It's going to be really interesting to see what the heroin market does in the next two years or so. One thing you can be pretty sure of. The Afghan peasants who grow poppies won't get rich. The money will end up in places like Dubai.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Sterling predicts the drug trade will continue enriching illicit hubs while leaving local growers poor.
- In plain terms
- Drug money goes to criminals, not the farmers growing the plants.
- What can you take from it?
- Illicit markets concentrate wealth at the top, leaving producers destitute.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Who really profits from black markets?
- Can crops solve poverty?
Another view
It overlooks the complex local economic dependencies that drive poppy farming.
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