the latest data from the Labor Department.

A well respected economist said last week, "If you didn't get a 6% raise this year, then you have taken a 6% pay cut." Plain and simple.

These companies that are "upping their pay" are merely keeping peoples' incomes RIGHT WHERE THEY WERE due to this "little thing" called Inflation!

Doesn't take a fuckin' rocket scientist to figure that out!