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That is an incorrect conclusion. Farmers remain if they make money. Fewer farmers and lower paid farmers means less cost. Large farms are just way more efficient and lower cost. They tend to be way more mechanized for one thing.
There is a definitely a market, though small and somewhat niche, for the "local/sustainable" family farm type. Most areas have enough demand and people who can afford it to keep a few of those places going.
"Researchers studying more recent data have not yet determined if farmer suicides are increasing..."
You are happy to see rural people kill themselves and happy to post about it because you try to twist it into your own agenda which is all about your hatred for Trump. You are a sick person.
Farm suicides have always existed. Suddenly you care. Yeah right.
Perhaps you should contribute to the discussion instead of personally attacking me. Most resort to that when they have nothing to say.
Please do not tell me how I feel as you don't have a clue what I feel, and it is arrogant and patronizing to do so.
That is an incorrect conclusion. Farmers remain if they make money. Fewer farmers and lower paid farmers means less cost. Large farms are just way more efficient and lower cost. They tend to be way more mechanized for one thing.
They're also highly capital intensive - and have high expenses and debt to service. Most farms operate on really razor thin margins - and events such as bad harvests, sudden drops in prices due to oversupply, and other events can also put a world of hurt on them.
And... What% of those crops are consumed by USA taxpayers?
Very, very little, especially if we were not propping up a failed corn ethanol industry. (and pathetic USA biodiesel (made from soybeans, a very bad choice or feedstock, but USA biodiesel is controlled by US Soybean council). So.. as usual, the USA taxpayers are funding foreign aid to countries who prefer to kill us, and funding special interests (lobbyists / ex-politicians). Gaming the proverbial PORK of the system.
Waste of money, efforts, resources, national benefit. (= Lost "Opportunity costs").
I am all for subsidizing farmers, but you reinforce my impression that most existing subsidies go to crops that feed, to caricaturize it, Chinese pigs, and in return we get Chinese crap.
We could do a lot better by subsidizing healthy food for humans and the farmers who produce it; that would go a long way to resolving a lot of the country's problems in an integrated way - from health care, to foreign policy, to manufacturing policy, to immigration policy and, in short, to the economy on US soil, literally, and it would even help environmental problems take care of themselves.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bale002
I am all for subsidizing farmers, but you reinforce my impression that most existing subsidies go to crops that feed, to caricaturize it, Chinese pigs, and in return we get Chinese crap.
We could do a lot better by subsidizing healthy food for humans and the farmers who produce it; that would go a long way to resolving a lot of the country's problems in an integrated way - from health care, to foreign policy, to manufacturing policy, to immigration policy and, in short, to the economy on US soil, literally, and it would even help environmental problems take care of themselves.
All the best!
True... the USA is a great 'opportunity' for the diligent and the crooks and politicians.
Successful Foreign countries are generally far more 'strategic' in policy for the best benefit of their nation and residents. Starts with what programs they support in HC and EDU and prepare their skillsets and resources to support. (You will note Singapore announced their 'country specific' AI initiatives this week, they will be as beneficial to the nation as has their previous purposed initiatives in Finance, Trade, Manufacturing, Health Care... )
NZ health ministry supports Menz Sheds, which would be a very good model for a USA farmer support structure. (mental and physical health). NZ also has a very unique AG role (much more sustainable than USA, of course very small scale as well)
Strategic countries will continue to prosper in a healthy manner, as long as corruption and selfishness does not become prevalent. (i.e. USA lobbyists and one term politicians)
I am all for subsidizing farmers, but you reinforce my impression that most existing subsidies go to crops that feed, to caricaturize it, Chinese pigs, and in return we get Chinese crap.
We could do a lot better by subsidizing healthy food for humans and the farmers who produce it; that would go a long way to resolving a lot of the country's problems in an integrated way - from health care, to foreign policy, to manufacturing policy, to immigration policy and, in short, to the economy on US soil, literally, and it would even help environmental problems take care of themselves.
All the best!
I’m trying to understand the argument for supporting farm subsidies. If I do something for a living and I’m not profitable, I go out of business. Why is agriculture singled out as being immune from capitalism?
I don’t understand why I should subsidize “healthy food”. I want to know what’s in the food I buy. I can then choose to spend as I please if the food grown without Monsanto chemicals is more expensive.
I’m trying to understand the argument for supporting farm subsidies. If I do something for a living and I’m not profitable, I go out of business. Why is agriculture singled out as being immune from capitalism?
I don’t understand why I should subsidize “healthy food”. I want to know what’s in the food I buy. I can then choose to spend as I please if the food grown without Monsanto chemicals is more expensive.
But if there are enough dummies in a nation who don't care do you poison off all your heavy lifters for the sake of capitalism.
Thats one of the problems the USA is having right now, you have a mass of really dumb people but also super smart people. Well if you let the dummies dictate what is and isent avalible then you will colapse your entire nation. Not everything should be subject to supply and demand, watch idiocracy some time, do you want those people deciding for you what foods are avalible. Do you want to have to grow all your own food to avoid their idiocy?
Is that what we want our rocket scientists doing is growing food to avoid eating the crap that the masses have decided will be produced?
This extreme capitalism is what will destroy our culture. The base of Maslow's hierarchy was never met to be commoditized to this extent. Certian things should simply be available at a fixed low subsidized price (food, basic shelter, basic medicines, UNIVERSITY EDUCATION, etc) in a first world industrialized nation, period. We have attached a "free market" price tag to everything now. We would charge for air if we could, its sick.
If you want to sell a nintnedo switch or whatever free market away.
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