An Email Debate

The following is an Email thread Jobless, Jobless' friend and I had. I have deleted names but not poor grammar. It is nothing profound, but it made me wonder about where the world is going and what I am doing about it.

The following article is what I was trying to describe to you, in reference to subsidies. I attached the pdf with the full article. It starts on page 25 of the pdf. The second is something I thought you would enjoy.

MOVEMENT TO END CROP SUBSIDIES GAINING GROUND AMONG SOME FARMERS (110 Wall
Street Journal 3/14) A movement to uproot crop subsidies, which have been worth nearly $600 million to U.S. farmers over the decades, is gaining ground in some unlikely places – including down on the farm. In Iowa, one of the most heavily subsidized states, a Republican running to be state agriculture secretary is telling big farmers they should get smaller checks. Mark Leonard, who collects subsidies himself, told a room full of farmers recently that federal payments spur overproduction, which depresses prices for poor growers overseas. There is a long history of mostly failed attempts to pare farm payments. But the current anti- subsidy sentiment, rising over the last year in the U.S., is stirring attention because it is unusually broad. “There is a growing number of people who want to weigh in on farm policy,” said Rep. Jerry Moran of Kansas, who sits on the House Agriculture Committee. Grass-roots groups are riding the momentum that began with the push to forgive the debt of poor countries in the late 1990s. Another spur to the anti-subsidy movement comes from the World Trade Organization, where the U.S. is coming under increasing pressure to
rein in farm spending.

Jobless

Great seeing you at the wedding and I enjoyed debating with you. Its been a long time since we have had the opportunity to harass each other. Now that I have your email address I will start sending you tons of democratic propaganda, Hillary 2008. Thanks for the information but the pdf did not come through, so please send it again. What you did send me still does not convince me that there is a huge movement by farmers to cut or even reduce the programs. THE ARTICLE DOES NOT QUOTE ONE US FARMER OR ONE US FARM ORGANIZATION WHO IS AGAINST FARM SUBSIDIES. The article states one Republican politician, who collects subsidies himself (he could just be some landlord who is working the system not a FARMER) is in favor of reducing payments and the Canadian farms do not want the US to have subsidies. The groups who oppose farm subsidies are the WTO and Grass-roots hippies who think by keeping food prices cheap we are destroying the world. We'll see how much the world is in favor of subsidies when they have to pay twenty dollars per lb for hamburger and ten dollars for a gallon of milk.

In regards to the Canadian article, I don't have a problem with them placing tariffs on US corn, but it is only fair we place a tariff on any product that is feed with Canadian corn. This includes beef, pork, poultry, cars, truck, and tires (the Canadians indirectly eat the corn (WB: I could not let this go) so anything they manufacture is produced by corn). Plus we need to sue the government because they are violating NAFTA by imposing duties.

I am only in favor of reducing subsidies if I can set my own price, not some moron at the CBOT who sets the price based on REPORTS from the federal government (side note - I really don't like the USDA crop reports because I feel they "play with the numbers"). Lets see, soybeans $10.00 /bu, corn $3.90 /bu, wheat $4.50 /bu, beef $3.00 hanging wts.

Well I'm done ranting.


PS - A strong country depends on three key items, Agriculture, Industry, and Technology. We have already lost Industry to China and we are starting to loose Technology to India. Lets find a way not to loose Agriculture.

Jobless's friend (an engineer and a farmer)

What was the first thing Hitler did? Close Germany's borders.

Economists have failed to teach anything. Its fine your friend is protecting his own ass, but he should admit it. He does not care about national interest. All he cares about is his own interest.

Economists have to teach better. We cannot even teach smart people. How are we ever going to teach dumb people?

I am too angry to write anymore.

WB