Isn't it time we eliminate all farm subsidies?

Answer 1

Is there any subsidy that is acceptable? Why should the government be engaged in providing money for any private sector of the economy? Why choose one sector over another?

Answer 2

It is time for the Us govt to cut out all subsidies of any kind to any group or individual. The US is a capitalist society founded on the principle that the free market will do a much better job of working out the variances in the economy than government intervention ever will. The Federal govt role is not suppose to be to subsidize anything.
farm subsidies only serve to provide payment to farmers, both corporate and private, not to grow. In other words, paying them to be unproductive, so that food prices can stay higher. Private farmers do so because it is a way of life and corporate farms will always find a way to be profitable if you allow the free market to determine their practices. If the corporate farms were not paid to leave land idle they would not have the desire to hold as much land, which would allow some to return to the private farmer.
Either way, if subsidies were removed, all land would become productive, food prices would come down (not up) due to the tremendous increase in food production. Americans would have cheaper food sources and more surplus would be available to feed those in need.
To answer this question all you really have to do is refer to the Constitution and the duties and responsibilities it spells out for the Fed. Govt.

Answer 3

The whole idea of farm subsidies was to protect small family owned farms from corporate mega-giants. Well, that didn't work, so what do we have now? A multi-billion a year system that pays farmers to NOT grow food in order to keep supply low and prices high.

I would say thats a pretty bad deal for us all around.

Answer 4

How can you suggest such a thing?

After all, it's the federal government's duty to give them taxpayer money. It says so right in the Constitution, right there in Article... uh... er .... ah .... um .... [nevermind].

I guess there is nothing in the Constitution giving the government the power to tax us and give that money to farmers.

I'm sure the idea of farm subsidies would have disgusted the Founding Fathers, as it should disgust any supporter of a Constitutional government.

Answer 5

We have foolishly allowed our manufacturing base to be moved out of the country - why should we be foolish enough to let our farmlands go wild and overgrown because foreign farmers can produce more food than we need?

If war comes and our foreign suppliers become inaccessible, we will have a LOT of catch-up to do before we can produce for ourselves.

We do need to move the value of the subsidies down from the agri-corporation level to the family farm financial level - if there are any left to use it.

Answer 6

The only ones that would hurt are small co-op and family-owned farms. I'm sure the large corporate ag companies would love to buy out their only competitors.

I am for giving subsidies to small entrepreneurs, such as in the growing field of organic foods and specialty foods. We shouldn't be subsidizing anything else that uses poisons to grow our food and in the meantime harming our environment.

Answer 7

No - the exact opposite is what's called for: the EU's common Agricultural Policy has its origin in the bitter experience of war time and immediate post war shortages-- and in some cases famine.

FOOD SECURITY will be as vital in the future as military security- policy should be designed with it as a priority which include s the use of farm subsidies and tariffs --the sovereign right of every country and people-- don't trust the NWO on this -they don't have your interests at heart-- THEY WANT TO MONOPOLIZE WORLD FOOD SUPPLY TO BLACKMAIL COUNTRIES AND GOVERNMENTS TO SUMMIT TO THEIR DEMANDS..

They want the 'free market only insofar as it suits them- don't be their useful idiots.

Answer 8

Yes. Farmers represent only 2% of the US population. Farming is the only business I know of that the government guarantees a profit. In a world economy, nobody is going to starve if the Georgia peanut crop is wiped out by a drought.

Answer 9

NO. The US needs to do away with NAFTA and all free trade agreements. Foreign countries supply this country with sub-standard product. These products don't conform to US standards of quality. The US farmer is under cut in the costs, thus making it hard to maintain their farms, upholding the standards imposed by the USDA. Without the subsidies, the farms would fold, and we would be eating all the crap that other countries don't keep for themselves.

Answer 10

Farm subsidies should have been eliminated a very long time ago!