The American Dream

Whatever you think of the war in Afghanistan, there is no denying that the recent reports of rampant financial corruption going on even at the highest levels of Afghanistan's government are extremely troubling.  The United States has spent billions upon billions of dollars to help Afghanistan set up a "democracy", but now there is news that corrupt government officials have been shipping billions and billions of dollars out of the country and have been buying luxury villas in Dubai.  Apparently many Afghan officials have decided to achieve "the American Dream" the same way that many U.S. politicians have achieved it - by lying, cheating and stealing.  The Wall Street Journal recently reported that over three billion dollars in cash has been flown out of Kabul International Airport in recent years.  Considering the fact that this is far more than the Afghan government collects in tax and customs revenue annually, it is obvious that there is a huge, huge, huge problem with corruption in Afghanistan.  Much of the cash being shipped out of the country is from the drug trade, but the narcotics money does not account for all of it.  Investigators allege that a significant portion of this money that is being shipped out of the country is actually aid money that comes directly from U.S. taxpayers.  (Read More.....)