Now that the Doha Round has been pronounced "pretty deceased" by experts, solemn tut-tuts are issuing from so-called conservative organizations.
This really gripes my gourd.
The Doha Round represented a once-in-a-lIfetime chance to rationalize our farm program and blame it on foreigners. Not to mention maybe helping those industries doing the heavy lifting in our ecomony like software, insurance, financial services, etc. But the right wing of American politics has rolled over for the farm lobby to get any other socially conservative vote they could think of - abortion, gay marriage, gay abortions, gay flag-burning gun-banning abortion, etc. To pretend they truly gave a hoot about de-socializing agriculture is despicable desembling. A sample of the vebiage:
Just to put this in perspective, the non-farming sectors of the U.S. economy make up between 80 to 90 percent of the GDP. Yet through its actions, the U.S. government is saying that it is willing to forgo new market openings for its most productive sectors so that wealthy landowners can continue to receive lots of money not to farm. [More]So if the trade talk failure suddenly comes home to roost as deflated portfolios of companies whose intellectual property rights are ignored or trust funds shrunken by a debilitated dollar, you won't hear me sympathizing.
The sanctimonious right could have put their votes where their rhetoric was, but farmers weren't important enough to protect their constitutional rights to equal treatment under the law. What the conservatives railed about welfare - that it degraded the recipient and made them clients of the state - was ignored for the farm sector.
It was like giving candy to babies.
Thanks for nothing, conservatives.
3 comments:
Hi, I've never done this before. A question, why should Ag take the lead? Some of the other industries mentioned are doing well. Not all farmers are in their comfortable 50 to 60 age range.
John, do you honostly think that liberals are any more likely to change farm policy? There methods are typically to keep as many people in the system dependant on the gov't as possible so they continue to keep voting in the ones who will take care of them, namely libs. I'm not saying everything conservatives do is right, but you may need to lighten up a little bit. Anyway I'm not to excited about a bunch of other countries dictating what we in the USA do. Look at the Kyoto treaty. It's just a way to drag us down to everyone elses level. We are a country who has grown and flourished on the ideas of freedom and individuality, to a certain point. By the way I really do enjoy your blog. Just don't always agree with your ideas. Makes for good discussion and thought though.
First - thanks for your comments. Y'all just made my day.
Now as to your remarks:
I realize I have the comfort of an established business and literally generations of accumulated effort behind me, but that seems to me to place an even greater burden to lift up ideas others cannot for fear of loss. "From those to whom much has been give, much will be expected" - I'm not sure who said that, but it is probably not original,
As to ag taking the lead, should we not, if we truly are the "backbone of America" as we constantly claim?
Liberal/conservative: Look - the definition of a conservative is a guy who wants to prevent change and conserve what already is. I never made a claim to be a liberal - actually I find myself more comfortable in the libertarian camp often, BUT I stand by my assertion that conservatives who support our farm policy need to re-read the membership rules.
LDP-vultures: You are absolutely correct. I am a posterboy for this strategy. While I use every means at my disposal to de-socialize American agriculture, I respect the right of the majority to make the rules. And then I play by them.
Post a Comment