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Originally Posted by Mantus
I am a strong opponent of farm subsidies. Not only because they reward a failing business practicess by corporations but because they break the backs of agricultural producers in 3rd world countries.
Farm subsidies cost us $28 billion a year. America had an agricultural trade deffecit of $5.8 billion in 2004 and it's growing despite the subsidies.
Yet while talk abroad is of abandoning farm subsidies very little of this is translating into action. The major problem is that the farm belt represents a major political base for the GOP. The largelly concervative farmers who like Major Major's father in Catch 22 believe that everyone one who asks for govenment handouts is a communits with the acception of course themselves. Yet farmers are scarse these days. Most subsidies go to large agribusiness firms who have very strong loby groups in washington.
It would love to see this bear some fruit.
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I mostly agree with you, but it is important that a nation be able to fully feed itself. We should never be in a possition where an embargo would cause food shortages in the US. I do not know the level of the subsidies or how much our production would fall if they were removed (hell it might even grow) so this is just a statement on general principle.