US Spends $20bn a year on airconditioning the desert

[Major Robert Dump]

Yes, but it does not help that we are intentionally and willingly paying above-market wages and fees for the sake of helping the conomy. Humanitarian inititative or creating a welfare state with bloated expectations and GDP?

A grown man can make more money serving me dinner in the dining facility than he can owning his own 8 acre farm. An afghan construction worker makes as much as national police man. My interpeter makes more than most ogvernment officials

[Papewaio]

In '99 in Indonesian the local Indonesian exploration staff (essentially labourers and farmers) were earning 50% above the national average. They were better off then farming their own coffee and rubber plantations. Add in that their minesite accomodation had satellite TV, canteen and modern plumbing. These guys on their days off stayed at the mine site rather then go home. It ain't the military it is the ex-pat life.

It is why if you are European in south east asia you are essentially considered for all intents and purposes a millionaire in the eyes of the local populace. It's why you can see fifty, fat and boorish ex pats have young women swarm over them in night clubs there. What I term exchange rate romance.

The problem comes about when the teat that feeds them leaves. Its an addiction that is hard to give up, once people get used to luxury's it can be hard to go back. Maybe this is the best way to pacify a population, but it is also a great way to create unrealistic value system where everyone expects something for nothing. It might turn out for the best though its very hard to figure out cause and effect in the longterm.