Afghanistan

“Bringing a better life to the people in Afghanistan”:

Ex-Special Forces serviceman Matthew Griffin was back in Afghanistan, on one of many trips to the nation he fell in love with while fighting there from 2003 to 2006, seeking for a way to help a people he remembered as unusually generous.

Full Story – Reuters

Fair enough… I’m happy for him and all, but I find it funny that this venture is getting as much press as it is.  I’m not stupid enough to believe that EVERYONE in Afghanistan hates Americans and is out to kill American troops, because that is simply not the case.  That said, convincing Americans that we should somehow feel obligated to help these people by purchasing a $65 – $75 flip flop is ridiculous and I can’t believe people are falling for it.

There is no mention of any money being donated back to the Afghan people on the website, so I am assuming that this “support” just comes from creating jobs for them and paying their wages.  Without knowing the exact answer, I’d put money on the guess that labor in Afghanistan is incredibly cheap, so you can throw out the justification for a $65 – $75 priced flip flop out the window regarding that.  Container shipping is very cheap also, so don’t try and tell me getting them to the USA costs a lot.  Someone is making a killing here, and I’m betting it’s not the Afghan people who are making these things.  There are lots of companies in the US that could be making this exact flip flop, the only difference is that it would mean less profit for Combat Flip Flops.

Maybe I should start getting all my products made in China and claim that I’m “supporting the Chinese who died building our railroads, and who were annihilated in WWII”.  Would that work? :P Call me an insensitive douchebag if you want, but I really don’t see the difference.

If your fall flip flop fund is up around the $75 range, and you’re looking to support workers in a foreign country  then head over to the Combat Flip Flops website and buy something.

Thoughts?

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