$1.7 TRILLION for US Farms

[StrongHeartsWin]

Quote by: brien Politics makes strange bedfellows indeed.

lol.

Indeed, brien, indeed. Now, lean over and turn out the light, but stay on your side of the bed.

[chaplainson]

The reason that we pay subsidies is because we have so much production, in reference to Soylentgreen's remark, the United States has a huge production of food, driving prices down. The subsidies to farmers came along with Social Security during the FDR administration. Coming from a person who has worked some on farms, if they didn't get aid from the government, they would have a very dismal living, with no money to change it. As much as I as a republican don't believe in too much gov. aid, this is necessary to keep some people with jobs, and probobly the most important ones we have...growing food!

[SoylentGreen]

Well that doesn't make any sense at all. Not only are you paying through taxes for them not to grow food but your also paying for food thats kept at an artificially high price so that the ones who do grow can survive.
For sure dropping subsidies is going to hurt a lot of farmers but that does not mean the whole industry will collapse.
And it will force those who want to survive to get inventive, create niche markets and new methods that will improve the whole industry and create a better product.
There were job losses in NZ at the start as well but that slack was soon taken up by people getting inventive and creating new ways to do things.
I see no reason why itshouldn;t be the same with you.

[Milton Bradley]

Quote by: SoylentGreen Well that doesn't make any sense at all. Not only are you paying through taxes for them not to grow food but your also paying for food thats kept at an artificially high price so that the ones who do grow can survive.

Well, it seems you have answered the riddle.


Follow that logic to it's inevitable conclusion, and you predict exactly what is happening. The takeover of the corporate farm. ( Gosh, how could legislation that pernicious ever get passed into law? )

Quote by: SoylentGreen For sure dropping subsidies is going to hurt a lot of farmers but that does not mean the whole industry will collapse. And it will force those who want to survive to get inventive, create niche markets and new methods that will improve the whole industry and create a better product. There were job losses in NZ at the start as well but that slack was soon taken up by people getting inventive and creating new ways to do things. I see no reason why itshouldn;t be the same with you.

Perhaps you forgot who is running the hegemony.

[SoylentGreen]

Milton Bradley Follow that logic to it's inevitable conclusion, and you predict exactly what is happening. The takeover of the corporate farm. ( Gosh, how could legislation that pernicious ever get passed into law? )

why inevitable?
Are you of the opinion that small farms cannot survive, perhaps you consider that a man who works the land is to stupid to work with his brain as well?
And you say it is happening. perhaps that is because you have subsidies. Nothing a corporate likes better than to make easy money from the government.

Perhaps you forgot who is running the hegemony.

And now America is a hegemony? I wish you guys would make up your minds as to what sort of system you have there, it would cause a lot less confusion.
So lets say I have forgotten, enlighten me, who is running the hegemony?

[Milton Bradley]

Quote by: SoylentGreen why inevitable? Are you of the opinion that small farms cannot survive, perhaps you consider that a man who works the land is to stupid to work with his brain as well? And you say it is happening. perhaps that is because you have subsidies. Nothing a corporate likes better than to make easy money from the government.

Why the hostility? I thought I was on your side, and here you want to put those kinds of words in my mouth?


Living in the farm belt, yes, I do think that takeover of the corporate farm seems inevitable. It's a rather simple equation to do. Favorable legislation, plus unending capital make for a predictable winner.


I'm not going to respond to your contention that I assume farmers are "stupid".

Quote by: SoylentGreen And now America is a hegemony? I wish you guys would make up your minds as to what sort of system you have there, it would cause a lot less confusion. So lets say I have forgotten, enlighten me, who is running the hegemony?

Hegemony really only attempts to describe the methods of empire.


I won't claim to know whos pulling the strings, but it sure as Hell aint New Zealand.

[SoylentGreen]

Sorry milton I read it as if you were being sarcastic, I guess because your meaning isn't clear to me. Do you mean

"Favorable legislation, plus unending capital make for a predictable winner".

As things are now with subsidies and protectionism or if those things were removed?

And your right NZ isn't pulling strings but we are an example of how it is possible to remove subsidies and still not only survive but improve on the agricultural sector.

[Milton Bradley]

Quote by: SoylentGreen Sorry milton I read it as if you were being sarcastic, I guess because your meaning isn't clear to me. Do you mean "Favorable legislation, plus unending capital make for a predictable winner". As things are now with subsidies and protectionism or if those things were removed? And your right NZ isn't pulling strings but we are an example of how it is possible to remove subsidies and still not only survive but improve on the agricultural sector.

I meant I could predict an evntual winner with the subsidies in place.


I am on youur side here.

[Night]

That's about $85 billion per year, not much when you look at the up and coming hurricane season, I'm betting the losses in the hundreds of billions...

Anyways, I agree, cut some of them, but you can't imagine how helpful some of these programs will be in the case of a natural disaster (hint hint).