Farm subsidies and world food shortages.

[Tennesseahawk]

The Middle East and Africa are rioting over high food prices, or lack of food. Mexico is buying corn futures to halt the rise of tortillas. China and India (#1 and 2 in wheat production) had a bad winter wheat crop. The forecast is that China will outbid everyone for our excess wheat. Do you know what that will do? Drive worldwide food prices thru the roof!

Why are we still paying farmers NOT to produce?

In the event of a food shortage, what have you done/are you doing to lessen the effect on you and yours?

Do you think food riots will happen in the US?

 

[chefdennis]

Food riots here? Or any other kind of riots or any other riot for that matter... maybe for those that continue to let the gov support them if and when the gov tit is slowed or taken away...but other then that, the American people are so apathtic that they are willing to let the gov take more and more control of our lives daily that any thought of rioting to gain back our liberties and rights are not even on the radar screen....

 

[layoutshooter]

The Middle East and Africa are rioting over high food prices, or lack of food. Mexico is buying corn futures to halt the rise of tortillas. China and India (#1 and 2 in wheat production) had a bad winter wheat crop. The forecast is that China will outbid everyone for our excess wheat. Do you know what that will do? Drive worldwide food prices thru the roof!

Why are we still paying farmers NOT to produce?

In the event of a food shortage, what have you done/are you doing to lessen the effect on you and yours?

Do you think food riots will happen in the US?

We are paying them not to farm for several reasons. We have been overproducing for years, driving down prices and running small family farms out of business as a result.

Much of our farm land is "tired" and needs rested from time to time. Due to the tax structure we either pay or they farm until the soil fails or they go out of business. We also are beginning to have a problem with water shortages in areas that depend on irrigation. Many aquafers are being pulled down faster than they replentish themselves.

There is, at this time, no chance of a food shortage here barring a natural disaster, unless the government invents one.

 

[Tennesseahawk]

Chef, I'm talking food riots, not liberty riots. Americans are apathetic about losing their liberty; but they will kill for a cheeseburger, if they're hungry enough.

LOS, here's my problem with that. If I grow wheat, and the Chinese are paying 2-3 times the price of wheat the US market is, guess who I'm selling to. I think the US needs to be prepared to loosen, or do away with those subsidies, in case something like this happens. We can't afford to give away wheat that was meant for US consumption.

 

[layoutshooter]

Chef, I'm talking food riots, not liberty riots. Americans are apathetic about losing their liberty; but they will kill for a cheeseburger, if they're hungry enough.

LOS, here's my problem with that. If I grow wheat, and the Chinese are paying 2-3 times the price of wheat the US market is, guess who I'm selling to. I think the US needs to be prepared to loosen, or do away with those subsidies, in case something like this happens. We can't afford to give away wheat that was meant for US consumption.

I did not say I had the answer to all of the problems. I just know what some of them are.

We should also quit burning food in cars.

It is not as simple a problem a some with to make it out to be. Do we only think short term? Do we have a responsibility to future generations? What about other species? What about water? China's farming methods, from what little I have been able to read about, are similar to what we had here that led to the "Dust Bowl". That will bite them. Do WE want return to those days here?

 

[Tennesseahawk]

I did not say I had the answer to all of the problems. I just know what some of them are.

We should also quit burning food in cars.

It is not as simple a problem a some with to make it out to be. Do we only think short term? Do we have a responsibility to future generations? What about other species? What about water? China's farming methods, from what little I have been able to read about, are similar to what we had here that led to the "Dust Bowl". That will bite them. Do WE want return to those days here?

We have a population of over 6 billion. What happens when it gets to 9 billion? We will not be able to farm that much, let alone have the fuel to run the tractors, by that time. Also, we are in a worldwide fresh water shortage, as you alluded to. What do we do? Is soylent green going to be the government's (one world government) answer to overpopulation?

We need to slow down having kids, or they won't have any food. And I'm talking in the US... not the rest of the world.

 

[layoutshooter]

We have a population of over 6 billion. What happens when it gets to 9 billion? We will not be able to farm that much, let alone have the fuel to run the tractors, by that time. Also, we are in a worldwide fresh water shortage, as you alluded to. What do we do? Is soylent green going to be the government's (one world government) answer to overpopulation?

We need to slow down having kids, or they won't have any food. And I'm talking in the US... not the rest of the world.

Right now, and for many years to come, the world is out producing what we need. It is a problem with food being used as a weapon.

There is NO world wide fresh water shortage. Again, just over use in some areas. There is the same amount of water on earth today as there was eons ago, just a little lost to space flight.

Much of the problem is farming in areas that cannot support intensive farming and just blind waste. Like watering dead people in the desert cemeteries. Or golf courses. Or fountains in casinos. etc. We have ample resources, just poor uses.
it is kind of hard to slow down too much on kids, here, last time I looked we were at below replacement level.

 

[Tennesseahawk]

Right now, and for many years to come, the world is out producing what we need. It is a problem with food being used as a weapon.

Actually, from what I'm reading, there was an 8 million ton wheat shortage last year, worldwide.

There is NO world wide fresh water shortage. Again, just over use in some areas. There is the same amount of water on earth today as there was eons ago, just a little lost to space flight.

Yes, I know there's a constant amount of water. You also have to remember, people are made up of 80% water, as well. Then think of all of our livestock. So essentially, as our population grows, our USABLE water supply diminishes.

But one has to wonder... when we waste water, where does it go? It evaporates in Arizona, where they water lawns they shouldn't have. But does it end up in the ocean, for the most part? Is there a growing difference between amount of salt water vs fresh water? Just thinking out loud.

Much of the problem is farming in areas that cannot support intensive farming and just blind waste. Like watering dead people in the desert cemeteries. Or golf courses. Or fountains in casinos. etc. We have ample resources, just poor uses.
it is kind of hard to slow down too much on kids, here, last time I looked we were at below replacement level.

Last I heard, whites were at or below replacement levels; but other races were full steam ahead.

 

[cheri1122]

Last I heard, whites were at or below replacement levels; but other races were full steam ahead.

Is what happens when access to low/no cost contraception is reduced. Keep defunding Planned Parenthood, the poor and ignorant will keep reproducing.

 

[layoutshooter]

Last I heard, whites were at or below replacement levels; but other races were full steam ahead.

I have no idea. We just need to conserve for now. There is just no need to plant every inch. That will save those water resources for when we may need them later.

Land must rest from time to time.

 

[Tennesseahawk]

Is what happens when access to low/no cost contraception is reduced. Keep defunding Planned Parenthood, the poor and ignorant will keep reproducing.

Isn't it better just to let them learn the consequences of their actions instead of papa gubmint encouraging them by paying them?

 

[cheri1122]

Isn't it better just to let them learn the consequences of their actions instead of papa gubmint encouraging them by paying them?

Not when the consequences of their actions are babies - what kind of society allows babies and children to suffer for the stupidity of their parents?

 

[Tennesseahawk]

Not when the consequences of their actions are babies - what kind of society allows babies and children to suffer for the stupidity of their parents?

Yep... and poor folks used to have to take care of their babies too... without government help. Even poor, they had some self esteem. Now they have SPINNERS!!!... and 500 channels of cable. And not one of them thanked me for paying for it.

 

[cheri1122]

Yep... and poor folks used to have to take care of their babies too... without government help. Even poor, they had some self esteem. Now they have SPINNERS!!!... and 500 channels of cable. And not one of them thanked me for paying for it.

And corporations used to be 'good citizens' too, and be satisfied with a reasonable profit - now they have to make enough money to plaster their name on a stadium. And not one of them thanked me for paying for it.

 

[Tennesseahawk]

And corporations used to be 'good citizens' too, and be satisfied with a reasonable profit - now they have to make enough money to plaster their name on a stadium. And not one of them thanked me for paying for it.

And that has what to do with the conversation at hand? You talk as if I'm a corporate apologist. I assure you, I'm not.

 

[cheri1122]

And that has what to do with the conversation at hand? You talk as if I'm a corporate apologist. I assure you, I'm not.

It has to do with how things have changed: there are more people getting government assistance, while there are more corporations getting more wealth.
The rich really are getting richer [fact] and the poor are getting more numerous [fact].
I don't know the answers, but I do know that demonizing the poor with outrage over spinners & cable tv [something you might be surprised to find isn't true, or at least not for 99.9% of poor folks] isn't it.
When there are decent jobs for everyone who wants to work, then we can blame the lazy bums who don't want to work - meantime, a lot of people want to work, but the jobs don't exist.
My sister just lost her job at Borders - it's the 5th one in a row that she lost because the company went out of business, or relocated. And I'm betting hers isn't an unusual situation, either: unemployment is killing the US as surely as any terrorist could hope to accomplish.
I sure am glad I have work - what it must feel like to need government help, be rejected by every potential employer, [did you see that many won't hire the unemployed?!] and then be considered a lazy good for nothing by so many people, on top of it? It's not a good time for too many people in the US anymore.

 

[Tennesseahawk]

It has to do with how things have changed: there are more people getting government assistance, while there are more corporations getting more wealth.
The rich really are getting richer [fact] and the poor are getting more numerous [fact].
I don't know the answers, but I do know that demonizing the poor with outrage over spinners & cable tv [something you might be surprised to find isn't true, or at least not for 99.9% of poor folks] isn't it.
When there are decent jobs for everyone who wants to work, then we can blame the lazy bums who don't want to work - meantime, a lot of people want to work, but the jobs don't exist.
My sister just lost her job at Borders - it's the 5th one in a row that she lost because the company went out of business, or relocated. And I'm betting hers isn't an unusual situation, either: unemployment is killing the US as surely as any terrorist could hope to accomplish.
I sure am glad I have work - what it must feel like to need government help, be rejected by every potential employer, [did you see that many won't hire the unemployed?!] and then be considered a lazy good for nothing by so many people, on top of it? It's not a good time for too many people in the US anymore.

Unemployment isn't the root cause of what's killing America. The policies that lead to unemployment are. Spending T-T-TRILLIONS... with a T, TRILLIONS of dollars that are printed out of thin air... not produced... printed. Do you know what that does, Cheri? It makes the poor poorer. Do you know how? Because the money they do make is now worth LESS. This turns a recession into a depression. And I honestly believe we ain't seen nothin yet.

I don't consider the people unemployed by the depression to be poor. They are broke. Most of them will rebound IF the economy rebounds. The poor are poor for a reason; and most of the time, the reason is themselves. Blaming "the man" is a copout. As evil as "the man" is, he has no personal vendetta against any of the poor. So "the man is keeping me down" is no excuse. YOU are keeping you down, more often than not.

 

[clcooper]

We are paying them not to farm for several reasons. We have been overproducing for years, driving down prices and running small family farms out of business as a result.

Much of our farm land is "tired" and needs rested from time to time. Due to the tax structure we either pay or they farm until the soil fails or they go out of business. We also are beginning to have a problem with water shortages in areas that depend on irrigation. Many aquafers are being pulled down faster than they replentish themselves.

There is, at this time, no chance of a food shortage here barring a natural disaster, unless the government invents one.

the small faimly farms get paid not to farm . YES i know from th farmers side they are haveing a hard time so if they can get paid not to farm ground they are going to do it . in my area the are getting 21 dollars a hundrad pound of milk that is about 12.5 gallons of milk . and it is the same they were getting paid in the 70s . but all of their other cost have raised but not what they get paid for the milk .

farming is just like any other small business .the big companies are pushing out the small ones .

 

[clcooper]

Blaming "the man" is a copout. As evil as "the man" is, he has no personal vendetta against any of the poor. So "the man is keeping me down" is no excuse. YOU are keeping you down, more often than not.

who did the man give bailouts to .was it the poor or was it the rich . there was a figure flooting around if that money was given to We the People .everybody would have got 100,000 plus .that would of got alot of out of debt . so is the man keeping the poor down . and if there is no job whos fault is that

 

[Tennesseahawk]

and who did the man give so called loans to .was it the poor or was it the rich . there was a figure flooting around if that money was given to We the People .everybody would have got 100,000 plus .that would of got alot of out of debt . so if the man keeping the poor poor .

That money wasn't earned by us. It was printed out the goodness of the government's heart (sarcasm). Yes, we could've been given 100,000 plus each; and you know what that would've caused? $1000 loaves of bread!