Not So Sweet

The American Conservative ^ | June 5, 2006 Issue | Timothy P. Carney

[A. Pole]

"[...] Alaska crab fishermen sometimes work 20 hours a day on the icy decks of big iron boats tossing around in the frigid Bering Sea. It is terrifying, lonely, exhausting, and potentially deadly work. To make it worth the deckhands’ while, ship operators typically split the profits evenly with all their employees. This means that in one month, a fisherman could pull in tens of thousands of dollars.

The labor market requires that employers trying to fill harsh jobs offer recruits good pay or other bonuses. [...]"

[MHGinTN]

It ain't any worse than cuttin', spearin', and polin' baccer in the South, something I did many times during my youth. Not to mention the additional 'maintenance baccer requires during groming and then when 'picked' and graded for market.

[sinkspur]

Shut off the subsidies and let American sugar growers go out of business.

Of course, those sugar subsidies also prop up the price of corn syrup, thus helping the corn farmers.

[sinkspur]

Shut off the subsidies and let American sugar growers go out of business.

Of course, those sugar subsidies also prop up the price of corn syrup, thus helping the corn farmers.

[A. Pole]

4 posted on 05/30/2006 9:32:57 PM EDT by sinkspur ( Don Cheech. Vito Corleone would like to meet you......Vito Corleone.....)

It should be Don Ciccio, not "Don Cheech".

[elcid1970]

No wonder Fidel Castro sends his political prisoners to the Cuban Gulag to cut sugar cane in forced labor.

[axes_of_weezles]

That's amazing sink. Why not more illegals to do the 'caning?

Thats what you propose for every other industry.

Illegals to "do the work Americans wont do".

Agriculture; sugar cane included should be brought into the 21st century with automation.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

An excellent article on so many levels. Thanks!

In the meanwhile, I'll just "exploit" bees for honey versus exploiting people (though willing for whatever reason) for refined sugar.

But I thought those African Killer Bees were coming here to do the jobs that American Honey Bees wouldn't do? ;)

Is there any way I can do the Right Thing these days? LOL!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

"Agriculture; sugar cane included should be brought into the 21st century with automation."

Know anything about Sugar Cane harvesting automation B4Ranch? I mean, if they can harvest delicate asparagus with machines, why not hardy Sugar Cane?

[DUMBGRUNT]

Al? Al Gore? Is that you????

[Wonder Warthog]

"Agriculture; sugar cane included should be brought into the 21st century with automation."

Whoever wrote this article is completely delusional. Sugar cane has LONG been virtually completely automated. The last task that was not was the initial planting of the canes, but an automatic cane planter was invented (as I recall) around 1985.

The kind of stoop hand labor described here didn't exist even in the mid-1950's, at least not in the cane fields of South Louisiana where I grew up.

[Moonman62]

My dad's family did that kind of work as sharecroppers.

[theymakemesick]

Fascinating read, thanks for the post!

Cheers

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

"Whoever wrote this article is completely delusional. Sugar cane has LONG been virtually completely automated. The last task that was not was the initial planting of the canes, but an automatic cane planter was invented (as I recall) around 1985.

The kind of stoop hand labor described here didn't exist even in the mid-1950's, at least not in the cane fields of South Louisiana where I grew up."

You are 100% correct, the cane is loaded into trailers and a farm tractor will drag 10 trailers or more to a mill.

[MHGinTN]

I'll be 61 this summer. When I was a teen, I did that work for four or five dollars per day, to earn money for school year spending and 'dates'. It was better work than tossin' hay all day behind a smelly tractor.

[ClaireSolt]

My mother always said that Pearl Harbor cut off importation of sugar from the Pqacific, so it was rationed, and dometic sugar production was stimulated. There will be more sugar planted and harvested for ethanol.

[Moonman62]

Is the cane still burned before harvest?

[Moonman62]

There will be more sugar planted and harvested for ethanol.

In this country the plan is for most future ethanol to come from cellulose.

[MHGinTN]

Now you have to go wash your filthy mouth out with lye soap ... I've been insulted in many ways at FR, but I think you now hold the prize! Congrats?