American agriculture is productive. We have big farms producing foodstuffs like factories. We have realized economies of scale. We have the best tractors, storage facilities, managers, and middle men. American agriculture is a success.
Why does the collective feel the need to subsidize American agriculture? Why are farmers so important?
A picture hangs in my office of Amtrak workers carrying picket signs saying "Fund Amtrak: America needs Trains." As stupid as those signs are, I sympathize with those workers more than I do farmers. Amtrak is so shitty it could not survive without government subsidy. Farmers can survive.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
What is not seen?
My campaign would be "I Hate Everyone Equally, Give Me Back My Taxes." Our food bill would increase but by less than the taxes paid in subsidies.
Domestic food supply is no different than domestic DVD supply. My grandmother told my father "we would one day starve with money in our pockets." If you think about it that is stupid. Why would a society starve itself? I have faith in individuals finding ways to meet calorie requirements. Good American merchants will trade for other countries' domestic food supply. Good American farmers can compete without subsidies. The rest will have to become school teachers, nurses, or diesel mechanics.
You are becoming a good economist/politician. You accept what is as what should be.
Jeff: We have to do something to maintain the illusion of sanity. We all know this is bullshit. But it gets us through the day.
GGM: If we or our allies "bombed Mecca" how would we transport the foodstuffs without oil. Countries who trade become interdependent. Interdependency prevents wars.
You forget the law of unintended consequences. You do not see what is not seen. The agricultural subsidies add to tensions between countries. If we cannot afford foreign food, who will be able to? Will the foreign producers let their products rot? If they do, won't they be starving themselves? They did not produce excess food to let it rot.
What is a governmental perspective?
How are we going to transport food to Europe with horse and buggy? How are we going to tranport it from California to Virginia? Our agricultural industry would have to completley restructure in a global war.
I agree we cannot predict the future, but I do not think government and "its self-interested bureaucrats can be a better decision maker than the indiviudal agent."~C. Dahlman
I have faith in mankind to fix problems as they arise. I have no faith in a collective filled with pompous assholes like myself forcing their preferences on others to fix anything.
Collectives cause wars. There would be no need for collectives without war.
"Collectives help us get ass" is the most mystical statement I have ever heard. All I can think of is arranged marriages.
Post a Comment