12-04-2008, 02:41 PM
What Ted and Mattkime said about farm subsidies, and as P.J. O'Rourke once wrote, "Federal farm policies should be taken out behind the barn and shot".
Although there is a need for a few of the farm subsidy programs, the reasons for most of the current subsidies that existed at the time of their enactment ceased to exist some time ago. Many of them are now simply self-perpetuating corporate welfare payments continued only due to corporate lobbying of congressmen. I think it's a bad joke that many of the politicians give speeches about how they must protect america's poor family farmers (where 9 times out of 10 they're talking about the Exxon Mobils of agribusiness who line their campaign pockets).
Although there is a need for a few of the farm subsidy programs, the reasons for most of the current subsidies that existed at the time of their enactment ceased to exist some time ago. Many of them are now simply self-perpetuating corporate welfare payments continued only due to corporate lobbying of congressmen. I think it's a bad joke that many of the politicians give speeches about how they must protect america's poor family farmers (where 9 times out of 10 they're talking about the Exxon Mobils of agribusiness who line their campaign pockets).