Remember way back in the year 2000, when the Taliban took over large swaths of Afghanistan and set about eradicating the nation’s poppy crop that feeds the world opium supply?

Of course you do.

Well, guess what? It’s happening again.

That’s right. After Uncle Sam’s ignominious retreat from the graveyard of empires in 2021, the Taliban infamously regained control of the country and set about reinstituting their campaign to ban the cultivation of opium poppies. And, once again, the results of that ban have been nothing short of remarkable.

In fact, the Taliban’s latest anti-poppy campaign is already being hailed as the “most successful counter-narcotics effort in human history” by self-proclaimed Afghanistan experts, with the country’s opium production down a jaw-dropping 90% this year.

And since you do remember the story of the Taliban’s first successful poppy crop crackdown, then you’ll also likely remember how it ended: namely, with the blank check of 9/11 being cashed in on NATO’s invasion and occupation of Afghanistan in 2001, leading to the subsequent resurgence of poppy cultivation in the country.

So, are we likely to see history repeating with this next iteration of the Afghan poppy story? Let’s find out.

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