Farmers: Get a Job!

Future of Freedom Foundation ^ | February 2002 | Sheldon Richman

[Hank Kerchief]

People need food. They do not need magazine editors. It is that simple.

The farmers need them. Who do you think is paying for the subsidies that feed them.

Hank

[APBaer]

"You pay a hell of a lot more for welfare and other goverment subsities
(Freebies for people that don't work) in taxes than you do for you gallon of milk, jack"

So you don't deny that the farm subsidies might be a rip off,
rather your defense of the program is that I should relax
because there are other programs that are also ripping me off?

Oh, and by the way, you don't know "Jack"

[Don Joe]

I think that all the non-farmer experts on agriculture should maybe buy a few acres and show the rest of the world just how it should be done.

After you've managed to make money while competing against chinese slave-labor and NAFTA-shafta imports, and found a way to sell your crops outside the rigged "market" system now in place, I'm sure you'll find no end of willing ears sitting on top of bib-jeaned dirt-diggers.

Until then, well, I won't say, because if I did, I'd get banned in a heartbeat.

[Hank Kerchief]

Individual families aren't needed.

I know this is going to shock you, so steal yourself:

There are actually many families without a single farmer in them.

I warned you!

Hank

[jrherreid]

Certainly you aren't emplying they would do something to prove what we all know, that at heart they are thugs, living off the actually earned profits of others, are you.

I've worked on farms in Vermont, and with farmers in North Dakota. These "thugs", especially in the Dakotas and other midwestern states, can barely scrape by. Rates of suicide have gone up, family farms are being auctioned off every week from men who can no longer make ends meet. Sound like thugs? I think not.

[Doomonyou]

So you don't deny that the farm subsidies might be a rip off, rather your defense of the program is that I should relax because there are other programs that are also ripping me off?

No, I don't deny that farm subsidies "might" be a rip-off at all. I do know that farmers work there ass off for not much of a return. I know they feed the counrty, and you too I might add. No subsidies for ANYONE would be my preference. Think that will happen soon? Doubtful, but you can bet working farmers will lose thiers before welfare recipients.

[Doomonyou]

BTW, I do know Jack, Jack.

[cynicom]

In capitalistic theory, we would only need one "farmer" but somehow I do not think that would pan out to good. We can buy wheat cheaper from Australia and Canada, get rid of the farmers in the wheat industry, problem solved, I think.

[Hank Kerchief]

Farming on Our Own by Deanna Dyksterhuis, Bonus 1995

This is an old article, but principles do not change. The farm subsidy scam has been going on for a very long time. Only those who have something to gain from it would continue to support this parasite's paradise scheme.

Ignore my comments and read the article. If you still disagree, show how these good people were wrong.

Hank

[sarasmom]

I pointed out I was not trying to be flip.I live in Florida.There is definately not "plenty" of US produce in the chain grocery stores.Yes, I can find some if I go to health food stores,but not at the big stores.

Obviously something strange is going on when a store sells foreign "fresh" produce and US produced produce is hard to find.I dont buy from roadside stands, when there are no farms in sight!Who knows where that stuff came from. At least they are required to label foreign produce here.Do they do that in your state?

[Hank Kerchief]

BTW, I do know Jack, Jack

Last name is Daniels, right?

Hank

[Don Joe]

"Why? What would they do? Certainly you aren't emplying they would do something to prove what we all know, that at heart they are thugs, living off the actually earned profits of others, are you."

My, my, my, aren't we the snotty one today, Hankie. Then again, you did select an appropriate handle, so one should not be too surprised when you act out your monicker.

Ah, but I digress, Snot-rag (that is the appropriately casual dimunitive for "handkerchief", I presume?)

To bring things back into focus, I would suspect that your florid fantasy life notwithstanding, the farmers in question would be more apt to hand you a shovel, a pail of seeds, and point you in the direction of a one-acre plot of dirt with your name on it, as they smiled and said, "here ya go, smart-ass city-boy -- now go feed yerself and show us all how it's done."

[Doomonyou]

We can buy wheat cheaper from Australia and Canada, get rid of the farmers in the wheat industry, problem solved, I think.

Great idea! Lets turn all our wheat farmers into welfare recipients and turn thier land into national parks. That way we can be more dependent on other countries, and pay more in taxes to buy food we can produce. What other productive industry do you want to shut down and depend on other countries?

Sheesh, it must be socialist night on Free Republic...

[Don Joe]

"We can buy wheat cheaper from Australia and Canada, get rid of the farmers in the wheat industry, problem solved, I think."

Oh, that's just brilliant thinking there Einstein.

But why stop with mere food?

I bet we can contract out our national defense to China and Cuba for a fraction of what we're currently paying for our subsidized military!

Just think of all the money we'd save! And after all, there aren't any considerations that really matter other than short-term (read: "immediate") CBA, right?

[moonman]

Thanks for the post.

The Amish and Mennonites can farm without government subsidies and also have enough to sell outside of their communities.

Why not suggest to Congress to ask them how it's done? LOL

[Hank Kerchief]

the farmers in question would be more apt to hand you a shovel, a pail of seeds, and point you in the direction of a one-acre plot of dirt with your name on it, as they smiled and said, "here ya go, smart-ass city-boy -- now go feed yerself and show us all how it's done

Ah, you think I'm a "city-boy?"

Oh well, presumption knows no bounds.

Thank you for that wonderful demonstration of reason and decency. We certainly ought to be supporting farmers if your chatacterization is typical of them all. Just the kind of people we need a lot more of.

Hank

[#3Fan]

There are farmers up here that plant right up to rivers and creeks so the crops will be washed away and they can claim them. Not to mention the terrible erosion this causes.

[Don Joe]

If you want to elimate subsidies, then you have to go whole-f'n-hog and institute a market system, where farmers have a say in how their crops are sold. Right now, they're captives to a rigged system. Doing away with subsidies without finishing the "marketization" of agriculture would be tantamount to the Zimbabweization of America.

Did you know that there are tons of fruit and berry farmers who are obligated to destroy every n'th row of their crops? They are even prohibited from feeding their own families with it, feeding it to animals, or even donating it to the starving.

The system is rigged top to bottom, and your "cure" is to yank the IV tube out of the barely-clinging-to-life farmer.

Go ahead, see what you'll get. You'll make a very nice pawn for the globalists who are waiting semi-patiently for the USA to be completely incapable of feeding itself. Enjoy your mayheekan asparagus, sold retail for less than it costs an American farmer to produce. Enjoy your chinese canned goods, and so forth.

When the USA is no longer able to feed itself, I'm sure you'll have ample opportunity to determine just how friendly our foreign "friends" really are.

[Doomonyou]

I pointed out I was not trying to be flip.

I'm sorry if my answer appeared that way, that was not my intention.

I live in Florida.There is definately not "plenty" of US produce in the chain grocery stores.Yes, I can find some if I go to health food stores,but not at the big stores.

Well I can only relate as to what I have out here, We do have grapes from Chilie, but great citrus from Florida and Texas. Who knows? Maybe they move this stuff all over to keep the truckers unions happy.

Obviously something strange is going on when a store sells foreign "fresh" produce and US produced produce is hard to find.I dont buy from roadside stands, when there are no farms in sight!Who knows where that stuff came from. At least they are required to label foreign produce here.Do they do that in your state?

Yeah, most everything is lableled.

[Ragin1]

I'd just contact my government, find out what freebies I can get by not producing, then leave the land go to waste, then go to my day job.