Afghanistan and the property cult

As someone who would always prefer to do ANYTHING else (read, watch Friends, wrench eyelashes out..) other than watch the news (I do realise that this is a bad attitude to have, but I happen to like my spectacles. They are a nice shade of rose...), it would be unusual for me to blog about something I've seen on the news.
However, the BBC showed a story about Afghanistan today and how Condoleezza Rice was saying that troops really need to finish the work that they are doing there otherwise the problems will never be resolved. I've not really thought about the whole situation until last night when a missionary worker came to talk to my church about her time spent there (she has now moved elsewhere). Apparently 95% of Afghans think it's a good thing that the troops are there and really want the process to continue. I was struck by how beautiful a nation it is, so green and verdent in places, full of streams of water, and how what is seen in the media rarely reflects this. There are so many possibilities for Afghanistan, they used to have a prolific export industry in dried fruit, it would be wonderful for it to regain some of this past success. The soldiers actually have created a lot of jobs for people living there, as have NGO's. I really hope the regeneration can continue in peace.

The second story to capture my attention was a talk from a man Martin Lewis (I think?!) about the property ladder. He believes that we have been hypnotised as a nation into believing that we must get on the property ladder. I agree. People are getting into serious debt in order to obtain what they think is a sure fire way of making quick money. And I am not denying that it is. But I really feel like it's become an obsession- everyone is so transfixed with it, and I find it really irritating and worrying! As the guy said, people are getting out of their depth (some people) because they are gambling on the house rising in value (once they have paid their mortgage in 25 years). And anyone who says that they know that houses will increase cannot be certain, can they? How will they know that? We can't be sure about it. And how will people afford the (possible/probable) interest rate rises? I know that people say renting is equivalent to throwing your money away, but unless I was really certain I could afford it (with any nasty shocks having a contingency plan), I would not purchase.
I say NO to the property cult!!!!