Yes. It’s a necessary exceptional measure for national security. Supporting agriculture is sometimes essential. It may be even more so at other times, especially if the enemy (the new axis) starts tossing nukes.
What a concept. Pay people who actually work for a living instead of pay folks to do nothing. I’d say it’s a good use of tariff money which is collected.
The government is responsible for this mess that the farmers are in by not making sure that the farmers had a fair shot on the world market.
Instead they became the punching bag for agricultural products all over the world.
Automaker bailout for a couple of automakers was 25 billion, bank bailout was 700 billion for the big banks making lousy loans. Most Americans received nothing of measure for these bailouts unless they needed a car from a bailed out company or banked at one of the mega banks. So a 12 billion bailout for farmers that actually feed us, that’s usable.
Midterms
Imagine of the farmers decided, that they would not produce any food. What would all those big city folks eat? The would politically buy up or confiscate all the farm land, and draft workers to work there. Most of the workers if from the cities would not know what to do. Sure they can pick beans but all the other chores needed to grow crops would be beyond their comprehension and physical strength. (I believe this was once the case in the last century, that no one likes to talk about or teach thoroughly.) Farmers literally have the rest of the population by the balls. Best be nice to the people who produce your meats, vegetables, grain and dairy. They are more important than builders of automobiles and Lenders.
Next year plant something other than soy. I stay away from anything with soybean oil as much as possible. Hemp, castor beans.... anything but soy.
So how many billions will the auto manufacturers get due to higher steel and aluminum prices? Will homebuilders get relief from higher lumber costs?
But what about FARM AID ;) We need Neil Young, John Mellencamp, and Dave Matthews to sing!
Not a good idea.
The only subset of farmers that I object giving money to are the corn farmers who help produce that lousy ethanol. Corn is food for people and animals. It is not fuel.Mandating ethanol is a Leftist hold-over that should die. It wears out our engines and reduces gas mileage. Our fantastic oil and gas producers are well equipped to provide all the energy we need.
The taxpayers are paying for Trump’s trade war. What’s next — subsidies for automakers hurt by retaliation? How about subsidies for me when I pay higher prices for tariffs goods?
20 years ago this would have made me mad. But realizing that the left his use the power of government to buy votes for the last 20 years my attitude now is let’s give all the money to our voters and let’s reward our voters and keep them voting against communism screw the other side
We’ll make the 12 billion back from the new tariffs. Win-win.
Excellent, all in for the stretch against China. Yes.
I usually oppose all subsidies, but if this is temporary — God , I hope so — until better trade deals are negotiated, I can live with it. Once the trade deals are on a level playing field, ALL subsidies should end.
My gut reaction is that this is not a good thing. I am against subsidies. Somebody on the left said that this was welfare. I agree with them, but since when were Democrats against welfare?