Farm-Barrel Politics

Well as the campaign season comes into full swing here with only 5 months left until the first Tuesday in November, the Presidential candidates and their surrogates in the House of Shame (known to us as the United States Congress) have stepped up PANDER-monium 2008 and brought us the semi-annual holy grail of bad policy: The Farm Bill!

For those of you who are unaware of just how ridiculous the terms of this legislation are, some good references can be found here: http://www.economist.com/world/na/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11412562

In short, world food demand- and as a result, prices- are at inflation-adjusted record highs and yet somehow, House Speaker Nancy "The $600 Stimulator" Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry "Empty Suit" Reid felt the need to lavish the agricultural industry with handouts. Am I the only one who thinks that if prices are at record highs, the industry should have no issue making profits without taxpayer assistance?

Sadly, this is the type of behavior I'd expect from a Democratic majority in Congress- but the ridiculous aspect to this is that the Republicans in both houses (who routinely deride their Democratic colleagues over welfare and other government handouts) backed this bill as well. So much so that it passed into law despite a veto from President "it took me 7 years to find my inner fiscal conservative" Bush. Perhaps there was something in it for the Republicans as well?
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/16/opinion/16fri3.html?scp=5&sq=farm%20bill&st=cse
Oh of course, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Republican of Kentucky) gets a hunk of taxpayer money to support racehorse breeding in his home state. I suppose this bill is a win-win if you're a member of the US Congress (about a fifth of whom are millionaires) but a lose-lose if you're a taxpaying citizen of the United States....most of whom are not millionaires.

But the hits keep on coming ladies and gentlemen, because not only does this bill screw over the middle class in this country, it completely fucks the impoverished peoples of the world who in this time of record high prices can no longer afford to feed themselves... Why? Because when our super-subsidized food hits the export markets and winds up in impoverished countries, local farmers (who do not qualify for U.S. farm subsidies) cannot compete with the cost of the imported American food and are literally put out of business when they can't sell their locally produced food. As a result, poor nations the world over have consistently lost the ability to feed themselves as local farmers go bankrupt- and then everyone becomes even more hopelessly dependent on subsidized American food exports. This, ladies and gentlemen, is what's known as a Vicious Circle.

And if that weren't bad enough?
http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/provider/providerarticle.aspx?feed=AP&date=20080529&id=8704389
The Associated Press piece linked above is another good example of why this legislation is bad for all Americans. Farm subsidies are always the most hotly contested issue at any round of WTO negotiations and almost always prevents significant advances in the goal of reducing barriers to globalization and free trade- which contrary to what some dope-smoking, latte-drinking hippie from Seattle will tell you, is the best way to improve the lives of people in both developed economies as well as developing economies. As JFK opined more than 40 years ago, "a rising tide lifts all boats."
In this foggy-headed blogger's opinion, anything that prevents the tide from rising and gouges the taxpayer at the same time is shit policy.

Post Script: More information on this inherently communist agricultural policy, including what other multibillion dollar industries get handouts and who voted for it (Spoiler alert! Barack "Yes We Can continue to gouge the taxpayer" Obama voted for it, John McCain voted against it) you can go to http://www.thomas.gov/ and search "H.R. 6124" and "H.R. 2419" to see special interest governance at it's worst.