a thoughtful web.
Good ideas and conversation. No ads, no tracking.   Login or Take a Tour!
comment
b_b  ·  4364 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Drugs, prison, etc.
The family farmer doesn't exist here in any large quantity. Most food is produced by mega-corporations that see their product as nothing more than a commodity to be traded. The small farmers, ironically, aren't even eligible for most farm subsidies, because they often grow fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables are not subsidized and comprise a tiny fraction of agricultural products. Its funny (sad, really) that it is literally impossible for everyone in the US to eat the government recommended amount of fruits and vegetables, because there aren't enough grown to satisfy that volume. To my knowledge, the only crops with large subsidies are corn, soybeans and cotton; mostly corn, which is mostly low grade corn that is either stored in silos or fed to livestock. I think all should be done away with en masse, but at the very least they could subsidize that which is healthy.

Edit: I actually don't think its peripheral to the topic. Its really important, because each of these things is about the government acting as shills for a very small number of people, while destroying the world for the rest of us.