♠ Posted by Emmanuel in
Agriculture,
Americana,
Trade
at 8/19/2018 06:55:00 PM
 |
| So much soy with nowhere to go; Stormy Daniels may explain their fate. |
The
Atlantic brought to my
attention this very cogent explanation of what's happening to American farmers amid Trump's trade war, by way of alleged Trump paramour Stormy Daniels. It's a story of regret for an increasing number of them, although you get anecdotal
reports that Trump is still popular among several misguided sorts. No matter; here's Iowan farmer Christopher Gibbs on his "
buyer's remorse" in voting for Trump:
Let me be clear. I want to be supportive of the president and his
policies. As a farmer, we voted for the president because he purported
to represent a “can do, just get it done” attitude. That attitude is the
core of farm folks. But the president’s trade war, now being supported
by hush money to keep agriculture sedated, is a bridge too far for me.
This week the president announced he is offering $12 billion of borrowed
taxpayer monies to continue to “have farmer’s backs.” These dollars are
nothing more than verification that the president’s protectionist’s
trade policies are folly.
Let me tell you a riddle. “I slept with a billionaire because he said
he loved me. I expected to make love, but in the morning I realized I
was getting screwed. When I went to tell the world, I was offered cash
to keep my mouth shut.” Who am I? No, I’m not a model or someone named
Stormy. I’m the American farmer [my emphasis].
Gibbs then continues by contrasting the many years it took to establish overseas markets for corn and soybeans with the damage caused by Trump at the stoke of a pen when he decided to levy tariffs on Chinese goods, which the PRC then retaliated against by hitting America where it hurts most--in agriculture:
In the mid-1980s we were awash with over production in the corn and
soybean sectors. Agriculture got busy, boarded planes, trains and
automobiles and started building markets around the world, one handshake
and one relationship at a time. We used our own funds through our check
off dollars and trade associations to build markets in Mexico, Canada,
Latin America and the Pacific Rim. And we didn’t stop there. In
partnership with the U.S. taxpayers, we built an ethanol industry to
ensure another renewable energy source for U.S. consumers.
The world markets, which the president is now tearing down in the
name of fairness, were built and paid for by farmers to ensure
agriculture had outlets for our production so we didn’t have to come to
the American taxpayer for support.
What can I say? While a lot of what Trump campaigned on is a lot of hot air, you cannot exactly vote for someone on the premise that he will
not do what he said he would do. China-bashing just happens to be at the top of the list. At the end of the day, you must bear the consequences of your actions however foolhardy, and voting for Trump is as close to a crime against humanity as you can get at the ballot box.
