Why are farmers, especially in the Midwest so right-wing and against welfare and social programs?

Question

Farmers who make less than $200,000 a year get a check from the U.S. Government for $50,000 and some get paid NOT to farm. If they have crop damage they get a check from the U.S. Government. They get all kinds of "welfare" from the U.S. Government but they vote Republican and vote for candidates who want to slash Food Stamps, Head Start and other social programs for poor people. They are against Hispanics getting Driver's Licenses because they're illegal even though this prevents them from getting car insurance and when they have a car accident in the city, they go back to Mexico and the person they hit is left holding the bag. Don't say they deserve it because one farmer feeds 351 people because we can get grain imported from Egypt, and other produce imported from Mexico. In fact, go to Wal-Mart. They already do get their produce from Mexico.

Answer 1

First off people that live in the Midwest, not just farmers tend to be pretty conservative. Conservatives by far tend to be religious, and don't believe in abortion, gay marriage, and government supported stem cell research along with some other issues that the left is always trying to push. Just because the left supports a few things that are helpful to the farmers in the Midwest it doesn't mean that they have to eat the whole package. Liberals are pretty good for saying that if they aren't getting votes from some segment of the population that it means those people want poor people to starve, and old people to lose there social security, that is just bull. Most people including conservatives believe that welfare is a good thing; it just shouldn't be a permanent thing. People sometimes run into trouble and need help but they shouldn't expect the tax payer to pay for them to sit on their buts permanently. The reason the Dems have lost much of the mid-west is because they support too many extreme special interest. I don't know how you can claim that the Midwest is against educational programs like headstart. I'm living in Wichita Kansas and I don't think they have a school district out here that doesn't have a head start program. When I lived in New Orleans they had a few programs but they were so under funded because of the ridiculous number of people on welfare that it was unlikely that you could get a child in the program. Maybe the reason people in the Midwest are so darned conservative is because people in the Midwest typically have a job, and when you are earning money and paying taxes you tend to care a little more how those tax dollars are spent. At least the farmers that you like to scoff at in the Midwest are a benefit to this country. I don't mind if some of my tax dollars go to the people that our growing our food supply. Tell me what am I getting for my tax dollars that are supporting people that refuse to carry their own weight? Second I don't know where you get off accusing the Midwest of hating Hispanics. It seems there are a lot of people on the West Coast that aren't very warm to Hispanics. There is too much prejudice all over this country. You have some gall putting blame for prejudice on someone just because they don't agree with your politics.
Yes it may cost us a few subsidies to keep farming viable and profitable in the United States. The food many times could be grown somewhere else cheaper, but do we really want to get to the point that we are dependent on someone else for our food. We are already dependent on other countries for our oil, and isn't that a great deal.

Also you’re pointing out that Wal-Mart has produce from Mexico shows how ignorant you are. Anyone with a brain knows that different crops grow in different regions. Most of the produce that you find in Wal-Mart is still from California, Florida, and Texas, but some crops do grow better in the far south region. Try to plant a Mango tree in your yard. Also some crops will still do well in Mexico and Central America when they are out of season in the US.

Answer 2

I am against abortion and I support social welfare programs under the conditions that women do what they can to get off the programs to support them self. I belive that the government should help women like this find daycare and I also belive that the government should help them find a job or support them through a college or technical school. I am not against birth control per say, but I do not support birth control (such as the pill) that prevent implantation of a fertilized egg. I however support condoms and female condoms and other birth control that do not prevent implantation. I believe that adoption should be less expensive because if the woman does not want the child then a home should be easy to find. There are so many people in america on the waiting list and not enough american babies.

Answer 3

In general, farmers work hard for what they earn. They are religious and conservative and mostly middle class. They work hard for what they get and expect the same from others. I believe that demographics puts them mostly voting Republican. Farm subsidies are intended to keep market pricing in check without having a huge surplus that would drive prices down and hurt all farmers. I am not sure that it is fair to compare farm subsidies to welfare. I was not a farmer, but none that I grew up around got a $50K check from anywhere.

I don't think we want to outsource our food supply to Egypt if we can help it. With our standing in the world today, I surely would not want to increase our foreign dependence on food.

I do my very best to stay out of wal-mart and encourage everyone else to do the same.

Answer 4

Depends on where you are in the midwest, what people's views are. In the rural areas of Wisconsin I ran across lots of ignorant ideas about gender, race, religion, you-name-it. On the other hand, Madison was full of every type of political belief you could think of. In Minnesota, Minneapolis was fairly liberal as well. I've noticed many rural areas and some suburban areas are very conservative. It doesn't matter how much or how little education people have. Some people only hear what reinforces what they were taught at an early age, and refuse to listen to anything else. Many Americans don't see the "welfare" and "hand-outs" they get, since "that's the way it's always been done" or we earned that tax break or money, since "we pay taxes".

Good luck!

Answer 5

There is some truth about farmers getting government help but I don't think they hate hispanics.

http://www.conservativeworld.us/

Answer 6

You must be out of your mind if you think most farmers earn that kind of money......................I think they are against welfare because that is lazy money. Now when it comes to subsidies for not growing that just makes up for 20 yrs of hard labor in the fields. You should try it................it sucks big time.

Answer 7

I don't know of any farmers against welfare. Must be where you live. How lucky.

Answer 8

Logistics, my friend, look into it.