farm subsidies?

[WalterMitty]

there was an encouraging report in the ny times that noted that president bush is planning to propose a drastic cut back on farm subsidies.

of course, they should be totally eliminated, but ill be happy if we can at least get a drastic reduction.

farm subsidies are one of the most glaring examples of corporate welfare.

thoughts?

[??????????]

I'm not entirely sure what farm subsidies actually do. But if family farms are being shut down because of huge corporate farms I am totally against that.

[John Dibble]

I'm not entirely sure what farm subsidies actually do. But if family farms are being shut down because of huge corporate farms I am totally against that.

Farm subsidies do not solely consist of paying farms to grow certain crops, or to sell at lower prices. Some farms are paid millions to NOT farm at all. Basically it's an attempt at controlling the price of food.

[??????????]

I'm not entirely sure what farm subsidies actually do. But if family farms are being shut down because of huge corporate farms I am totally against that.

Farm subsidies do not solely consist of paying farms to grow certain crops, or to sell at lower prices. Some farms are paid millions to NOT farm at all. Basically it's an attempt at controlling the price of food.

Thats an FDR program. FDR ordered millions upon millions of tons of food burned when he came to office in order to raise prices of corn/wheat and the like. How do I know this? Well I have family members whos parents had farms during the depression and they were ordered by the federal government to burn their crops upon harvest.

[John Dibble]

I'm not entirely sure what farm subsidies actually do. But if family farms are being shut down because of huge corporate farms I am totally against that.

Farm subsidies do not solely consist of paying farms to grow certain crops, or to sell at lower prices. Some farms are paid millions to NOT farm at all. Basically it's an attempt at controlling the price of food.

Thats an FDR program. FDR ordered millions upon millions of tons of food burned when he came to office in order to raise prices of corn/wheat and the like. How do I know this? Well I have family members whos parents had farms during the depression and they were ordered by the federal government to burn their crops upon harvest.

Yeah, and we still do it today by paying farmers to let their land be used for nothing.

[A18]

What's wrong with cheap food?

[Bono]

What's wrong with cheap food?

Those programs are used to keep prices high.

[phk]

We'd flood the market with too much cheap sh**t.

[A18]

What's wrong with cheap food?

Those programs are used to keep prices high.

Yeah, that's what I'm saying. Why do we pay farmers to make prices higher?

[Richard]

We'd flood the market with too much cheap sh**t.

Because it would be awful if everyone had food.

[7,052,770]

well farm subsidies help people in my state so I support them.

[phk]

What's wrong with cheap food?

Those programs are used to keep prices high.

Yeah, that's what I'm saying. Why do we pay farmers to make prices higher?

To make sure thier profit margins don't decrease.

[phk]

We'd flood the market with too much cheap sh**t.

Because it would be awful if everyone had food.

Hey its capitalism, somebody has to go without food.

[A18]

You must be logged in to read this quote.

That's part of the free market.

Do we pay McDonalds to raise the price of Big Macs so their profit margin doesn't decrease?

[phk]

Thats another matter altogether, its about protecting farmers from excessive surpluses that would drive them out of business by driving the price to the ground.

For example, the flood of cheap corn into Mexico has dispossessed over a million Mexican farmers, and, with their families, they go to the slums.

Unless you actually want America's slums to double in size.

[John Dibble]

Thats another matter altogether, its about protecting farmers from excessive surpluses that would drive them out of business.

Why should these farmers be protected? They are being paid to do NOTHING. Wouldn't it be better if we freed them up to actually do something instead of paying them millions of dollars for NOTHING.

[phk]

They could open up a prostitution bar or an abortion clinic.

Instead of being given subsidies.

[John Dibble]

They could open up a prostitution bar or an abortion clinic.

Instead of being given subsidies.

Doubtful that a farmer would open up an abortion clinic. As for prostitution, you forget who you're talking to - I think prostitution should be legal.

Lowering the price of food would be a good thing - it would help the poor, would it not? It make food more affordable.

[phk]

I'd rather simply retrain a third of our farmers to do something else and conserve the land, or, on the other side, have the government do a better job at buying up surplus food (on the market, to increase prices) and sending it to poor countries.

Then again, since the world has a food surplus anyway, I think the first option makes more sense, economically and ecologically. It's time to give the Mojave Desert a rest from agriculture.